Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), written and directed by George Lucas, has endured almost 50 years of pop culture. From its rich coming-of-age story to its brilliant ensemble cast to its revolutionary action set pieces, this is the thrilling adventure film that changed the movie-going experience forever. The only thing that time has done to this masterpiece is remind fans of the awe and wonder that old-school filmmaking can provide.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Returning to a Galaxy Far Far Away…
The original Star Wars adventure puts fans in the middle of the action. The evil Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) has invaded Princess Leia Organa’s (Carrie Fisher) ship. He seeks her capture for working with the Rebel alliance. They’ve been trying their best to take down the dreaded Empire. After he forces her to watch the destruction of her home planet Alderaan via a new experimental weapon known as the Death Star, Leia is taken away. The same Death Star an R2 unit was given the stolen plans for. Something that exposes the massive planet killer’s one structural weakness.
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However, the princess has also left a message in the quirky R2 unit for the former Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). He’s currently hiding out on the desert planet Tatooine. A young farm boy named Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) eventually finds the R2 unit as well as the message when he brought the droid from some local Jawa merchants. He knows of a Ben Kenobi who turns out to be the fabled Jedi. Kenobi just so happened to save Luke from a Raider attack too. The same group that they discovered killed his aunt and uncle.
With no one left to help him, Kenobi reveals that he knew Luke’s father, who was a fellow Jedi Knight. One that fought alongside him in the “Clone Wars”. Kenobi sets out to save the Princess while also starting Luke’s training in the ways of the “Force”. This could finally be the tide that tips this costly civil war in the Rebels’ favor. That said, this new dynamic duo needs a pilot to get off the planet first. That leads them to two rough, but charming smugglers, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew).
49 Years Ago, A Franchise Was Born
The first Star Wars film has an endless list of things going for it. Lucas’ creative vision has always been vast, but given where the franchise has gone in the last five decades, it’s easy to forget how contained our original trip to a galaxy far far away was. As the iconic opening credits begin, which are a callback to the old adventure serials of the 30s and 40s, you are induced to the close-quarters claustrophobic horrors of the Rebels' current predicament pretty quickly. That’s made all the more scary by Darth Vader’s menacing debut. Jones’ voice forever lives in the nightmares of most Star Wars. The atmosphere that Lucas wonderfully sets up is a timeless campy one. Yet it's also one that’s subtle darkness is often overlooked. You can tell through the direction and dire urgency of the situation, the Rebels are losing this war. Specifically, they’ve lost a lot to get to this exact moment in time. The opening of Star Wars is a textbook example of how to sweat-inducingly explain a bunch of lore in a compelling way. You feel like you’re in a living-breathing world. That’s even before you step onto a planet for the first time.
Tatooine continues the frightening repressive horrors of Star Wars. This is also where the world-building/emotional themes really shine. The franchise has always been at its best when it plays with its dark side. No where is that more apparent than in Luke Skywalker. A relatable farm boy who just wants to make his mark on a dying world around him. The character of Luke in the diverse echo-system he inhabits has always remained relevant with a clear anti-fascism message. That said, in certain parts of the world, Star Wars’ good versus pure evil story has never been more important. While The Empire Strikes Back is arguably the better film as it expands on everything Star Wars does right, A New Hope sets the foundation of corrupt politics and cowboy heroics so perfectly. The inherent good-will of the characters and their desire to be a better collective are the backbone of this intergalactic Saga.
From Smuggler to Rebel Hero
In the first space trench run, the latter of wanting to be good is best seen in the character of Han Solo. Ford is best known for his later adventures as Indiana Jones, but the actor was relatively unknown at the time. That’s just like his co-leads Hamill and Fisher. Yet the actor’s performance was wise beyond its year. The internal struggle between Han and the character’s western selfish gunslinger to Rebel hero is as classic as they come. The youthful as well as armored mature nature that Ford brought to Han still hasn’t been matched in the sci-fi genre. In a series full of epic lightsaber duels, his wise cracks and fearless bravery are still top-tier Star Wars material. Especially, in the final act when this heroic trio take on the Death Star.
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Ford’s awe-inspiring level of complexity extends to the whole cast. Stars Wars was a great time capsule film thanks to an insanely fun blend of old and new-school Hollywood actors. Jones, Guinness and Peter Cushing put trust in the audience. They showed confidence that this wasn’t your ordinary throwaway space adventure that pledged past decades. That’s all the while Hamill, Fisher, Ford, Mayhew and Anthony Daniels brought something distinctly fresh to the movie-going experience. Their effortless chemistry makes you feel like you’re always watching this film for the first time. They’re simply a part of one of the best casts ever assembled in film history.
A Classic Good Vs. Evil Story
That’s especially true when we get to the final 30 minutes of the film, where Star Wars is firing on all cylinders and using the Force to the fullest. Luke, Han and Obi-Wan’s infiltration of the Death Star to save Princess Leia as well as putting a massive hole in the Empire’s arsenal is an all-time finale. The action and lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan is definitely of its time. Then again, the atmosphere, stakes and weighty performances elevate everything. You're on the edge of your seat the entire time as the horrors found in the first hour turn into a full-fledged adventure movie. This is a great time to mention the special effects and practical set designs are a marvel of movie magic. The use of stunning miniatures, matte paintings, gorgeous costume design and forced perspective revolutionized the genre. It reinvented what was possible on film, setting up a generational run the big Hollywood blockbuster would have in the latter half of the 20th century.
It also helps that John Williams' musical score is breathtaking. From the legendary “Main Titles” to “Princess Leia’s Theme” to “The Throne Room and End Title”, Star Wars is the definition of a tear-jerking rollercoaster ride. That’s all the while the “Cantina Band” infests your mind with the most addictive track you’ll ever hear. The music has always been just as important as the story in Star Wars. Williams is a great storyteller himself with an incredible ear for tone. He knows when to go dark, when to key in on the adventure of it all and when to let us soak in the beautiful scenery. Williams is one of the best composers of all-time and for good reason. You don’t have to look any further than his original work on Star Wars to get an idea why.
“Great Shot Kid, That Was One in a Million!”
All in all, Star Wars as a franchise is in a complicated spot. The first decade of the Disney era has had its fair share of hits and misses. However, while we wait to see which side The Mandalorian & Grogu will land on, A New Hope has only gotten better with age. Even with the "Special Edition” changes, this coming-of-age Joseph Campbell-style hero story never gets old. The world is only getting darker. Yet, whether it's the mesmerizing effects, depth thematic story enriched by an amazing soundtrack or the timeless performances, we need Star Wars more than ever.
We need the hope that ungodly evil can never and should never win. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope inspires us to be better and not be as complacent with what happens in the world around us. It teaches us we’re the change the world has been waiting for. This may be a story that boils down to space knights and cowboys trying to stop a hellish medieval-looking cult, but there’s a Rebel in all of us that’s hard to contain after watching Star Wars.
- Release Date
- May 25, 1977
Cast
-
Mark HamillLuke Skywalker -
Harrison FordHan Solo -
Carrie FisherPrincess Leia Organa -
Peter CushingGrand Moff Tarkin
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
- Director
- George Lucas
- Writers
- George Lucas
- Producers
- Gary Kurtz, Rick McCallum
- Prequel(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Sequel(s)
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars