Part 1- The Original Trilogy
Yeah, I know. There are
more than couple of months left for the great George-Lucas universe of
grandiose, effects-filled, action-packed space opera cinema to be rebooted at
the capable hands of minted action favorite J.J. Abrams (with Lucas still
serving as creative consultant, obviously) in the hotly awaited ‘Episode VII-
The Force Awakens’. But ever since seeing the rushes at the lively Comic Con
held at Bombay last December and then egged on by a fervent fanatic of the Force,
my fellow film and comic book buff Danesh Balsara, I have finally decided to
leave behind my earlier reservations (‘the saga sounds so childish!’) and
finally revisit the entire series from the scratch. And, boy, the results are
nothing short of a sweeping, overwhelming feeling of wide-eyed wonder,
twinkling joy and sheer pleasure for the senses.
The ‘Star Wars’ films
are the pulpiest of mainstream entertainers- unabashedly free from any pressing
requirements to take on serious themes of contemporary relevance (though Lucas
once found parallels between the fantastical battle on Endor and the Vietnam
War) and packed with purely fictional mythology, outer space worlds where the
normal rules do not apply and a firm sense of old-fashioned storytelling. Yet,
because of these very things, they are also irresistibly entertaining-
rollicking pieces of solid storytelling, either made special by the burgeoning
wealth of characters, both intriguing and inane, or by the meticulous,
universe-busting attention to action and spectacle. The result has been the
distinguished work of three directors, helming a total of 6 films- some which
hit the bullseye perfectly, some which faltered due to an indulgence of effects
and modern technology.
But as the most
dedicated ‘Star Wars’ fan will vouch, pretty much all the films are memorable
in their big and small ways and what is important is how the myth has
nevertheless persisted and even flourished. So, to begin with, here comes my
take on all the six films- as I watch them with the fresh senses of a virgin ‘Star
Wars’ fanatic.
In today’s segment, I will
cover the original trilogy that kicked off with a watershed moment of the late
70s and neatly wrapped up the tale 6 years later with a suitably grand
denouement. In the latter part, which I will unveil next week, I will talk
about those unfairly overlooked prequels which actually did break the
boundaries and today are gaining quite a horde of admirers.
So, begin the
retrospective, shall we, hmm? May the Force Be With Me!
1977- Star Wars (aka- Episode IV- ‘A New Hope’)
The first film of the
grand saga was a $11 million space opera film, made with painstaking effort and
loads of reluctance from the financers, betting on a merely 2-film old
director, best known for a simple, much-loved film about youngsters growing up
in small-town America.
George Lucas, soon to
join the ranks of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, as pioneers of the modern
action movie, would infuse his breakout venture with the same mild innocence of
that film into the tropes and characterization of a wonderful small-town charm
and the result is, right from the soon-to-be-iconic opening scroll of titles
and prologue text to the final credits, a film distinctly the work of a real
visionary-lush, stunning and quite masterfully compelling.
The plot is as old as
the hills- a youngster with bare origins (Mark Hamill’s conventional yet
wonderfully sublime Luke Skywalker) is tugged into a perilous mission to save
the day, aided by the choicest weapons and the trustiest allies, and defeat an
evil empire. But Lucas’ razor-sharp writing and his elegant direction often
make this square premise look like something truly deep. The pace is lightning
quick, the characters all riveting- from lovably good (Harrison Ford’s cocky
Han Solo, Alec Guinness’ brief but dignified Obi-Wan-Kenobi, Carrie Fisher’s
spirited Princess Leia and so much more) to goofy (the bickering androids C-3PO
and the smart R2D2) to truly sinister (the first, forbidding sights of Darth
Vader, brought to life by David Prowse and James Earl Jones, still linger as
much as his pithy kingpin quotes) and the sense of excitement, peril and humor
still feels sprightly and jaunty, like a great, old-school Walt Disney
creation.
A smash-hit in its
time, bagging half a dozen Oscars, spawning a merchandise of figurines, books
and, inevitably, a horde of spoofs in various media, ‘Star Wars’ remains, to
date, Lucas’s most perfect creation as a director- (which is not to say that
the sequels are any bad)- a winning blend of larger-than-life, innovative
spectacle and solidly conventional mainstream routines (that John Williams
score has to do something with it as well). Yet, its biggest triumph is how we
often turn to it, even today, in sheer, galaxy-sized wonder and with a
confidently bemused smile on our lips, as we witness an epic beginning to a
great saga, complete with blazing action, radical effects, top-notch
performances from its cast and an unforgettable delightful charisma.
1980- ‘The Empire Strikes Back’(aka Episode V)
There are sequels which
stand up to the originals and there are those which even succeed the same. And
then, there are good sequels, hailed unfairly as superior to the original
features. It is the case with ‘Goldfinger’ being lauded and loved more than the
far superior ‘From Russia With Love’. And it is the same case with ‘The Empire
Strikes Back’, a film which is undoubtedly solid and spectacular in its own
way, but hey, what is all this about loving it more than the great 1977
original?
That said, this
follow-up to the original tale does have a lot to it. Lucas gave over,
temporarily, the direction duties to newbie Irvin Kershner and even decided to
bring over the writing responsibilities to more capable hands like Lawrence
Kasdan and Leigh Brackett and the result was a film, with a rubber-tight
narrative, a far striking streak of throbbing menace and an excellent cliffhanger
of an ending, which made us all wait in abated breath for the next film.
