STAR WARS OFF TO A GOOD START
George Lucas has set up Star Wars for an excellent Episode II and III, however episode I had some problems that detracted from its amazing advancement in special effects technology. The technology in itself isn't what makes it so amazing - it is what the effects do - creating world's that are so well conceived and convincing that we can be transported to these places without noticing the effects. This is one film that may actually work better a second time, especially since the narrative is known - so I will not comment too much on the film for fear that I am mis-stating or mis-interpreting the facts. Second Time Viewing: An excellent film when watched with the sound at the right level. I have never seen a clearer print of a film in my life than I did at Whetherill Park today and the sound was close to outstanding. This profoundly affects the film. As Lucas says, he envisages Star Wars as a silent film with music and images telling the narrative.
THINGS TO MAKE STAR WARS BETTER
What I think Lucas needs to do for episode II is get Steven Spielberg to direct it. Their collaborations on Indiana Jones are outstanding, but more significantly, Spielberg is one of the few directors that can effectively channel fear into the audience. Furthermore, Spielberg's record in the 90s demonstrates an uncanny ability for both serious and action type scenarios - the perfect mix for Star Wars. Spielberg can produce a feeling of fear in the audience at the drop of the hat. Lucas unfortunately, never really had us that scared in this film. The scene for example, where the sea creatures were chasing the craft should have been at least slightly "edge of the seat" stuff - but something was essentially wrong with the fact that I didn't feel the fear of the situation. The problem of course, and it is repeated again, is that things happen too easily for the heroes in getting out of bad situations. Remember the first Star Wars - there was a series of mishaps in their attempts to get out when they rescued Leia, culminating in the death of Obi Wan. There was none of that here. Bigger fish ate small fish and the Queen's troops have next to no trouble in getting to the leader of the trade federation. The fear/security dichotomy is fundamental in the cinematic realm of Star Wars, similar to the good/evil, light/dark boundaries. I felt that the only effective dichotomy Lucas fleshed out was the light/dark one - and that was carried out only in the visual realm.
One of the ways you can instill that nail biting feeling of fear in an audience is if you have a truly well refined evil character. While Darth VAder from the opening scenes of Star Wars was an incredible presence - a perfect summation of evil as we see it, his character was developed quite significantly in the film to make him a most amazing force. His power over his own side, his ability to not hesitate in killing people and his killing of Obi-Wan, made him the ultimate nemessis for the three episodes. He was a worthy, if not superior challenger to Luke Skywalker. So, what do we get in Episode I - Darth Maul. But what indication do we have that Darth Maul is any good as the "evil" character when the only time we see him in action is briefly at Tatooine (where Liam Neeson's character also has a very easy escape - again, not enough fear - got off too lightly). What should have hapenned is Neeson's character either should have died there to show that Maul was an effective nemessis. It is not Ironic that the light saber scene at the end was probably one of the best features of the film because Neeson's death finally gave us a bad character worthy of our concern. Unfortunately it was too little too late in this respect. When a movie's theme relies so heavily on the Good/Evil boundary - no doubt people will be disappointed when the balance is so heavily on the good side and where the good side has it so easy.
Second time viewing: I would like to add, that George Lucas, in his Star Wars score commentary wrote:
"But John's astounding success made composing the score in Episode I a daunting task. Gone were so many of the main characters and situations that his music now indelibly evokes. In Episode I, there is no Luke Skywalker, no Princess Leia, no Hans Solo, no Evil Empire, and even Darth Vader is an innocent little boy."
Lucas himself has realised the lack of evil that permeates in the first episode. And because the focus of the film is different - The boy drawing away from his mother, the pacifist Queen trying to protect her nation with the underlying threat of evil fully to establish itself - that the movie will grow from this point.
THE FUTURE
Now, this is where things get interesting. Is Anakin, "the balance of the force" - going to balance it towards the bad side - is that what "balance" means? Or is Anakin just mistaken for Luke because they don't understand he is the "one"? If so, perhaps this is what Lucas is setting up. Obviously he can't channel evil properly until we see evil or "the dark force" develop in Anakin. And this is essentially why I liked Episode I so much - it set the ground work for the next two films. It left so many questions open. It will be fascinating watching Anakin and Obi Wan develop as characters, and Lucas has made some excellent casting moves in his selection of Obi Wan. Who would've thought that Trainspotting Scottish dude could make Ben work as a character. I think that even if Lucas directs Episode II he will have a greater feeling for what an audience want. The power of the story will also help in this respect. But really - Lucas needs a proper evil character as a force within the film as long as Anakin is developing the bad side.
