Defining the Magic of the OT

Well, in the original film at least, Lucas used old-school gauze filters to create that effect. I'm not sure that has survived the digitization process. The original color had faded so badly from the ANH master print that they had to recolorize the entire movie, and I've never felt like the remastered version had that same soft-focus look that the original had. (Then again, the color on the digital transfer of ANH is all wonky anyway because they used an automated process to re-colorize the film.)

 

I believe I saw Star Wars for the first time in 1979 when I was 5 or 6. I do distinctly remember that it was at a drive in movie theater with my dad and little brother. That drive in movie theater has LONG since vanished to suburban sprawl. I was 10 when ROTJ came out so I do remember the OT fondly as meaningful part of my childhood which left a lasting mark and with much nostalgia. To me, the OT felt gritty, genuine, and real. It felt like they were just telling a great story and they didn't have to try hard because they didn't need to. In my opinion, Episodes 1-3 felt forced and too glitzy HD special effect green screen "Hollywoody". A lot of times they didn't just feel like Star Wars to me because there wasn't the same emotional connection. They are some good movies and I enjoy them, however, they just don't hold much special meaning to me as the OT always will.

 

For me the magic of Star Wars is forever linked to the magic of being ten years old.

I was the target demographic for Star Wars. We had all the toys. We acted out all the scenes at recess, and made up new scenes after school. So part of the Star Wars experience for people my age is - and always will be - because it was a movie aimed directly at us.

I'm older now, obviously, and appreciate the original Star Wars movie for different reasons now. The soundtrack is still amazing, and the sound effects are, too. But great soundtracks and good sound effects are everywhere today. To appreciate how groundbreaking they were back in 1977 you need to remember a television was a 24 inch box with a single speaker. Theater sound was better, but in 1976 the average movie theater sound system was probably worse than today's home theater systems. I remember reading that several movie theater chains were upgrading their speakers in 1977 just for the Star Wars movie. Today every blockbuster movie has a great soundtrack, but before Star Wars in 1977? Not so much.

The idea of Jedi Knights was really cool. In 1977 we were in an nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union. We lived in a time when each side had enough nukes to destroy all life on Earth many times over. We had nuclear bomb drills in grade school, just like grade schools in Oklahoma have tornado drills. When the Death Star destroyed Alderaan with a single shot we could relate. But Star Wars wasn't about the Death Star. It focused on guys with light sabers, face-to-face combat between two equals, and only one of them is going to walk away. I'm not sure how to say this because I'm making this up as I go, but there was something liberating about Darth Vader, the ultimate Bad Guy with a finger on the Red Button that can destroy an entire planet, who put aside all that technology and weaponry and risked is life fighting Ben Kenobi with a lightsaber. It was classy in a way that our elected leaders weren't and never would be.

Then there were the Rebels. A group of communal living outcasts, guided by the wisdom of ancient mystics, who faced down the military/industrial complex and won. I was too young to appreciate the hippy elements of Star Wars at the time, but the movie came along two years after the Vietnam War, and it certainly struck a chord with viewers a few years older than me.

Finally, the Force made telekinesis fun. Before Star Wars telekinesis was NOT fun (remember Carrie or The Exorcist, anyone?) I was ten years old, and as inquisitive as any other kid. Is telepathy possible? Are telekinesis or prophecy or ghosts real? These are questions adults don't take seriously, but as kids we sure did. But since adults didn't, and since the Internet was a generation away, we only had each other to ask. Which of us didn't try to read our best friend's mind or predict the next card in the deck when we were that age? The Force was just about the only serious peek at the supernatural we had back then, since every other movie with supernatural elements was rated R and scared the blast out of those dumbasses who snuck into the theater to see them.

In many ways Star Wars just hit the perfect audience at the perfect time. It would have been a great movie no matter when it was made, but it resonated with the 1977 audience in a way that younger people probably can't fully appreciate. It was exactly what the post-Vietnam hippy kids were looking for.

 

I think it has a lot to do with the passion and underdog nature of the whole film crew, from George to Ralph to Dennis Muren to John Williams. As well as the actors. Everybody. It seems like a labor of love. ILM was kicking major booty back in those days. Its not hard to make visual effects anymore. It's not special to see the unseeable anymore. I think thats why the OT is so special. It showed us things we never thought we could see. Now we know we can see anything. We can't be blown away anymore. It's impossible to get that back.

