Star Wars: A New Hope

Released 27th December 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope follows two droids who go on an adventure to deliver a rebel message to defeat an evil superweapon of the empire. That synopsis was probably unnecessary, everyone knows Star Wars; however, do we really appreciate how revolutionary this film really is? Star Wars: A New Hope utilised visual effects (more on that later) to kickstart a new age of space films and fantasy adventure. This fantasy adventure takes the themes of hope and adventure to take the two droids from person to person and forge Luke’s hero’s journey. Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker is essentially the example of a hero’s journey e.g., meet hero, call to adventure, inciting incident, adventure begins. Hamill gives a decent performance to what was still a very new character-concept in cinema.

What most people tend to disregard is how integral R2-D2 and Anthony Daniels’ C3PO are to the film; while they are both really comical (thanks to the practical effects of R2 and Daniels’ physical performance), it is through the impeccable pacing that they are used to take the audience to Tatooine and then Princess Leia on the Death Star. Speaking of which, Carrie Fisher gives a strong performance to the assertive and subversive Princess Leia who manages to overcome the ‘damsel in distress’ at frequent narrative beats. Fisher and Hamill’s performances are also aided by their shared chemistry with Harrison Ford as Han Solo; Ford gives his standard ‘diamond in the rough’ act to Solo and is successful in using it to make Han enjoyable. The film is also carried by the iconic performances of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader. Kenobi and Tarkin both receive wiser yet contrasting performances from Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing, respectively, as they take on different roles in their own subplots.

Then we have Darth Vader who is made physically imposing by David Prowse and vocally iconic from James Earl Jones’ brilliant vocal delivery. Vader also represents the films greatest success; strong visual effects despite relying mostly on practical effects. While many versions you watch will have the added effects George Lucas added over the years, all but one shot was CGI in the original 1977 release and yet many effects look good (even great) nearly 50 years later. Finally, we cannot talk about Star Wars without talking about John Williams’ masterclass of a soundtrack; with so many memorable tracks and leitmotifs, Williams managed to establish himself as the Master of Musical magic through this film. You cannot argue that Star Wars: A New Hope stands as a masterclass in storytelling, soundtrack and learning to sprint at top speeds where 2001: A Space Odyssey learnt to walk hence consolidating its place as one of cinema’s greats.