Where is George Lucas? No, not Star Wars director George Lucas who is holed up in Skywalker Ranch in California, producing Indiana Jones movies and preciding over his private technology stretching empire. I'm talking about the angry, uncompromising, experimental film student, George Lucas, who made 1970's THX 1138. Because you would hardly make the connection that the director of The Phantom Menace made THX.
The future world that Lucas presents is a typically stark, early 70's vision of a modernist future. It's a frightening future where corporate mentality has conquered humanity. Everybody is sedated so as to perform with out question, exactly as instructed. This kind of control ensures efficiency is maintained at work and in the factories. In fact, with so much control and technology to support it, there seems to be very little in the way of war, disease, overcrowding, starvation or conflict. But with virtually everybody giving away their freedoms, humans are reduced to a robot-like existance. When Robert Duvall unknowingly comes off of his sedatives, he looks for a better life.
The revelation her isn't the story but the imagination and level of experimentation that Lucas indulges in. It has a cold, documentary feel for the most part...but Lucas throws every editing and sound technique in the book to communicate his ideas. A far cry from the guardian of conventional directing when he produced Jedi in '83.
I don't recall the original cut of THX but the Directors Cut is mighty impressive as George, Star Wars Special Edition style, expands his landscapes exponentially. It works; the new subterrainian cityscape is flawlessly integrated into the original footage.
Great ending too; as Duval make his desperate bid for freedom the authorities call off the pursuit as it's 'too expensive to continue'. Makes you wonder how our law enforcement and prison institutions balance the public's safety from criminals and fugitives against profit.
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