 

All of them great movies. Blade Runner and Apocalypse Now are two of my favorites of all time.

 

No such power was practised back then.

 

I think this is well documented. Joseph Campbell's work especially opened a lot of channels for Lucas to built a strong ground for the concept of Star Wars and gave him, I believe a lot of insight. Star Wars follows a very simple formular there that works cross-cultural, in addition it was the right place and the right time. Right camera people, lighting and effects crew, especially good writers- if it weren't for them the original Lucas version of Star Wars could have been a major flop. The movies were a team effort in perfection.

 

I agree with a lot of what is being said above. 1977 and ILM's computer controlled blue-screen multi-composited tracking shots and dog-fighting, it looked so amazingly real. It was ground breaking. Everyone knows this. The craziest part is that these are the best effects available for a long time. Check out Goldeneye in 1995, almost 20 years later. The special effects of the jet crashing are total garbage.

4 years later, and GL is pushing computers to places that others had not gone before. In 1999 Jar Jar (and Watto and all the droids) are ground-breaking visual effects. Without them you don't get Gollum or Davey Jones in Pirates or basically anything in Marvel's cannon. But Computers and CGI closed the gap, super fast. Like others have said, it is relatively easy to create cgi characters, worlds, etc. now. You just need a deep wallet.

Where I disagree with some of the above comments, though, is with being unable to recapture that feeling. Just because I've become desensitized to the realism possible with CGI, it doesn't mean I can't be blown away by effects. In 1980, Yoda was probably one of the most technically advanced puppets ever created. But check this out: http://www.starwars.com/video/star-wars-the-force-awakens-comic-con-2015-reel at like 40 seconds. Whatever that thing is, its advanced. They are taking modern robotics and applying them in ways we haven't seen, because they've advanced in the past 20 years while the movie industry had relied entirely on CGI instead. Its not that I don't like CGI, its just that something different provides a different wow factor.

For some reason, seeing BB8 on stage was crazy cool. That is a wow factor. I just think if all the right elements come together, while really pushing lots of technological boundries, the Magic can happen again.

 

Hey, first-time post here (which is why I'm starting with what I know best- the magic of the OT)
I agree with the comments regarding the mythical Hero's Journey and the religious elements, as well as the choice of film- interestingly, the behind-the-scenes video of TFA shows the use of real film so I'll be looking forward to what that produces.

Another element of the magic is the incredible costuming, and the way that highlighted the character's evolution- Luke the innocent farm boy in simple white, the Rebel pilot and trainee in uniform, and the Jedi in priestly black. A few years ago I saw a museum exhibit with the costumes up close, and the attention to detail was amazing, and purposeful.

But my own "magic" concerns Leia. She was the first female scifi heroine to whom I could relate. Smart, brave AND pretty- what more could a girl want? I'd watched Star Trek reruns and read the books, but honestly it felt very sexist to me. Not so with Star Wars.

I know that now people want to point out that she was just about the only female presence in the OT aside from the tiny part of Mon Mothma, but back in the day her effect was huge. There was no one like Leia out there, and I even named my daughter with a variant spelling of her name (because I thought she'd never live down actually having the name "Leia"). So I'm looking forward to seeing her in TFA, and being a fan of how Abrams reworked Star Trek, I think I'll be happy with the results.

 

For me ANH's cinematography isn't that great and it didn't need to be. In fact it is a crudness at times in the cinematography coupled with a grandiose epic quality that contributes to it's charm. It's a ramshackle film of so many great ideas and elements that coalesce into making a unique movie. All of these elements are held together throughout the film by an audacious soundtrack that has rarely been rivaled in terms of its iconic feel and emotive power.

There are so many things about this film that I love. The colourful characters and weird and wonderful names that once you hear them they leave an indelible imprint on your brain forever more. Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Obi Wan Kenobi. Even the droids which itself is a name for robots that Lucas invented have names that roll beautifully off the tongue - R2-D2 and C-3PO.