Interestingly enough, Hamill’s wet-behind-the-ears Luke is detached from most
of the action, letting the always irresistible Solo to take over the
proceedings. This might be about Luke’s journey to Dagobah and learning the
ropes with the wizened yet wise Yoda (voiced wickedly by Frank Oz) but when it
comes to the adventure with the asteroids, cave monsters, bounty hunters and
more, well this is all about Solo.
Credit the charismatic
Ford, on his way to become Indiana Jones soon, for making Solo so effortlessly
cool, as well as Fisher’s now alluring Leia as his perfect foil. The two banter
lovably towards a sparky romance through the bumpy ride while Luke finally
discovers, after a particularly vicious lightsaber duel, that Vader is after
all his father- in that classic, often gimmicked, moment with that great
one-liner.
Yet, for all the great
stuff all around- the constant sense of danger and dread, the deadpan humor and
some stellar action scenes- the battle on snowy Hoth is almost like a trench
skirmish on the Russian front- it is a bit of a letdown, though one should
blame the critics and columnists more for that. It is in no way superior to the
freshness and riveting energy of the original but it does stand alone as a
pretty solid entertainer and yes, it is indeed great to see Kershner to push
the envelope and nudge the series in compellingly dark territory in terms of
narrative. It is sad that this promising director never quite rose again to
this height- (don’t even talk about ‘Robocop 2’ or even ‘Never Say Never
Again’- a movie everyone remembers only for Barbara Carrera).
1983- The Return Of The Jedi (aka Episode VI)
Unfairly overlooked by
most critics as merely a fun-filled but inferior threequel to the first two
pieces, ‘Return Of The Jedi’ is nevertheless, and rightfully so, one of the
most beloved of all the films in the saga. A fresh viewer will observe how
deftly writers Lucas and Kasdan change the mood with this third outing. While
the first film begun the story on a suitably grand note and the second invested
itself in darkness and star-crossed (literally) romance, it is the third film
that ties the loop, ending the exciting foreplay of the first two films with an
orgasmic, organic climax of its own. Not that Richard Marquand’s directorial
offering was merely interested in ending things with a bang and a fiesta- sure,
we get it- but he also made sure that for most of the film’s 134 minute
duration, we are constantly entertained, enlivened and enthralled.
The title announces it
quite aptly- ‘Return Of The Jedi’ indeed marks a return for Luke into the main
narrative. What is particularly one of the innumerable delights of this film is
how it twirls its hero’s slippery innocence to a wise, all-knowing sense of
heroism that lifts him above the hero template. Hamill is clearly at his best
here- sure-footed, witty and heroic by terms- he even has the glorious guts to
defeat such nasties like Jabba The Hutt and even take on both Vader and his
domineering mentor Emperor Palpatine (a spine-chilling Ian McDiarmid) as well.
Ah, that scene with
Jabba The Hutt, a fascinatingly repulsive marvel of practical creature design
and model animation….it is a highlight of so many things at once- nifty
suspense, madcap humor, swashbuckling action and even simmering heat in the
form of Leia in a saucy gold bikini. And it ends with an appropriately
incendiary explosion as well as an ultra-smart Luke helps his buddy pilot Han
Solo escape the carbonite clutches of sickly beasts. It is the measured
intimacy of moments like these that lend Marquand’s film a wonderfully unique
groove of its own. Towards the film’s epochal climax, there is a huge space
battle raging, with the rebel pilots taking on the massive Imperial fleet but
the film admirably cuts away from the bigger set-piece to the smaller, more
crucial moments of intensity and excitement. So, on one hand, we have Luke
unforgettably facing off with Vader, trying to egg his father to choose good
over evil, coming darn close to losing himself to the Dark Side in a protracted
sequence of sheer intensity. On the other, Marquand balances the seriousness of
the occasion with the free-wheeling slapstick nature of the teddy-like tribe of
Ewoks aiding the outnumbered rebels in the jungles of the moon of Endor and
taking down Stormtroopers with catapults and slingshots with hilarious fury.
The Ewoks were the
original bone of contention for the critics and even some fans sneered at how this
marked the point at which the series started becoming a bit tweeny and all. But
as far as some of the recent retrospective opinions go, they are, as Solo put
it memorably, ‘not bad for a furball’. Those are rather lovably goofy
characters that are also rather cuddly and charming as well and they indeed
lend a furry helping hand to the proceedings. And that alone should not be the
reason to consider this film as inferior in any way. ‘Return Of The Jedi’ is an
instant classic in its grand, slightly ungainly but mostly operatic way. It
does conclude the first part of Lucas’ story on a truly grand note and Marquand
does quite a neatly spectacular job of upping the action ante quite well. And
yes, its cheery celebratory climax does make you wonder what new turn of story
will ‘Episode VII’ hold.
So, that is it then. I
have covered the original trilogy today and that gives me another week to have
a look at the prequels and give them my view on them. So, stay hooked and rest
assured that this retrospective will really work wonders, both with the virgins
as well as the hardcore fans. The Force
Is Strong With This One.
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