Best of the Modern Myth that is Star Wars

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2002)

Tomorrow night at Midnight I will see the next chapter in the saga that is Star Wars. Tonight I watched them all again to refresh my memory of what it is all about to give a better viewing of Episode II: Attack of the Clones tomorrow night at 12 am.	I initially saw Episode VI: Return of the Jedi on its opening weekend in Eureka, CA as a full fledged, but young movie aficionado of sixteen years. Hitchcock flicks were my favorite at that time. Hitch is still one of my favorite past filmmaker with Hawks and Capra close seconds. These days my tastes lean to Scorsese, Aronofsky and the Coen Brothers. Coppola, Speilburg and Lucas are wonderful and very good, but to me are more great craftsman than great artists. All have had artistic successes (The Godfather, Schindler's List and THX 1138), but I think they are better craftsman than artists over all.	Lucas is by far one of the greatest producers and craftsman of all time and has done more for true independent film and the medium of film than possibly any director/producer since Chaplin. I also feel strongly that Jedi is the best Star Wars film thus far. It has tighter pacing, more realistic and fluid dialog and wonderful performances all around. Richard Marquand probably has a great deal to do with this, but the experience of cast and crew may be the primary reason. There was a fluidity in Jedi that the first one lacked, and the second one nearly reached, but not quite. The cinematography was astounding with a mastery of the effects the first two pioneered. The campy stuff was still there, but it was more natural and the cast was comfortable with it using it as a tool without stumbling over it. The cast and crew had found a chemistry that was remarkable for any film.	The "weaknesses" of any of the Star Wars films as pieces of "art", or even craft are dwarfed by their emotional impact and timing of release. I was ten when I saw Episode IV: A New Hope for the first time (several weeks after it was released) and I had to share a seat in the front row with my younger brother who didn't like me much at the time. Once the music started and the words rolled up the screen we didn't care and loved every single second! All we told our dad when he met us out front afterwards was "can we see it again dad, can we see it again dad...". I saw it eleven time in the theater that summer including three time in a row on a great day. This is amazing since my town had only one theatre/screen and it was exceptional that it stayed around long enough for me see it as often as I did. The Trilogy was the first VHS I ever owned (my mother paid $70 each in 85). I saw Jedi only for times that summer, I had to work unlike in my younger days.	My point is that emotional attachment, or detachment to a film is as equally important to what a person may think of it critically as a piece of art, or entertainment. I have loved all the Star Wars films and have seen them all except for the first one on its opening day and even the first show of that day with the last two! All that said however, I wouldn't call all of them "great films". Important and amazing films, "Hell Ya!". Some of the best rides I have ever had, "Hell Ya!". Worth watching all in a row every now and again, you bet.	Episode VI is the most "artistic" of all the films thus far because it has the advantage of tons of rehearsal and chemistry to rely upon and the advantage of a creator/producer who is responsible to no one but himself and to a much lesser extent the fans. I think part of why Jedi is the best may be the fact that I knew that the "Blue Harvest" film shot near Crescent City (where I lived at the time) was really Star Wars III (episode VI), where they shot all the wonderful "forest" scenes. I didn't watch them do it, but knowing it was happening and that the speeder chases were truly impossible (since I lived and played Star Wars in those woods for years), yet there they were right in front of my eyes in truly believable DeLuxe color (my favorite by the way) . This may be why Jedi still has the strongest hold on my heart! I don't think that the story of Jedi is vastly superior to that of Empire, but it is more complex and deals with sophisticated things that I enjoy.	I am more into temptation, redemption and what is and is not destiny and how much control over such a thing do we have. These things are more deeply explored and acted out in Jedi as is the love aspect of family, friends and romance. A touch sappy in some spots and simplistic in others, but hey George always tells us that he is trying to reach your average twelve year old more than anyone else and these films do just that!	Love one, love them all it is tough to chose in some ways, but Jedi has my vote.