All the names and characters are iconic as are all the other elements - the music, the spaceships, the lightsaber, the costumes, the dialogue. In fact that is the one word for me that sums up star wars, iconic.

I've always been a Beatles fan as well as a star wars fan and to me Star Wars is to the film industry what The Beatles were to the music industry. They wrote iconic music, instant classics that once heard it felt like you had heard it life times ago. I felt the same about Star Wars, it was both wonderfully alien and strangely familiar at the same time. The revolutionary aspects to both are obvious as are the cultural impact. Both also share a universal appeal.

Even the story structure of ANH is to me faultless. It is the one element above all else that isn't rivalled by the often lauded masterpiece of the trilogy TESB. It flows effortlessly from one scene to the next. Having the shortest duration of the three and without any need for fatty exposition. The definition of the force by Obi wan is said in no more than 30 words and expresses beautifully everything we need to know about it.

As a trilogy ANH will probably be our most beloved of the OT. TESB for most is the favourite of the trilogy, the dark masterpiece and Return Of The Jedi, although having some of the greatest and most memorable moments of the trilogy will probably remain the weakest of the three. It's most important role was to conclude the Anakin Skywalker story which it did perfectly.

With all that in mind to see the OT as a whole rather than three separate films I would say for me the magic comes from the fact it's a fairy tale told in a unique way that guarantees pure pleasure. It is the sum of many elements that we love brought together to create the ultimate movie experience and has never for my money been surpassed. The fact that it is a fairy tale as expressed by George Lucas himself and told with iconic imagery and sound it seems only natural and makes perfect sense that he decided to hand over the reigns to Disney. A company that has for many decades achieved just that many times over - to create magical fairy tales told with iconic imagery and sound. They are really the only company that has a chance to do the franchise justice.

I don't know if I've adequately defined the magic for me of the OT. Merely explained why I think star wars is so great. I don't know if it can be explained in words. It's just something you know when you experience it.

 

Great topic. I am writing an essay of post about this lol...There are so many factors that made the SW original trilogy pure, cinema magic. I have been thinking about this formula for years.

 

The magic of Star Wars for me was sitting in the back seat of the Chevy Nova at 100 Twin Drive-In in Fridley Minnesota. With C3PO and Chewbacca figure in my hands I quickly waited for the film to start... Suddenly the FOX logo came on the screen and then

STAR WARS
EPISODE IV
A NEW HOPE​

then the opening scroll....​

Suddenly John Williams score boomed on those little speakers that you hung on your car windows (yes kiddo's, I am that old) and my eyes popped out as the STAR DESTROYER came over the top of my car. ( I can still see this)

Then my JAW dropped when VADER showed up.

I was hooked the rest of my life and I will never forget it.

 

Okie.....exquuuueeeze me! Essay time! (jk)


I believe there are factors that when (combined effectively) create the perfect storm for a perfect film/TV series. (The adverse is the perfect storm of factors to create Jar Jar, but there is another post about that..I digress....) While I love and respect many films/series, I can pinpoint about 10 that fall into that "magic" category. Movie/TV magic requires a combination of ingredients needed to cast the spell of 'enchantment' filmmaking/storytelling . (I am not talking about fantasy or supernatural. Cinematic Magic can be applied to films that are realistic, like Gone With the Wind or Citizen Kane) or animated (like The Little Mermaid or Castle in the Sky). Certain films just have this incredible IT factor. Here are my top 10 (not necessarily BEST or FAVORITE films, but the ones that have that certain MAGIC.) So how does one find this cinema magic? Why does it traverse time, genre, generation, and medium? What is that makes the Star Wars OT reign supreme in cinematic *magic*?

In random order...

1. Star Wars OT (Counting the trilogy as one).
2. Indiana Jones
3. Gone With the Wind
4. Back to the Future
5. Laputa Castle in the Sky (Studio Ghibli)
6. Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind (Studio Ghibli)
7. Avatar: The Last Air Bender/Legend of Korra
8. Fellowship of the Ring (LOTR)
9. Game of Thrones
10. Disney's Golden Age (Little Mermaid, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin)


But what do they have in common? And what propels Star Wars to the top? Here are my long, drawn-out, thoughts on the subject....prepare thyself...




