“What’s wrong?”
This is the famous opening line of George Lucas’ masterpiece, THX 1138- an indication that we are witness to a world that is WRONG, so far beyond repair and so far gone that it bears virtually no resemblance to our own.
The world of THX 1138 is perhaps the most bleak depiction of the future ever created. Unlike other dystopian scenarios in film, it is not the result of any structure which seeks to abuse power- rather, its environment is merely the result of the progression of time. THX is set in a place where humanity is fundamentally broken, has forgotten how to perform even the most basic task, and does not keep adequate sociological records.
Anyone who appreciates and respects George Lucas’ talents as a director knows of the captivating power of THX 1138, which is arguably even better than Star Wars. Indeed, in it we see many of the elements which later defined Star Wars- the robotic officers being similar to Stormtroopers, the line-refracted holograms THX views in his apartment being similar to the projection of Leia which pops out of R2D2 and the chess set aboard the Millennium Falcon, the sleek polished hallways calling to mind the interior of a Star Destroyer.
Of course, THX is a much less commercially appealing property than Star Wars, which explains why prior to Star Wars’ release in 1977, Lucas was only billed as the creator of the mildly successful film ”American Graffiti”. Overlooking THX is a mistake. It is a spectacular science fiction film, one of the greatest in scope ever conceived, and to think that it is George Lucas’ first film, and predates Star Wars by 6 years, only speaks to just how revolutionary the Lucas is in terms of storytelling and vision.
The film follows three characters- THX, played by Robert Duvall, LUH, played by Maggie McOmie, and SEN, played by Donald Pleasance in one of his best roles. THX is a man who fears illness at the hands of his society, undergoes physical and mental trauma of which we can barely conceive, and in the end escapes his prison through sheer willpower. It is stated near the end that his society is concerned with the cost of his capture more than his capture itself, as his pursuit is abruptly terminated once the effort to bring him in runs over budget. Such are the intricacies of the bureaucracy which THX finds himself in.
LUH’s fate is left ambiguous, as many things about her are ambiguous- such as the inner feelings between her and THX, which can only be known by them. Their relationship is one of the strongest chemistries ever witnessed onscreen, and McOmie’s expressions in the opening scene, wherein she witnesses the results of an untimely radiation accident, are excellent.
SEN is the film’s most nuanced character in my opinion, more communicative than THX yet blinded by a lack of real desire to escape the system, despite his declarations in the prison scene that action is required. In one of the most captivating scenes, he and THX open the door which leads out of the prison, only to find a hallway with millions of swarming people- and confronted by the logistics of the masses, SEN is shocked into a state of horror. He is greeted by the abrupt state of conformity after a long period of isolation, which drives him down a path which ends with him as a shell of his former self, not even attempting to hide from the city’s surveillance cameras, being apprehended by officers and returned to prison. So it goes.
Yet another element which adds to THX’s reputation as a tour de force is, of course, Lalo Schifrin’s masterful soundtrack. It is, like the film, decades ahead of its time, electronic and unsettling in equal measure, with smooth jazz interludes and dark ambient echoes. It tells the story of the film sonically, and is an influential piece in modern Rollerwave. It was notably sampled by Dan Frost on his debut album, “To Every Man,” on the single “scotchGARD”. The song also samples dialogue from Taxi Driver, which is fitting, given Taxi Driver’s similar themes of alienation in contemporary society.
If there is one downside to THX, it is the director’s cut, which adds in unnecessary CGI which ultimately causes the film to feel dated- not dated by 1970s standards, but rather dated by the standards of 2004 when the CGI portions were added. It is the version you will likely find on any streaming service, so I recommend finding a copy of THX released on VHS prior to 2004. In its uncut, original version, it is nothing short of a masterpiece.
The CGI shots Lucas added in the 2004 director’s cut are puzzling in that they add nothing to the narrative, and are jarring when compared to the wonderful practical effects of the 1970s. A rat which scares Donald Pleasance in the original cut is needlessly replaced with a strange scorpion creature. Highways are added to the city which make it feel more like the wonderful metropolis of Coruscant than an empty cavern. Most notably, THX’s work with radioactive metal is given the CGI treatment- and it looks abysmal.
While it can be argued that CGI works well in the Star Wars prequels, given their nature as grand works of science fantasy where anything is possible, it is thematically incompatible with THX 1138, which is aside from the CGI edits extremely grounded and bleak. These cartoony editions feel like a completely separate movie, they are jarring and speak to an older, more cynical George Lucas who was emboldened by the potential of CGI as a new technology and felt the need to go back and touch up what he saw as a flawed film- even though it is in fact perfect in its original state. Any fans of Rollerwave as an aesthetic should avoid the director’s cut at all costs, as it subtracts from the marvelous 1970s aesthetic.
This is particularly notable in the needless addition of CGI “shell dwellers” in the final portion of the movie, who don’t even look remotely like the shell dweller seen earlier during the prison scene, and whose mere presence subtracts from THX’s chase from the officers. In short, they ruin the conflict. This is a shame, given that THX’s final chase scene is fantastic and displays what can be achieved using practical effects and a vast underground tunnel.
THX is unfathomably influential to modern science fiction, and unlike Rollerball or Death Race 2000, does not feel dated, despite its obvious 1970s appearance. This can be credited in part due to extremely well-honed performances by a cast who know exactly what they’re doing, and in part to Lucas’ behavior as a director. Every shot is perfectly calculated to achieve the ultimate atmospheric effect, up to and including the satiric clip of Buck Rogers which plays prior to the film proper. Its utopian vision exists in stark contrast with the morbid reality of THX’s world, and also communicates Lucas’ noted fascination with old film serials, which is palpable in Indiana Jones and, of course, Star Wars.
It’s required viewing for any dedicated fan of Rollerwave as an aesthetic. Each shot oozes with technical prowess, from the gorgeous shopping mall-esque interior of the City’s commerce center to the vast maze of computer servers THX navigates while being relentlessly pursued by his captors. THX is one of the best visions of the future the 1970s has to offer, along with Alien, albeit initiating the decade rather than capping it off.
More than simply being one of the first examples of Rollerwave in film, and one of the best, however, it is a great science-fiction film which sets itself apart from the crowd, stands on its own, and should be viewed by anyone who considers themselves connoisseurs of science-fiction.