A big part of what makes Rogue One so great is the return of a long-missing element of human desperation and sacrifice. We haven't seen or felt this since specific scenes in Empire, and certain finale's as in Jedi. Rogue one feels hurried, almost panicked, dramatic, and violent from the start, and builds that rhythm all the way to the end. Its taken a very long time to get back to this kind of stark story telling that you can see in its most coarse, maybe unrefined, but piercing form in THX1138.I think Lucas entered cinema on a high note with THX1138, had all his best, most potent ideas lined up an delivered them without apology...or explanation, and has spent the rest of his career trying to sell his ideas where he once just beat the audience with them. Maybe it has something to do with film in the late 70s, or maybe just being young behind the camera, but you feel the frailty of human life and the ability of one man to stop the motor of the world at the same time, which are tough ideas to get into commercial film.I would argue that the limitations of the times made THX1138 and Star Wars so great, and pushed the crew to come up with ideas and visual translations that had incredible legs. I hope forthcoming Star Wars films and their creators keep looking for that uneasy chord and hit it hard, and I think anyone going into one of these projects on any level - from production to acting, should consider Luca's film-school project carefully.

Version I saw: UK DVD Director's Cut (2004)Actors: 6/10Plot/script: 4/10Photography/visual style: 6/10Music/score: 7/10Overall: 5/10I'll be honest, getting an insight on the rise and fall of George Lucas was not the reason I decided to watch his first film, but it was undoubtedly on my mind during the movie.One element of the director's controversy was immediately apparent: as he did with the original Star Wars trilogy, Lucas could not resist going back and tinkering with this film. Beginning at the very start, the 2004 director's cut has several CGI additions to shots. It's unnecessary, intrusive, and quite annoying, and it seemed to me well below the standard of 2004 technology too.Lucas has always been fascinated by the technical aspects of film-making, and some argue that this is to the exclusion of more human components such as plot, dialogue and characters. It's also evident in the technical companies he founded like sound engineering group THX (named partly after this very film) and visual effects gurus Industrial Light & Magic. It is worth noting that the sound editing and reproduction on this movie is excellent, making great use of Lalo Schifrin's ominous, synth-heavy score.The story of a dystopian future is laden with satire, very much an angry young man's kind of behaviour. It is interesting to see what became such an establishment figure being so edgy. If the phrase "Wake up sheeples!" had existed then, it would have been applied to THX 1138.I have to say though, the plot doesn't actually make a lot of sense. The storytelling style is experimental, which is very much forgivable for people at this early stage in their careers, but it doesn't ultimately work, and that fatally handicaps the movie. I wasn't sure what was going on most of the time, why it was going on, or why I should care.Does all this tell us anything about why the Star Wars prequels failed so disastrously? Not much, to be honest. They are so different in so many ways that comparison is hard. They are at opposite ends of the scale financially (clearly a preoccupation in THX 1138, judging by the number of times 'budgets' are mentioned within the plot), in aims, chronologically and thematically. Perhaps, though, there is some basis for a suggestion of a man who lived his life and career having less of an insight into real people than theoretical people, and much less than into the mechanics of the films he built around them.

The film starts us off in the very up world of Buck Rogers and then transitions immediately into the horror of the THX 1138 future - a brilliant contrast.I always think of the Bob Seger song "I feel like a number" when I watch this movie. A must see for all sci-fi or horror lovers and a fascinating debut for Lucas.This is a forerunner to the Terminator movies.Considering filming began back in 1969, the special effects and cars are literally out of this world. This movie could have been made yesterday - truly ahead of it's time and a real sign of things to come from Lucas.This is what happens when all the bleeding heart victims of the world get power and enforce fanatical anti violent doctrine on the then zombie masses.A cautionary tale!Like all good movies, this one takes you out of your daily life and into the gloomy world of THX 1138 - awesome.

Set in the 25th century, the story centers around a man and a woman who rebel against their rigidly controlled society.George Lucas is, of course, best known for "Star Wars", and some also know him as the man behind "American Graffiti". They may not know this film. Of course, it is no secret that he puts references to "THX 1138" in other works, but how many people have actually seen this film? It is interesting to see that, right out of the gate, he had some great names working with him. Donald Pleasance and Robert Duvall as actors. Francis Ford Coppola as his executive producer. Sid Haig, Lalo Schlafin. This is all-star from beginning to end, and it is a shame that so few people really seem to know about it.