1. The Hero's Journey....Language Arts 101 We always say we are sick of cliches and tropes, yet whenever the classic hero journey is done WELL it is an instant success. Why? Aren't we soooo sick of "the same thing"? Star Wars took combined sci-fi with fantasy to create the ultimate space version of the Hero's Journey. Cliched in some ways? Of course! Innovative and creative in other ways? That is where cliches and tropes CAN be good things...taken in a derivative fashion but twisted in an innovative way. Many great films and stories take inspiration from the hero's journey. (All of the above can be applied to hero journey, even if it is a piece rooted in reality.)


The Star Wars OT took this, twisted it, refined it, and recreated it to forge an entire universe.


2. World Building. From historical wartimes to worlds unknown, a truly "magical movie" creates a world the viewer understands, explores, and yearns to know more about....each EXTRA is a character, each setting is a CHARACTER, and there are truly worlds within worlds, mythos within mythos,

I.E. there is enough material for fans to create their own worlds within the fandom's word. The world-building is so spectacular that there are worlds within worlds, species, life forms, and politics that are different from us...yet we can relate to these strange concepts through our own present ideals or history.

3. Sense of Nostalgia
Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to Future...there is a sense of wonder here, a sense of magic that allows adults to reflect joyously on these stories without worrying that they are being to childish in the process. Yes, we grow out of Popples (okay, maybe) and the toys of our youth. There is something about the magical films that allow adults to feel like it's okay to collect Star Wars toys. It's okay to buy Indiana Jones books. There is nothing unusual about an adult interest in LOTR or Star Wars. While there may be a childhood/nostalgic connection, it is perfectly acceptable to appreciate these films as an adult. (While one may grow out of certain cartoons, teeny bopper flicks, etc.) There was a ratio of far more adults to kids during Force Friday....

4. Something lost...something gained...the power of the lost world/society
What is it about lost worlds that inspires us so? Is it our own lost history, our neverending search for connections in our past? Whether it is a lost planet or order (Star Wars), society (LOTR, Nausicca, Castle in the Sky), or way of life (Gone with the Wind, Back to Future) there is always something to be said in our search/understanding for what we lost as we evolved. (Think even along the lines of Jurassic Park) Yet, there is always something to be gained in this process. Progressive ideals (GWTW), new knowledge (LOTR, BTTF, Nausicaa), a new hope (Star Wars, Game of Thrones?). Is this because we are always looking for something lost within our own psyche or society?


With Star Wars, we have the lost Jedi Order, the Old Republic, a destroyed planet, and
the tools ideal for a "more civilized age".

There is something alluring about *lost* societies/pasts/secrets. It is the human hope of exploring and understanding these secrets and applying our knowledge to them that makes this concept so fascinating....

5. Soundtracks you remember....
ALL of the above have distinct, emotional, and beautiful soundtracks that compliment the visuals and storytelling. Of course, the Star Wars OT opens with an incredible musical prologue that is so powerful it changed film and storytelling forever.

The amazing soundtrack of Star Wars literally opens with a bang. We can visualize each setting and character set to music like a symphony. Binary sunset continues to tug at my heartstrings whether I see it with the visuals or simply hear it.


6. Timelessness
Something about them movie "holds up" for generations. It is not dated. Any generation can enjoy and appreciate it without navigating pop culture or slang. My grandmother watched Gone With the Wind. My Mother watched it, and then I did as a kid. Something about it made the movie just as impressive, relatable, and visually stunning across generations. There is nothing dated about it (as well as Star Wars OT). The effects, acting, set design, and script are simply timeless. No pop culture/political references. Simply good writing and amazing visual storytelling.

7. From ages 1-101
You can show Star Wars to your little kiddo or grandma. Both will appreciate it for different reasons. While you may have loved certain cartoons or films as a kid, you grow out of them, but *something* about Star Wars makes it not only nostalgic but acceptable for you to keep obsessing over it.


(While Game of Thrones succeeds in many areas, it certainly is not kid friendly. Have to cross it off the list...)



Star Wars grows with you. It has enough appeal to satisfy a 4-year-old and enough good storytelling and wit to keep mom and dad interested. It is a true family film that everyone can enjoy from the youngest kiddo to grandma.

