"Herbie" was one of a series of brief student films George Lucas produced when he went to film school in the 1960's, over a decade before the first Star Wars film in 1977. For the average person, these films are not particularly interesting outside of historic interest of being made by the infamous filmmaker, but for fans of independent films they have a certain primitive quality and simplicity about them that makes them intriguing. It's quite a shame that George Lucas did not go on to make more of them after he became famous; now having retired from working on the Star Wars franchise, he has alluded to creating more independent work, but whether this has become a reality is uncertain.
This one is possibly the most experimental his work became, taking on the mood of an abstract film which uses impressionistic imagery to create a unique visual style. It depicts a series of reflections of car headlights as they drive at night, blurred out so that it is also somewhat ambiguous from the start what we are looking at. Named after Herbie Hancock, who did the jazz track to the movie, the film includes a variety of interesting shots with a surreal quality to them, and the music adds a pleasant feel to the experience. It's definitely one of the better abstract films I've seen, with a very distinct style that puts it head and shoulders above many others. Not exceptional to the average moviegoer, but a talented and well-crafted abstract film, worthwhile to anyone interested in experimental cinema, as well as just simply seeing how the infamous Lucas started out.
