D.J. Haza presents the next entry in his series of films to watch before you die…
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, 1977.
Directed by George Lucas.
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse and James Earl Jones.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope is the first film made in George Lucas’ epic six film Star Wars saga and the fourth installment in the list of episodes. Star Wars was groundbreaking in 1977 and brought about new special FX, used unconventional editing and introduced a new wave of sci-fi and fantasy storytelling to cinema. The film is one of the most successful and influential films of all time and won six Oscars, but missed out on Best Picture.
The story follows Luke Skywalker (Hamill) who comes into possession of two droids carrying a distress message from a Rebel Alliance spacecraft that has come under attack. The freedom fighter and rebel leader Princess Leia (Fisher) has plans on how to destroy the Death Star space station that has the power to destroy entire planets and Skywalker decides to accompany Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Guinness) on a mission to save the Princess and the galaxy.
Skywalker and Obi-Wan enlist the help of smuggler Han Solo (Ford) and make their way across the galaxy. Once on his mission, Obi-Wan teaches Skywalker the way of the force and despite his struggles to begin with, it becomes clear that Luke has some considerable power. As their mission unfolds they join the freedom fighters in their plot to destroy the Death Star, but face stiff competition in the way of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader (David Prowse).
Star Wars still has a huge following 35 years on and has spawned two sequels and three prequels to A New Hope, as well as inspiring so many other stories, being referenced in all manner of popular culture and Jedi becoming an actual recognized religion. The film immediately broke box office records , becoming one of the first blockbusters, and it is reported that James Cameron quit his job as a truck driver in order to enter the film industry after seeing the movie. Not many films have had such an effect on so many films, filmmakers and filmmaking techniques.
Star Wars: A New Hope is a film you must see before you die because if you don’t watch it you don’t deserve eyes! The opening shot of a huge space craft chasing a smaller craft over a planet and firing its guns blew the minds of audiences across the world and introduced new epic ways of filmmaking that could only have been imagined before Star Wars burst onto screens.
D.J. Haza
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Originally published April 10, 2012. Updated April 10, 2018.
