Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Running Time: 125 minutes (approx)

Production Year: 1977

Rating: U Certificate

Production Country: USA

Filmed in Colour

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is a young man in a hurry. He yearns to leave the barren, faraway planet of Tattooine and exchange his lonely farm for a life of adventure.

When he comes across old hermit Obi-wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), he spots his chance. Obi-wan recognises one of Luke's robots as a messenger, which carries a hologram from rebel Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). "Help me, Obi-wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

Everyone knows what's going to happen. Most of us have seen the latest Star Wars movie and we know that young Luke Skywalker's father is the dreaded Darth Vader, perhaps the baddest villain since Jack Palance ambled into town in Shane.

The real pleasure of seeing this terrific movie once again is partly down to familiarity, partly from remembering how you felt when you saw the original and partly from knowing where these characters go, both within the series of films and in their careers.

The machines still look sharp - the X-wing fighters and other space vehicles broke the mould of what was expected from action verisimilitude. But it is the screenplay which carries the biggest punch.

George Lucas underpins traditional Boy's Own heroics with a layer of mythic morality - the neverending struggle of good against evil, painted in stark black and white. The phrase "evil empire" was actually lifted by Ronald Reagan directly from the film to label the Soviet Union.

It is impossible to ignore the feeling of oppression and conflict generated by the Imperial forces, which draws parallels with the Cold War experience of the West in opposition to the Communist Eastern Bloc countries.

This superb film received 11 Academy Awards, mainly for its technical virtuosity, as well as nominations for several other major Academy Award categories, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Alec Guinness).

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Cast

	Mark Hamill		Luke Skywalker
	Harrison Ford		Han Solo
	Carrie Fisher		Princess Leia Organa
	Peter Cushing		Grand Moff Tarkin
	Alec Guinness		Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi
	Anthony Daniels		C-3PO
	Kenny Baker		R2-D2
	Peter Mayhew		Chewbacca
	David Prowse		Darth Vader
	James Earl Jones		Darth Vader
	Phil Brown		Uncle Owen
	Shelagh Fraser		Aunt Beru
	Jack Purvis		Chief Jawa
	Alex McCrindle		General Dodonna
	Eddie Byrne		General Willard