THX 1138

Nameless man lives in an oppressive future society where behavior is controlled by mandatory drugs. Minimal budget, acting, dialog and special effects more than compensated by astute direction and soundtrack integration. Superior to "ZPG" (1972) and "Logan's Run" (1976). Viewers may also enjoy "Gattaca" (1997). (Rating: A-minus)

This movie has been seen by most film buffs many, many years ago on late night TV. If you are like me, it was an interesting film purely as a reference point for a young George Lucas. If you remembered it at all, it was for the use of white space and the long periods during which almost nothing discernible happens.

Well, it is almost 35 years later (35 YEARS!) and for reasons best known to film and DVD marketers, George Lucas has pulled it out of the vaults. Instead of just transferring the original print to new film stock, Lucas has re-cut several critical scenes; added a tasteful bit of CGI; zipped up the sound track and film score; and, best of all, turned it into the best reason yet for digital projection. Whether this is the original version he had in his head as a 26-year-old or one that he has fleshed out over the years is sort of beside the point. What is on the screen now is definitely worth your $10.

Yes, it is still a bit tedious at times (in a '2001: A Space Odyssey' kind of way) and, yes, the plot holes and infamous continuity issues are still there.

But, Wow! The plot is a weird stew in which an allegorical Adam and Eve story is crossed with 'Brave New World.' (The Catholic act of confession will never be the same after you see it re-imagined here.) The crystal clear cinematography is a revelation. The characters' multiple layers are wonderful. Donald Pleasence's performance as the would-be leader/rebel is downright creepy. The way the camera lingers on a scene rather than quick cutting for effect is a welcome relief. This is adult subject matter and it is not what you expect out of Lucas. You have to ask why he didn't pursue themes like this in later films. (Who knows, maybe the upcoming Darth Vader fest will return us to the dark side.)

Be forewarned, this is not a casual film that you can sit back and munch popcorn while it plays out in front of you. This is definitely art-house fare by a young director finding his chops.

Many of the message boards and most of the reviews of this film point out how many elements carry over to later Lucas films. (C3PO, the climactic chase scene, drones in service to masters, etc.) For me, the touchstone is not for Lucas, but for the Executive Producer, Francis Ford Coppola. Many of the themes explored in THX show up in Coppola's 'The Conversation' three years later. Gene Hackman's Harry Caul character is a clone of Robert Duvall's loner forced to confront a faceless progenitor. See if you don't agree.

Though they are releasing the film to theaters ahead of the DVD release, the place to see it is in a theater with digital projection. Similar to 'Lawrence of Arabia,' much of the action takes place in the far corners of the scene and I can't imagine seeing this on anything less than a very large HDTV screen.

After all these years this movie never gets old! They did add some extra CGI stuff in the later releases but it really was not necessary.

This is simply a solid, well-made film, produced on a low budget and directed by George Lucas based on his early student film of (roughly) the same title. (Which is included on the Director's Cut edition of the DVD.) Fans of "A Clockwork Orange," "1984," "Brazil," and similar films about oppressive bureaucracies will love this. It's a grim and gritty vision of the future in which people are controlled and monitored (think Big Brother on a large scale). Robert Duvall (THX 1138 being his "assigned name") breaks the laws of the world by falling in love, engaging in sex and therefore rebelling, placing him and his love in danger.

This is a very clear moral story and allusion to politics and so on and so forth. It excels as both story and study. Duvall gives a good performance (his breakthrough role in "The Godfather" would come next year) but the real surprise here is Lucas, who goes for a Kubrick-like edge to his film that really separates it from his later work. You won't believe this is from the guy who created Jar-Jar Binks.

If anyone accuses George Lucas of being the schmaltzy sell-out he has now become, direct them to this film in order to prove that, at one point in his life, he really did have a bleak outlook on life and the future, and it didn't start with the words "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...".

Before "Star Wars," George Lucas had another vision of the future, particularly in a long time from now in a galaxy that happens to be our own. "THX 1138" is his Distopia film, his "1984" or "Brave New World." It's directly inspired from those works, borrowing the ideas of drugs to sedate human emotion (Brave New World) and sex being illegal (1984). It's a visionary work, not a revolutionary one, but for the early 70s, it impresses. Lucas manages to bring his concept to life, even if it's not exactly as thrilling or interesting as what the Star Wars saga would be.

THX 1139 (Robert Duvall) is an ideal member of this "utopian" community where religion means stay calm and do as you're told. When his roommate, LUH, begins to change out his sedatives with other pills, he begins to fall in love with her. Consequently, the "big brother" equivalent finds out, and THX is taken captive.

"THX" can be boring at times. Though you can tell Lucas has put a lot of thought into this world, he doesn't care to offer any help to those struggling to make sense of it. There is no clarification dialogue -- you have to pay close attention to the images and surroundings to understand it. This is admirable, but makes things difficult for most viewers. The film therefore drags at points not necessarily because what's going on isn't interesting, but the viewer is missing contextual help to illuminate the action on screen.

Fans of the genre will appreciate Lucas' contribution and his imagination, but probably not love it. The themes are light and the drama low. There's no sense of danger or incredibly sympathy for the main characters. One thing to note is not to watch the Special Edition. As Lucas loves to do, the SE goes back and adds CGI to the film, which is a travesty. Part of what makes these movies so great is that they offer a vision of the future from the perspective of 30 years ago and today's technology doesn't interfere. Do your best to get a non-remastered copy.