Zachary FenellTHX 1138
March 3rd 2009 21:27
THX 1138, 1971
In almost a prequel of George Lucas' actual career, THX 1138 was a remake of his student film. This student film got the attention of Francis Ford Coppola, who chose to be the Executive Producer on the project. With Coppola's backing, Robert Duvall signed on to be the lead, and the rest is a well-ignored corner of cinematic history.
The story goes that the world has somehow devolved into a harshly fascist state of enforced consumerism, enforced production and enforced chemical sedation. All "spiritual" requirements are handled by prerecorded messages played behind close-ups of Jesus, and messy human entanglements are strictly forbidden. All human procreation is handled a breeding department, and all humans are gestated in large jars of amniotic fluid - no bumping uglies, no birthin' no babies. You can have "mates" - mostly roommates - and when a fellow designated as THX is tricked by his "mate" LUH into having fornication, the State does not approve.
LUH is transferred away, THX is tried as a deviant and, of course, found guilty. Then begins the greater half of the movie which is also titled "White Sound Room Ad Nauseum", or "Bi-Polar Thex in a Thnowthorm".
And then they get chased. Who is "they"? A few other disenfranchised fellows are also doomed to the White Room (which is bad enough, but then they get poked with long cattle prods by chrome-faced "thought police"). (Oh, wait, that's a different movie...)
It's taken me days to figure this one out. Did I like it? I have to say "yes" - in the same sense that I liked Silent Running, This Quiet Earth and Logan's Run. It was dated (in its simultaneous attempt to not be dated) and a victim of PRLS (Post-Release Lucas Syndrome, where George goes back and tries to "do it right" with special effects and CG), and the pacing was so... I can't even find a word to describe it. "Slow" and "boring" aren't really appropriate, but it definitely wasn't an action flick.
If you like art movies, you can probably understand THX 1138 just fine. I had to stop in the middle to take a break (even though it's only not quite an hour and a half long), but your mileage may vary.
2.5 Stars
| 94 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
