Star Wars: A New Hope

If you haven’t seen this film already, you’ve probably had your head buried in the sands of Tatooine. As did I for the longest time.

I’m going to be real, I don’t vibe with westerns and I don’t vibe with space adventures, and I used to hate old movies with cheesy effects and weird acting and weird filming styles, so it’s no wonder I refused to watch the original Star Wars growing up, even though my older siblings did.

Sure, I would watch the prequels, because those were more modern and I felt I got the storyline better. But after constantly hearing from family members about tie fighters and X-wings and Death Stars and Darth Vader, I finally decided to watch the movie I had an aversion to, and see what I was missing and what those things were.

I braced myself to be bored for two hours.

Surprise, Star Wars: A New Hope wasn’t that bad. I still don’t vibe with the western aspect of it and it’s probably never going to appear on a list of my favorite movies ever, but it was a cute flick, with a lot of spirit and a surprising amount of fun. And yes, 70’s cheesiness, but I can get over it.

After growing up with the dour prequel films, it was a strange experience to watch a Star Wars movie that didn’t take itself seriously and had genuine humor.

ANH is probably the most perfect out of all the Star Wars movies. It’s the best structured and best edited film, with the tightest writing and most streamlined structure, and with pretty great pacing.

I also love the acting in this film (horrors).

Yes, it’s not very good according to conventional standards, and the critics gasp in horror at it, but I could not care less. Go praise The Godfather or whatever other elitist movie that has stilted over-rehearsed acting only a lofty critic could appreciate. The actors are having fun, they’re high energy, they’re relaxed and natural on camera, and you can tell they all like each other and are having fun working together. Their energy carries through to the audience and draws you in and makes you engaged. Every interaction is genuine and their chemistry is so amazing it doesn’t even feel like they’re acting.

There’s no other film where we see our trio together as much or get to experience their chemistry as much as in this one. George Lucas definitely caught lightning in a bottle with this amazing cast. Neither the prequels nor the sequels have succeeded in capturing the magic Han, Luke and Leia bring.

What It’s About

The story follows the tale of the farm boy Luke Skywalker, who is growing up with his aunt and uncle on the barren desert planet of Tatooine. They take possession of two droids that are carrying the technical readouts of the empire’s battle station, which are currently being sought out by the imperial forces.

After the death of his aunt and uncle at the hands of the empire, Luke joins up with an old hermit named Obi-wan and hire the selfish mercenary, Han Solo, to bring them to the planet Alderaan to return the captured plans to the princess Leia who hid them in one of the droids.

Where are you taking this…thing?

As I said before, this movie is excellently paced, with an effortlessly streamlined structure. It’s a bit slow at first and I could have done with fewer C-3po and R2-D2 shenanigans, but it’s a product of a time when people had longer attention spans, so I’m not going to fault it for that.

This film just feels very chill…it’s not afraid of taking its time and making sure you get to know every character before the action really starts. It never hurries anywhere, gives you some information and withholds more, expecting you figure out the rest on your own.

There are few movies I’ve watched that seem to assume you are intelligent and don’t need to be spoon-fed information constantly, and this—along with the sequels (by that I mean Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi)—is one of them.

What exactly is Darth Vader’s deal? We don’t really know. What is Han Solo’s backstory? It’s not relevant to the story, so it’s never brought up ever, except for some hints about Jabba.

The amount of information you are given is just perfect. It makes the world seem very mysterious and you are left to fill in the gaps with your imagination, while also being able to understand the important things you need to know.

The pace picks up quickly and the plot comes to a momentous and streamlined conclusion. The special effects were groundbreaking for the time and looked good even to someone as cynical about old movies as I am. The editing is stunningly good in the climax, especially when it comes to the audio and sound mixing.

Also, John William’s score is absolutely stunning and beautiful. Indeed, this iconic score may be my favorite out of all the Star Wars films. Yes, I’m including Revenge of the Sith, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and every other star wars film in existence in there. I know, they have Battle of the Heroes and Duel of the Fates and the Imperial March and A Jedi’s Fury (which may be the single most underrated piece of Star Wars music), but there’s something so captivating about the beauty and pure simplicity of this score. No other musical moments in Star Wars are quite so beautiful as the sunset scene and the scene when Luke hears Obi-Wan telling him to let go. And the amazing swell when the X-wings move in the for the attack. And the music when they’re fighting the tie fighters. And don’t even get me started on the music at the end. Each moment is so perfectly punctuated by John William’s masterful compositions, and it conveys the emotions and experience of the film better than any other Star Wars score out there.

I could go on and on about how amazing this score is in every scene.