SCORE
I don't want to comment too much on the score - but it is a very good one. John Williams keeps outdoing himself. A new theme with full choir is played out excellently while Obi-Wan's theme (also, the theme of "the force") is played quite significantly throughout the film - often hiding itself in a french horn playing lightly in the background of some other theme. Also, the theme plays when Anakin leaves his mother - foreshadowing his eventual apprenticeship with Ben. There's a real typical star wars "corny" theme, where the mother talks about her immaculate conception. John Williams plays music straight out of those biblical epics ("Moses, "Ben Hur") with a 'Cello playing away at the above humanity level of this most amazing child. We may laugh - but this is part of the Star Wars appeal. I want to listen to that scene again, because if behind that biblical theme, lurks a familiar theme for example (The sith's - if that's how you spell it) - it is possible that the good woman could have been raped by one of them while under the spell of the dark force. Or perhaps it is Lucas' way of getting out of having a sex scene in Episode II or III - Anakin, being "the one" will be able to use "the force" to conceive his children. I also liked how Williams played around with the opening theme - especially in some scenes in which Anakin is in (I think while he is driving the fighter plane at the end we hear the first two notes of the star wars theme - or Luke's theme (the jedi theme as well I suppose), but then it quickly inverts away from it). Second time viewing: Look, this score is beyond excellent. Anakin's theme is outstanding. Full of contradictions - it is both sweat and dischordant, ending in its final cadance sequence with the theme associated with Darth Vader (the notes last few notes of the imperial march) - this is a great theme, and only the second to be officially named after a character. Then there are the appearances of Ben's theme all the way through the music - similar to its structure in Episode IIV where it alludes both to the force and to the placement of Ben as a father figure to both Anakin and Luke. I think I mentioned the inversions of the star wars theme (using the opening fifth but instead of going down, he goes up one note for a crotchet then back down a fifth).
EDITING
The wipes. The wipes. The wipes. Clockwise wipes. The wipes. What would Star Wars be without wipes - and doesn't Lucas have his wipe-o-meter high here. No other film uses wipes so significantly - and it is part of the Star Wars feeling when we have the wipes. personally, I thought there were too many - but that's because I notice that stuff. The wipes are one of the reasons why the film does not seem to be well into the nineties (coupled with the corny acting in scenes such as "the immaculate conception" scene)
Parallel Editing. Apart from Spielberg, here's one man that can pull off parallel editing on levels of genius. No wonder I was disappointed when what we got was still remarkable, but not on the level of eps IV-VI. Needless to say, at one stage Lucas has us on four parallel plains. THere's Anakin, there's the lightsaber fight, there's those jar jar creatures (with Jamaican accents), and there's the Queen's recovery of her palace. What Lucas should have done is killed JAr Jar in the fight, had the Queen come up with more hurdles in her encounter (the decoy was good - but by then I was confused as to what hapenned - and if we were seeing two separate groups, that would technically make the parallel editing five different types). Anakin's encounter was good and the lightsaber scene was a highlight. But I also thought that the scene had some minor timing problems. I'll need to watch it again to confirm it because it could be that there's nothing wrong with the technical execution - just that what was going on was perhaps not as interesting as the climax of Episode IV.
The editing between light and dark was done pretty well. This actually had a disorienting affect at one stage. Veering from an almost surrealistic darkness, into a hyper-reality brightness was certainly dischordant, especially since many directors go some way to having an effective colour or shape link when going from one scene to another (even if there is a light/darkness, fear/security barrier). Instead, Lucas just wipes away.
Second Time Viewing: There is absolutely nothing wrong with the timing of the editing. In fact, the parallel action is timed perfectly and for me it was better watching it the second time than the first. Also, the musical score is brilliant in this sequence. Williams has done an amazing job - there's one scene where he cuts from the full on brass section while Anakin is driving the plane (I think) to the light saber fight where the full choir sings. Brilliant (you'll find the effect on Duel of Fates).
FINAL NOTE
Lucas' audience has grown up. We may not realise ourselves how corny some of the stuff that happens in Episode IV is. We are more cynical. Scenes of dismemberment don't shock us anymore (Lucas knows this as well). Lucas I think has made a clever move with this movie. He has created characters that will play well with kids, and while we Star Wars fans may be disappointed with the first effort - there is no way we are going to abandon Star Wars know. If anything, my curiosity has increased since watching the film. I can't wait to see it again. I even want to see it today if I can get into a cinema. A movie doesn't have that affect on me if I hated it, or even liked it a little bit. I've been ultra critical inmy review, which is something I might not do in other reviews. Hopefully, Lucas himself understands the weaknesses in his script and its affect it had on his film. I think with a more refined and articulated 'dark force' and the development of Anakin, we are in for an outstanding Episode II and III. PS. The final scene in Star Wars came straight out of Triumph of the Will again (or some of those Totalitarian State marches - much of his construction tends to be towards total control - but then again, to be at your best in film, you have to have total control - so critics must be wary in calling it fascist. Patriotic yes, fascist, no).
SECOND VIEWING: TOTAL CHANGE OF HEART
Firstly, I'd like to say that Greater Union in Liverpool must have played an inferior sound track. I watched it at Whetherill Park and the cinema was awesome. I have never seen such an outstanding print of any film ever - I don't think there was a single crack through the whole film - and even more so, I was left in awe at the amount of detail the man has put into the work. Again, this movie is worth analysing philosophically as well - but more significantly, the difference was in the sound track. The sound in this cinema, while still not perfect (I need to listen to it in an EX cinema that functions properly), was a major contributor to the enjoyment a second time. The action sequences were certainly much better when viewed with the outstanding score - and secondly, even the slower bits didn't plod around as much. This movie is growing on me the more i realise how inter-related it is and how much of the dialogue has significance within the trilogy itself.
75/100 (and growing)