Star Wars (Episodes IV-VI)

The Original Star Wars Trilogy is the tale of good overcoming evil against all odds. It finds the beauty in the most lost people and teaches us that we do not need to be a star to prove that you are important. It is an epic like no other and they are my favorite films.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

The film was directed like a sci-fi/western because of the large, wide shots that it uses in the film. The tone in this film is more of an exploratory than the others. It creates a sense of awe at the large, beautiful world it creates with all kinds of wonderful places and people and casts the shadow of the Empire on it. This film has a childish, fun feel to it that makes the viewer want to see more. The lighting in the film is bright where it is free from the Empire's grasp where it contrasts with a darker haze to everything. The movie explores what destiny is and what the difference between fighting and surviving is. The movie is very symbolic and is a lot more than what it looks like on the surface. The editing in the movie makes for some very beautiful shots of the different environments explored in their vast, expansive, beautiful world. 

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strike Back has a more sinister, dark tone than the other installments of the saga and it is my absolute favorite movie. This movie takes place a number of years after the first and it is definitely apparent because the themes explored in the first films are dissected in this film. Everything about this movie is darker than the first, from the settings to the plot points. This movie is edited better than the first and uses lighting to create different moods and tones for each scene. For example, if something is clouded in mystery, the director would use fog to add intrigue and suspense. The colors in this film were subtle so that the vibrant colors stood out against the background. The harsher, more dramatic tone of this film was refreshing and added new depth to a series that I already enjoyed. 

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi combines what the previous two movies had, and makes a pretty solid piece of cinema. It combines the dark tones from the first installment and the fun, exploratory journey throughout the galaxy. It finalizes the themes of destiny and the question that just because you come from a certain family does not decide how you will turn out. This movie ties up most loose ends in the franchise and does a pretty good job with it. This final movie uses a lot of the same techniques as it did in the first two. It used a lot of long extended shots to make a scene seem more dramatic. this movie moved significantly faster than the previous two and had a good balance of rising action and climax. The movie used a ton of vibrant colors and fun moments to keep the mood light and overall the movie was very well done. 

I would say that compared to other sci-fi/fantasy films, Star Wars in the best out of all of them. It takes the viewer into a different world where anything can happen where hope lives and a great, bright, beautiful world lies and I think that it was great that the creator was able to create such a magical place. I would recommend this movie to anybody who loves movies because this film series is my absolute favorite.