But I must mention my favorite musical moment in the film, which is when Luke dashes off to his aunt and uncle’s farm, only to come upon the burned homestead. The force theme followed by the Dias Irae conveys the tragedy and Luke’s anger better than the acting ever could. It also plays in The Force Awakens when Rey catches the light saber. It's definitely one of my favorite pieces of music in all of Star Wars.

As the for the world building and plot, it is a little thin compared to the other Star Wars films. It’s a very simple, straightforward story, which isn’t a criticism, necessary, but it doesn’t have the appeal of Empire Strikes Back’s strong emotional undertones and dramatic cinematography, or Return of the Jedi’s father-son dynamic, or the imagination and creativity that’s present in the prequels.

I always had a bit of a problem with Luke acting like he isn’t even a part of this planet in some scenes. I would expect someone who grew up here to be a bit more savvy when it comes to the dangers present, and less taken aback by all the strange aliens. It’s hard to buy that this is his first time seeing all kinds of alien creatures…dude…you’re in Star Wars, aliens are a thing you see daily.

And call me racist, but holy smokes do I hate the aliens and their silly costumes. Just had to throw that in there. Yes, I get it’s an older movie and they didn’t have the technology we do nowadays…but in my defense…I’m a gen Z, so I do tend to notice things like outdated effects and weird masks…and lame lightsaber choreography.

Although, in defense of these two geriatrics, one is an old man and the other doesn’t even have limbs, so what did we expect? The days of cool spinning and twirling are behind them.

The Cinematography

When I was doing research for this film one thing I found was that George Lucas was interested in documentaries and making them. The filming style in this movie has distinct documentary-like feel to it. Most of the shots are static and wide-framed, focused on showing the audience the environment. It’s very similar to the filming style used throughout the prequels, which also have lots of wide shots and static camera. It feels very relaxed and simple, and works well for this film, introducing us to the world and focusing on showing us the places we’re in. There’s nothing particularly fancy or notable about the camera work, although Lucas is able to put together some beautiful and thoughtful shot compositions. It’s simple and does what it needs to. I personally prefer a more dynamic and cinematic filming approach, with moving camera shots and subjective views and dramatic lighting and set choices, like what you find in the ESB. But that kind of filming doesn’t feel necessary in a story as simple as this, and there is a charm in its roughness and simplicity.

Some of these wide shots are gorgeous, the special effects are amazing, and can we mention the opening shot? I saw this shot many times as a kid and it always left me awestruck. Even to this day it’s impressive. Now that I’ve gotten old enough to appreciate it, I’m always in awe at the special effects of the space scenes. Spaceships and laser guns were never really my thing, but you have to admire the work put into these scenes.

The editing in this film is absolutely masterful, especially in the space battle. The audio intercuts, the visual intercuts, the music, it’s all perfect. Also, I dig this shot. It’s used several times, along with a few other shots, but I guess everyone thought it was that good.

How are you?

The most enjoyable aspect of this film by far—and what truly makes it watchable—is the characters and their interactions. If there’s anything Star Wars gets right with few exceptions, it’s the casting of the characters. Again, the chemistry of the cast in this film is stellar.

Not just by the main three characters, but even the villains are sly, smart, despicable and yet likeable because of how well-written they are. Tarkin carries a cold and commanding presence that steals every scene, and Darth Vader is smart and capable, even going out in a tie fighter with his own men. David Prowse as Darth Vader brings a menacing presence and some distinct mannerisms to his character, like the pointing and thumbs in the belt. James Earl Jones is amazing rip, but don’t overlook my guy David Prowse. And Sir Alec Guiness as Obi-wan…this man was a world class actor. He brings a much needed gravitas to the story and he outshines the surrounding actors so effortlessly.

As for our hero…young Luke Skywalker is adorable and has such a cheerful and good-natured personality that shines through the disgruntled farm kid persona…why aren’t more hero archetype characters this magnetic? I’m not generally a fan of the young hero archetype, so I was a bit guarded at first…I kept on expecting him to betray his aunt and uncle or show up everyone or do some other typical obnoxious protagonist shenanigans, and was instead impressed by how pleasant and well-rounded his character was.

When talking about this film it’s considered cool or whatever to dismiss Luke as boring or whiny or somehow lesser than the other characters, without expounding on his character at all or giving it a fair chance. And I just got to go on record by saying that…Luke is a perfectly fine character in this film. Like…there’s truly no major issues with his character, other than Mark Hamill’s line delivery, which can be a little grating sometimes.

However, it’s not as awful or even as prevalent as some critics make it out to be, and there are some moments where the performance is surprisingly muted. There’s an often overlooked scene where he finds his torched aunt and uncle and looks away, angry, but then forces himself to look back. His expression hardens and it’s the first hint of character growth we get to see from him.

And let’s give credit where it’s due: Mark Hamill plays an innocent, naïve farm kid in a way that’s convincing and endearing, and he manages to bring a lot of unique mannerisms to the character.

As for the character itself, Luke is kind, he’s a dutiful nephew to his aunt and uncle, he’s innovative in the face of danger, he’s optimistic in spite of a lot of horrible things he’s been through, he’s easygoing, and he’s polite to the droids. And let’s not forget he also gets a cool lightsaber, and he rescues the princess…not Han, and he swings her across the gap, and he’s the one who convinces Han to come back and be a hero, and he blows up the death star when no one else could. And he gets to rock a cool jacket at the end. We see him step up to each situation and grow in confidence and learn to trust in the force, and come into his own as a baddie with the other characters.

Yeah people love to say Leia’s the real hero or Han or whoever…but let’s be real…they’d be lost without Luke, who was the only one able to land the final shot that saved the rebellion.

This is why I’m not a big fan of Rogue One and Andor, since if you pay attention to this movie you will notice that the supposed weakness in the death star isn’t actually a real weakness. This whole attack run is a bad idea by the rebels, and their computers are failing. Tarkin is right, the space station is impervious, but the catch is that it’s not impervious to the force. It’s not until Luke comes to the realization that he must use the force that they win. This is foreshadowed at the beginning of the film, with Darth Vader declaring that the battle station is nothing compared to the power of the Force.

The whole arc of the force coming full circle to give the rebellion their victory is beautifully done. Also the movie is titled A New Hope, which refers to Luke.

Stop dismissing my man as just whiny…ok he sometimes is…but he’s as least cute when he is. And he’s a teenager…don’t pretend you never whined as one, and you weren’t cute when you did so either. Am I really the only one who thinks Mark Hamill is super cute as Luke? Really, just me? I’m so glad this man got the role.

Luke’s aunt and uncle play a small role, but their portrayal is done very well. Uncle Owen isn’t portrayed as some mean jerk holding Luke back, as most guardian characters are. Sure, he needs Luke to stay and won’t let him join the academy yet, but he promises to make it up to him. And Luke accepts this and doesn’t even consider betraying them even when Obi wan tempts him to. When he realizes that his aunt and uncle are in danger, he immediately hurries back to help.

You get the idea that Luke’s guardians treated him well and there was a mutual bond and trust between them, even if they were having conflicts. It was refreshing to see a guardian-child relationship that had conflicts and yet felt like both parties cared for and respected each other.

The death of his aunt and uncle was devastating and I felt a lot for Luke, essentially being an orphan throughout the rest of the movie. He experiences a lot of loss in this film, which was very depressing, but I was glad that he got some support from Leia and found a new family in her and Han.

As for Han Solo, what can I say? He’s Harrison Ford. He’s the epitome of cool! Han is hilarious and has the most dynamic arc of all the characters, and Harrison Ford makes every scene he appears in that much better. Also, he’s multilingual and has a cute furry partner, which rounds out his character nicely. If you don’t like Han, you’re either Greedo, or Jabba, or you straight up don’t exist.

Princess Leia shows herself as a strong and resilient character immediately, standing up to the show’s baddies and resisting interrogation. She’s no nonsense and takes charge of her own rescue when Luke and Han don’t know what they’re doing. I like her for her capabilities, and her fun banter with Han, although she can be a little annoying at times.

When I was younger and saw a few clips of this movie I recall greatly disliking Leia. I found her constant bickering annoying. I like her now and don’t think it’s as annoying anymore, but I’ve always found her distant and bland for some reason that I can’t quite put my finger on. When I try to describe her the only words I can come up with are strong-willed, feisty, capable, maybe caring…but that’s it. I never felt like I ever got to know her as well as Han or Luke or even Ben and Darth Vader. Sure, her planet’s destroyed, but she’s never shown grieving, but that’s also an issue with other characters, not just her. There’s not a whole lot more to her character other than that, but she’s simply not written to be the most complicated character in the story. Her banter with Han is always entertaining, however.

The characters foil each other very well, with Han’s cynicism and pragmatism contrasting with Luke’s idealist nature, and Leia’s no-nonsense attitude clashing with Han’s recklessness.

Conclusion

Is it my favorite movie ever?

No, but it's moved up there. I had a great time watching it. I loved all the characters, I loved the score, and I loved seeing all the iconic moments that I had heard about. It piqued my curiosity to watch the following ones.

I’ve already reviewed The Empire Strikes Back, and you can see that here. The amount of character work and development in this series is marvelous. It was interesting to see the full extent of Ani’s arc, and even more so, Luke’s. Anyway. That’s all for today. See ya'll.