The Patriarchal Modern Blockbuster: STAR WARS

STAR WARS, later re-titled as STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE, is easily one of the most widely seen films ever made, and also one of the most important, for better or worse.  Its history is complex, and unfortunately, 36 years later, it cannot truly be seen as what it was, and for many more reasons than you might think.  And yet, it is regardless, a marvel of cinema.
We all know too well the crippling modified aspects of the much-maligned "Special Edition", the worst of which has been Lucas' refusal to release quality remastered versions of the original theatrical versions, because, while there's nothing that bad about making alternate cuts, whether they help or hinder, making only the version with modifications available is an unethical, if relatively harmless, business practice, and especially distasteful for such a fanboy-driven franchise like Star Wars.  However, with Disney's recent acquisition of the property and Kathleen Kennedy's appointment as head of Lucasfilm, the chances of a remastered version released on a state-of-the-art format have become much more likely, even if it might not come along for as much as a decade.
But STAR WARS was also such an ingenious and novel film in 1977, and with its tremendous influence and massive expansion as a franchise, the flavor has changed somewhat.  Think, for example, of what it was like to sit in the dark theater in 1977, when the speakers suddenly boom with a grandiose orchestral fanfare and the title STAR WARS fills the screen and pulls back, and although this is a brand new, original film, the title is followed by a subtitle: Episode IV.  "IV"?  That means there have been three episode previously!  This movie is starting in the middle, but a crawl of words follow, filling us in on the previous events.  At the end of the opening titles, which fly into the distance of vast, open space, the shot pulls down to reveal a desert planet.  Suddenly though, ships pull through the shot; not the pristine and futuristic kind of ships you're familiar with, but grungy and "earthy", so to speak, and after the first flies over, it's followed by a vast ship that fills the entire screen and then some for a few seconds.  It's an action scene; it's already begun in an early chapter that doesn't exist.  There were no prequels, this universe felt all the more real because it didn't even have time to wait for us.

Harrison Ford in his most embarrassing role.

Just prior that summer in 1977, the biggest film of all time was JAWS, only two years old and directed by Lucas' friend Steven Spielberg, and the two created the modern blockbuster.  JAWS invented the blockbuster by grossing over $100 million, but STAR WARS defined it, smashing records all around and completing its initial theatrical run with over $220 million and making many millions more through merchandising partners.  For this reason, it is sometimes bemoaned by film scholars.  Today's current blockbuster/event/franchise-driven industry is all a direct result of STAR WARS; it set the precedent for high concept, special effects-heavy, fantasy-adventure films with heavy, youth-targeted marketing and wide merchandising that is reflected today in the industry that invests heavily in catering to the teen demographic.  In one sense, it revamped the film industry and re-established traditional mythic themes and escapist thrills in the mainstream film industry, but on the other hand, it's led Hollywood to sometimes ignore smaller markets, especially sophisticated adult audiences.  Personally, I think the modern blockbuster industry is great and has the same rate of quality as smaller films, but like anything, if taken to extremes like it has been, it becomes a handicap.
Although the title STAR WARS is solidly synonymous with the science fiction genre, it isn't quite sci-fi.  In fact, it is far more appropriately classified as "fantasy".  Science fiction takes place in a futuristic or otherwise technologically-advanced depiction of our real-life world/universe, where our supernatural is properly taken as science, like the Star Trek series, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY or most major superhero movies.  Fantasy, on the other hand, takes place in an "alternate" universe, one separate from the worldly dimension we occupy, like THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, or sometimes in an alternate depiction of the past with distinctly fictional elements.  STAR WARS takes place in "a galaxy far, far away", with no connection to our Earth as we know it, and mystic warriors who can manipulate a fictional element.  Although the ray guns and interplanetary crafts are all but exclusive to science fiction, STAR WARS is not technically science fiction.

Still ranks among the best space battles in movies.

The STAR WARS story is a direct translation of age-old structures and motifs of mythology, most specifically, the hero's journey.  In the hero's journey tradition, the hero starts out simple; good but certainly not heroic, but when the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear.  The hero is Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the young farmboy, unaware of his glorious inheritance, and the teacher is Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), the sage with the necessary connection to the hero's inheritance, who will guide him and mold him into what he is to become.  The farm on Tatooine represents the hero's inexperience, a place of unaffected innocence, separated from the darkness of the world.  The famous Mos Eisley Cantina scene, with the vast assortment of threatening alien creatures in the city indicated as "a wretched hive of scum and villainy", is the hero's first step outside of innocence, where he was unharmed, but static.  Experience is the first step on his journey; the innocent youth must die to be resurrected as the man.  It's all really fascinating stuff; you should check out Joseph Campbell's lectures on The Power of Myth.
STAR WARS is one of the undisputed major landmarks in cinematic history, technically, commercially and artistically, ranking alongside THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915), the original cinematic epic and introduction of modern techniques; THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), the original "world-creating" film, using advanced makeup and special effects; CITIZEN KANE (1941), which took film past its stage roots, introduced modern cinematography and defined so-called "auteur filmmaking"; and THE GODFATHER (1972), which redefined the "American epic" broke barriers in atmosphere and violence.  Alongside JAWS, STAR WARS is also one of the, if not the, most influential film for today's generation of filmmakers, and eventually made "nerd culture" mainstream.

David Prowse as Vader and Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan

Because STAR WARS is most often associated with big summer blockbusters and popcorn movies, many people forget that STAR WARS received rave reviews from the critics when it was released and today is one of the most critically-acclaimed films of all time, was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won six Academy Awards, more than any other film that year, plus one "special award" (for sound design) and was among the original set of 25 films selected as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" for preservation by the National Film Registry in 1989.
Perhaps most importantly though, is how the film stands alongside THE WIZARD OF OZ and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) as one of the few films that so effortlessly transcends generation gaps, providing superior entertainment for viewers of all ages, and even those feathery 1970's haircuts can't outdate something like that.

STAR WARS (May 25, 1977)
Directed by George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
PG for sci-fi violence and brief mild language.