8. Spirituality: * Note, one does *not* have to be religious to appreciate or relate to this factor in stories, but there is something in our psyche that responds to the idea of at least seeking "a power greater than our own". This can manifest as God (as in Indiana Jones-1 and 3) or a higher power (The Force, the Avatars, or the magic or LOTR.) We are humans, and we are always seeking the power of the unseen, be it God, the universe, science, the spirit world,or beyond.)

Star Wars answers this call with The Force....something that makes us consider the paths and consequences of good and evil, of skepticism and belie, the search for something more. One can be Jewish, Christian, Agnostic, Atheist,etc. Star Wars seeks the unknown and we can all (regardless of beliefs) relate to it.

9. Universal Morals....yeah, we can dig our edgy movies and violent or grey area films. I love plenty that fall into the not for the kiddos/Terrantino category, but there is something that resonates in the good vs. evil or at least the consequences of failing to be a good human (GWTW/ROTS). Something about this resonates with all cultures, beliefs, etc. Plus...you can share it with the entire family. The morals in "magic" cinema are not specific to a particular faith or lack thereof, but resonate with a variety of people from different backgrounds and beliefs.

Luke really embodies with his struggles between the light and dark sides. Han redeems himself by helping the heroes, even if he is skeptical about their cause. Leia stays strong and continues her mission after everyone she loves is gone. Not only do we see what happens when the heroes make the right choice, but we see the consequences of the dark side. "Forever will it dominate your destiny." Even though Vader was redeemed, the consequences of his fall have rippled into a new generation in TFA...the dark consequences of this action live on...

#morals, Star Wars.

10. Recognizable characters. I define this simply as...."if you dressed as this character for Halloween, at least 60% of onlookers would recognize you." There are plenty of dime-a-dozen farmboy/simpleton-turned-savior characters, yet we recognize Luke Skywalker, Marty Mcfly, and Frodo Baggins a mile away.

11. Everything is a tangible character. That means...not just characters. Practical effects and real scenery can be used (or effectively combined with CGI) to create objects, scenery, vehicles, and places that are characters in themselves. Each set, each planet, each object, each spaceship, and each droid is distinct and its own character. Star Wars achieves this in more ways than one. Everything has character....not just characters!

12. Casting. Characters are cast flawlessly. Enough said. This happens when someone says "Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man." The actor/actress is so well cast that we can no longer separate the character from the actor. (Knowing that the actor can never be replaced or exchanged (like evergreen characters such as James Bond or Dr. Who.)

13. Action, Romance....for ladies and gentlemen!
A magical movie knows how to combine the elements of action and romance in ways that appeal to BOTH men and women, boys and girls, despite gender norms. BOTH girls and boys loved the action of lightsaber battles and spaceship warfare. BOTH men and women saw something appealing in Han and Leia's dialogue. (Unlike "chick flicks" there is an equal ratio of gals and guys I know who just adore the "I love you" "I know" sequence. There is something in the battles, romance, and intrigue that put quite simply, everyone gets and loves. No "guy action/love scenes for girls". Star Wars OT action and romance is written and direted for everyone. And it shows.

14. Change. Something about the series literally changed reality. Gone With the Wind set new standards for cinematic visuals and storytelling. LOTR lead a technological revolution. Avater: The Lost Airbender, created a diverse wold of non-white characters and introduced progressive themes and storytelling...reminding us that cartoons aren't just for kids. Nausicaa fused environmental themes through solid storytelling (no need to be preachy!).

Star Wars, as noted in a recent special, was rated as the #1 film that changed the movies forever. From merchandising, toys, character design, to expanded universe, there was something about this film that created tangible worlds outside of the story. Princess Leia pioneered as a strong sci-fi female character. Fantasy concepts were applied to outer space. Fictional spirituality was embraced by religious and skeptics alike. Adults could dress up as their favorite characters (not counting Halloween) and both parent and child enjoyed toy collecting on the same level. Kids and adults lined up for the films with equal enthusiasm. Generations continue to enjoy the exciting storytelling and lore of the SW universe.



