A true masterpiece and far more than just plain nostalgia

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2019)

An undefined day in 1977 was to go down in the annals of Hollywood major 20th Century Fox. Director, author and producer George Lucas is about to launch his sci-fi spectacle "Star Wars".
Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away, a group of rebels resisted the brutal oppression of the universe's inhabitants by the Empire. The sinister Darth Vader leads the forces and is responsible for implementing General Tarkin's dark plans. The construction of the Death Star is intended to underpin the fighting power of the totalitarian government. Princess Leia, a high-ranking rebel leader, steals the construction plans of the gigantic battle station and stores them shortly before they are captured by imperial storm troops in her robot R2-D2, which can escape together with his partner C-3PO. The valuable data is passed into the hands of the old Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, who, with the help of his young student Luke Skywalker, sets off to stop the empire. The two charter the space ship of space pirate Han Solo to make contact with the rebel leaders. The Death Star must be destroyed...
The story is simple, yet unique, universal and fascinating. The simple, archaic battle between good and evil takes center stage. The imaginative, action-packed scenery is supported by a vision of the future from the brain of mastermind George Lucas, who also wrote the script, thought through down to the last detail. Grandiose backdrops, breathtaking space battles, groundbreaking special effects and an exciting, straightforward story form the framework for this modern space epic. But all this wouldn't be worth half the price without the fascinating characters and figures that populate the screen. At this point Lucas probably makes the biggest contribution to the cult. The character of Black Lord Darth Vader, played uncompromisingly and ruthlessly by David Prowse, is still one of the greatest villains in film history. Lucas, however, offers positive identification figures in half a dozen. The most radiant is the young Luke Skywalker, who rises from an impetuous, inexperienced greenhorn to the great hope of the rebels. Mark Hamill perfectly embodies the hero's unspent nature and naive energy. The secret star of the movie and darling of many fans is Harrison Ford as the sly space pirate Han Solo. Then there is Carrie Fisher, who not only has to present the most spectacular and controversial hairstyle in the history of moving pictures, is well cast as brittle, but resolute and lovable Princess Leia. She can bring charisma and, in interaction with Harrison Ford, score points in the love story smouldering between the two and contribute a pinch of humour.
While the words slowly sweep through the picture and the music of composer John Williams continues to swell, a warm feeling spreads in my chest, because "Star Wars" is far more than just nostalgia, or consumer-oriented mass-produced goods. In spite of the naivety and simplicity of the story, the films have nevertheless kidnapped entire generations into a distant galaxy... "Star Wars" has long been a myth. The life's work of George Lucas is one of the most popular and successful works in film history and this work influenced me like no other, it formed heroes of my childhood, which I never got tired of. Let's go to a better time together at the speed of light. A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away...

Kolja Finger