...On a Level That Will Never Be Matched Again

Rating: 9/10 (10 October 2002)

I must admit I had never even heard of this movie before seeing its title as #5 on AFI's all-time list. Luckily, a few years later I was able to view this masterpiece in a theater re-release. I must tell you that if you ever get the chance, see this movie in 70mm...and sit close to the screen.
The story, acting and direction we all great, but what really impressed me were the visuals. The running time (almost four hours) maybe intimidate some, but this is not a dialog heavy film. It takes its time to tell the story, in a manner which seems to relate more to the experience in Kubrick's 2001, that your typical classic epic.
As soon as the first sweeping desert images appeared on screen, my thought was to wonder why they don't make movies like this today. First of all, the clarity of the 70mm picture was unbelievable, putting the `cutting edge' digital projection of Attack of the Clones to shame. In LOA, you could discern even the most minute details: from sand grains blowing over the dunes to a person walking on the horizon a mile away to the individual threads in a persons clothing. While on the other hand, in AOTC, if you sat to close, you began to see the pixels.
Secondly, the locations used and unbelievable amount of extras required for some of the shots inspired much more awe in me than any shot in the recent epics like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. The locations alone, with their otherworldly thousand-feet-high rock formations looked more impressive and fantastic than anything I've seen done up on the computer. And its all real, which is probably why it seems so impressive. I'm surprised these unique areas haven't been the setting for more films. It gave me a whole new idea of what a desert really looks like.
Unfortunately, with the economics and costs of today's world, its not longer cost effective to shoot films in this manner anymore. No future movie experience will ever quite match this one.