THX 1138 (1971)

This is George Lucas's feature film debut: a startling feature length remake of a short film he made as a student in film school. The story is a futuristic sci-fi dystopia sort of thing in the vein of Orwell or Huxley, with some Kafka thrown in for good measure. Everything is very bland, cold, clinical, and dominated by the color white. Everyone has a shaved head, and no one stands out from anyone else. Everyone is also under the control of mind altering drugs that regulate their behavior, thoughts, and emotions and they are always nder constant surveillance. One citizen in particulatr though, known as THX 1138, wants that all to end, and begins a quest to break free from this confining world and escape to a place where individuality might just be a possibility. The style and stroytelling are extremely minimalist, and the plot is really bare bones. There's some dialogue, but it is very sparse, so most of the world building is done through visuals and sound design, both of which are top notch. This is art directed to the nth degree, and that's what makes it really enjoyable and fascinating. If only Lucas had continued ot make more films like this, then he might be celebrated as one of the best art film directors ever. I'm not kidding.Lalo Schifrin gives a nicely haunting score, and the performances, especially from Duvall and Pleasance are pretty good. All in all, this is a pretty striking piece of work. It might have been nice to have a bit more explanation and backstory, but as an experimental exercise in tone and mood, and just an overall creepy and hypnotic experience in general, this is some wonderful stuff.

George Lucas' debut feature film is a dystopian society film about an underground society where people are controlled and everything is monitored. THX 1138 reminds me heavily of George Orwell's 1984. I am a huge fan of Dystopian novels/films etc. I was very much impressed with Lucas' first film and I consider it a Sci Fi masterpiece and a classic. I thought it was beautifully filmed, and told. The story was well paced and featured a lot of parallels of what was going to become the now famous Star Wars trilogy. THX 1138 has an impressive cast of actors, and they have great chemistry. I loved Donald Pleasence in this film, and is one of the best actors of this period. Robert Duvall also gives a splendid performance as THX, the title character of this picture. Watching this film, you feel like you're reading a George Orwell / Aldous Huxley novel. The world that THX tries to escape from is exactly how I pictured Huxley's world in Brave New World, and it's laws and restrictions on the people living in the underground dystopia echo that of Orwell's 1984. In many ways, THX 1138 is a stepping stone for Star Wars, without it, George Lucas couldn't have crafted Star Wars. I don't believe that THX 1138 is greater than Star Wars, but I would say that both films are two of s kind. They're very different, but there is so many similarities as well. THX 1138 is a masterful film that is a classic of the genre, and with a strong story and great acting and drama, THX 1138 is a compelling film not to be missed by fans of Sci Fi or Lucas fans in general.