I saw the re-release of Lucas's THX 1138 at a first-run theater tonight, and about half way through I became quite conscious of my fidgeting. I left my hopes of being awed in the empty popcorn bag. I'm going to give away the ending, not just because it is patently obvious well before the conclusion (I won't use the word climax), but because it is almost comical in the context of the plot: a cost overrun spares the life of THX. I've never broken this unwritten rule when I've talked about a film, and this will (hopefully) be the one exception. It is deserved.
THX is the center of four plot lines attempting to be tension: control by society, discovery of emotions and love, the illusion of god, and the sad destructive emptiness that overcomes a person when they have little reason to exist. In my opinion, each plot line is only partially developed, and they are jumbled with each other in a muddy cocktail. Robert Duvall, who I enjoy for his quirky characterizations, is like an small lunch cooler in this film; an attractive object that is just a container. He is in most scenes with a blank expression, and this results in almost no connection with, or empathy for, his character. There is very little meaningful dialog, and the substitution of unseen voices in a constant flow on the soundtrack, as some metaphor for social control, was particularly irritating.
The film was made in 1971, an expanded version of a project Lucas did while at UCLA, and was considered by some as groundbreaking at the first release. It got him recognized enough to finance his later blockbuster works, so in this respect one can watch this as a historical reference, to understand what I expect will ultimately be a footnote on his body of work.
I'm going to slap myself later for this, but if one wants a similar plot with a much higher entertainment value, pick up a copy of Total Recall.
THX is the center of four plot lines attempting to be tension: control by society, discovery of emotions and love, the illusion of god, and the sad destructive emptiness that overcomes a person when they have little reason to exist. In my opinion, each plot line is only partially developed, and they are jumbled with each other in a muddy cocktail. Robert Duvall, who I enjoy for his quirky characterizations, is like an small lunch cooler in this film; an attractive object that is just a container. He is in most scenes with a blank expression, and this results in almost no connection with, or empathy for, his character. There is very little meaningful dialog, and the substitution of unseen voices in a constant flow on the soundtrack, as some metaphor for social control, was particularly irritating.
The film was made in 1971, an expanded version of a project Lucas did while at UCLA, and was considered by some as groundbreaking at the first release. It got him recognized enough to finance his later blockbuster works, so in this respect one can watch this as a historical reference, to understand what I expect will ultimately be a footnote on his body of work.
I'm going to slap myself later for this, but if one wants a similar plot with a much higher entertainment value, pick up a copy of Total Recall.
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SO little time. I just watched the original Thunderbirds tv shows from the 70's and it was like my inner child died and went to heaven.
Hope all is well in your world.