Ever heard of Star Wars? or have you heard of George Lucas?
Before Star Wars was established, the creator George Lucas made two features. The first one being THX-1138 and the second American Graffiti. Both of these films are a lot of fun to watch even today, but which one should you watch?
Well, it comes down to taste. For Star Wars fans, THX-1138 may be up your alley, but we cant leave American Graffiti out.
But first lets go over the context.
1970’s Hollywood
Both of these films were made in the 1970’s which was significant. Hollywood’s financial system at the time would essentially lay the template for the birth of the blockbuster because by the late 70’s that’s what Hollywood wanted to sell because they proved high profit earners at the box office. Both Jaws and Star Wars became examples of what the blockbuster would look like.
Directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas challenged and broke away from the traditional formality of studio systems, which therefore allowed the director to have greater control over their picture. This factor lead George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola to form American Zoetrope Pictures, as it was their attempt to create films that they wanted to see and that were not under any other big studio influence that had creative control.
THX-1138
First, we have the thrilling sci-fi classic THX-1138 made in 71
the film is set in the twenty fifth century, where mankind lives in underground cities and their free will is considered a law, they also cannot express human emotions.
The film is 50 years old and is still relevant today.
I believe George Lucas’s work on the film THX-1138 would later set the tone and platform of the start of his Star Wars saga. It could be argued that Yes, THX 1138 and Star Wars share little in common in terms of there narrative but there are similarities.
The film was written by Walter Murch, who worked in the sound department for the epic Apocalypse Now (1979).
The film showed what George Lucas was capable of in the science fiction genre. He became independent from the studio system when he created his own visual effects brand, such as LucasArts and sound system THX.
The film THX-1138 was wildly different for its time, a film that contained limited lines of dialogue and resembled the traits of cinema verite because for the majority of the film it depicts a very controlled society. He emerged from a cinema verite background that was his initial passion.
The film features a thrilling car chase towards the end. The camera work and use of practical effects, make for a breathtaking experience. I own the blu ray directors cut and have seen the film multiple times. Upon each watch, it still feels new and fresh.
The themes in this film, we can see in Star Wars (Lucas, 1977), as a bleak dystopian world where society is controlled by evil forces, this is all apart of the narrative mythology in Star Wars universe.
American Graffiti
2 years layer, we have the wild American Graffiti
The film stars Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams and more.
This film was an example of a director in the 70’s using the mise en scene in a creative way to tell its story, which fits the definition of an auteur.
For example, his production choices for that film were very specific and detailed at the time, he chose to shoot the film in 35 mm film and he would use éclair cameras which then could be easily switched to techniscope format. This film feels more like a fun documentary, as it was in George Lucas’s best interests to capture life as student back in the day. His decision to place several cameras around the actors made the characters never leave the frame and in that sense, it added a little realism.
The cast is very solid, especially when we look at the work they did later. Richard Dreyfuss when onto to fight a shark in Jaws (1975). Harrison Ford, the carpenter turned actor, when onto to become friends with a Wookie in Star Wars and of course Ron Howard directed his own Star Wars film in 2017’s Solo a Star Wars story.
My only critique of the film is that it feels a little more outdated than THX-1138. The themes presented in THX-1138 feel timeless, yet American Graffiti focuses so much on a very specific type of social realism.
These traits have evolved since the 1970’s, but it is still enjoyable because of the execution. The film looks eye catchy and if you love cars, the chances are you might get a nostalgia kick from the film.
Verdict
Its slick looking and a fun ride, but perhaps not as significant as THX-1138. Would you prefer to re live the past or fast forward to the future?
Now, where can you watch THX-1138 and American Graffiti? You can catch American Graffiti on Netflix.
You can also read this article on George Lucas’s current involvement in the Star Wars saga. Enjoy 🙂
Which one have you seen? What’s you favorite out of the two?
Author bio
Sam is a content writer. He loves all elements connected with film and writes with passion, always. You can find him on his Linkedin, where you will be able to read more articles. When he is not writing, you can find him practicing football.
TheReviewAwakens 
One thought on “George Lucas: Exploring Netflix’s American Graffiti VS THX-1138”