Star Wars managed to combine all fourteen elements to perfection, and that is why I think it achieved the magic status that so many films have tried to attain.... Let us look forward to The Force Awakens. May the fourteen principles complete this film. It is truly our new hope.

 

Hello everybody! For me the magic has never faded from the SW movies and George Lucas gave us his best on both the OT and the PT. Now the question remains, did the magic fade on many of the OT fans? I think the answer is yes. You see, being one who grew up with the OT there was always the magic and the mistery surrounding the movies. You never knew what to expect but you didn't go waiting for your expectations to be met eather. This is a factor that has hurt many SW fans that grew up with the OT. Was the magic taken away from the prequels? Ask the generation of children that grew up with them to see if they agree with that. Kids vision on the PT is the same as we had with the OT but many fans can't or wont accept that. Who expected Boba Fett to be the bounty hunter to deliver solo? Who knew that Leia was the other hope? How many people were astounded to figure out that Darth Vader was Lukes father? All of these things made SW magical as we went to the movies to get our mind blown away by the magic but how do some fans expect to be surprised if they are digging for every bit of info, every script leak possible or every teeny tiny slip of info from the new movie before it comes out? Let's look at the PT. People can say what they say and bash all they like but the prequels were a financial success and they did what Lucas wanted them to do yet it's the old SW generation that lost the sence of magic within them. How many fans bash and bash the prequels for this and that but let me ask you guys, who went to see ESB as a kid and hated the movie because Lando didn't know how to act? Wich of you came pissed and told your moms that you hated the movies because the script sucked? What kid came crying to his/her house complaining that the movie was ruined because Lucas is not a good director? Or who complained because said character didn't do what we expected him/her/it to do? We never went to watch a SW movie looking for mistakes! And man does the OT have tons of them but we didn't see them or even care! We knew nothing of what was going to happen in the movies yet we still loved them! The movies had the magic but so did the mindset of the viewers and that defined the way we saw those movies.

Fast forward to today and lets deal with SW fans with the type of mind set that many have and lets pretend we know nothing about sequels and thrilogys. How many fans wouldn't have hated the OT? How many fans would have been pissed off that the movie ended with the evil black armored dude getting away and would have called it crap? Would this generation have taken ESB clifhanger ending in the same way that fans from back then did? And what about the aliens? How many fans today wouldn't be angry to see werewolves used as aliens? How many would bash the cantina scene for many of those crappy looking characters like Dr Evazan and Dannik Jerriko? How about the Ugnaughts from ESB? Today they would be called Hobbit Freaks or Oompa Loompa rejects and tons of other hateful names! Or what about Kitik Keed'kak? The anger that fans would feel knowing that they are supposed to believe that a simple mantis wearing a skirt is a alien from another world! Would fans today have swallowed the concept of a Mouse Droid or a Power Droid or would they have done like I have heard many fans say claiming that Lucas was just lazy with his his designs and didn't care about the fans and all he wants is money? The magic may me lost but it's not from the movies it's from the fans!

Let's pretend that we were all kids again and we were looking at the PT. How awesome would we have considered the podrace scene? Wouldn't Darth Maul seem so frieking cool? Wich of us wouldn't want a Watto or a Sebulba figure? Heck, though I may forever deny I said this but how many of us Jar Jar haters would have loved him? And many can deny it but much of you guys who bash Jar Jar and the Ewoks today are the very same fans who almost cried when the two little Ewoks are shot and one of them grieves as the other one dies! We liked the Ewok figures and many loved the awesome Ewok Village playset! When I go to see a SW movie, I have the very same mindset that I had back then and it's that I don't go expecting things to go the way I want them to go. I don't expect the acters to be versed in every single syllable and I won't get angry if the toilets in Jakku are too similar to the ones we have in real life. I could care less if an alien is a dude in a suit, an animatronic or CG as long as he looks awesome! I want to have my mind blown away by the aliens, ships and space battles from a galaxy far far away and I'm sure that if many fans could go with that same type of mindset, they would definitely feel the magic once more!

 

nothing ever faded for me. Always a fan brother....and I always feel the magic.

I see what your saying though, just not me....

 

The universal struggle between good and evil, democracy and dictatorship, freedom and tyranny.