THX 1138 (1971)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

George Lucas

Writers:

George Lucas (story)
George Lucas (earlier screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

11 March 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Visit the future where love is the ultimate crime.

Plot:

Set in the 25th century, the story centers around a man and a woman who rebel against their rigidly controlled society.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Underground City | Escape | Drugged | Futuristic

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Robert Duvall	...	THX
Donald Pleasence	...	SEN
Don Pedro Colley	...	SRT
Maggie McOmie	...	LUH
Ian Wolfe	...	PTO
Marshall Efron	...	TWA
Sid Haig	...	NCH
John Pearce	...	DWY
Irene Forrest	...	IMM
Gary Alan Marsh	...	CAM
John Seaton	...	OUE
Eugene I. Stillman	...	JOT
Jack Walsh	...	TRG (as Raymond J. Walsh)
Mark Lawhead	...	Shell Dweller
Robert Feero	...	Chrome Robot #1
Johnny Weissmuller Jr.	...	Chrome Robot #1
Claudette Bessing	...	ELC
Susan Baldwin	...	Control Officer
James Wheaton	...	OMM (voice)
Henry Jacobs	...	Mark 8 Student
Bill Love	...	Mark 8 Instructor
Doc Scortt	...	Monk
Gary Austin	...	Man in Yellow
Scott L. Menges	...	Child #1
Toby L. Stearns	...	Child #2
Paul K. Haje	...	Trial Prosecutor
Ralph Chesse	...	Trial Proctor
Dion M. Chesse	...	Trial Defender
Bruce Chesse	...	Trial Pontifex
Mello Alexandria	...	Hologram Dancer #1
Barbara J. Artis	...	Hologram Dancer #2
Morris D. Erby	...	Hologram Newscaster
Willie C. Barnes	...	Hologram Comic #1
Richard Quinnell	...	Hologram Comic #2
Jean M. Durand	...	Hologram Listener
Scott Beach	...	Announcer #1 (voice)
Neva Beach	...	Announcer #2 (voice)
Terence McGovern	...	Announcer #3 (voice) (as Terrence McGovern)
Julie Payne	...	Announcer #4 (voice)
James Cranna	...	Announcer #5 (voice)
Ruth Silveira	...	Announcer #6 (voice)
Bruce Mackey	...	Announcer #7 (voice)
David Ogden Stiers	...	Announcer #8 (voice) (as David Ogden Steers)
Bart Patton	...	Announcer #9 (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Rigg	...	Computer Operator (uncredited)
Matthew Robbins	...	THX - End scene (uncredited)

Directed by
George Lucas

Writing credits
George Lucas		(story)
George Lucas		(earlier screenplay)
George Lucas		(screenplay) and
Walter Murch		(screenplay)
Matthew Robbins		comic (uncredited)

Produced by
Francis Ford Coppola	....	executive producer
Edward Folger	....	associate producer (as Ed Folger)
Larry Sturhahn	....	producer (as Lawrence Sturhahn)

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Albert Kihn		(director of photography)
David Myers		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Lucas

Art Direction by
Michael D. Haller		(as Michael Haller)

Production Management
Al Locatelli	....	production manager (uncredited)

Art Department
Ted Moehnke	....	property master

Sound Department
Jim Manson	....	location sound
Walter Murch	....	sound montage
Louis Yates	....	location sound (as Lou Yates)

Visual Effects by
Michael Muir	....	technical director (directors cut)
Brad Alexander	....	lead visual effects artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
John Andrew Berton Jr.	....	visual effects supervisor (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Richard Bluff	....	digital matte painter (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Dorian Bustamante	....	visual effects (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Ian Christie	....	digital effects artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Zachary Cole	....	digital artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Lee Croft	....	digital paint and rotoscope artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Chris Crowell	....	digital compositor (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Sarahjane Javelo	....	digital paint/rotoscope artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Ian Jenkins	....	technical director: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Lars Jensvold	....	visual effects editor (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Gary H. Lee	....	visual effects (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Toan-Vinh Le	....	digital artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Hiroshi Mori	....	digital artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Ken Nielsen	....	technical director (special edition) (uncredited)
Ben O'Brien	....	Sabre artist: ILM (2004 directors cut) (uncredited)
Scott Palleiko	....	technical director: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Brian Pohl	....	digital artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Evan Pontoriero	....	digital artist (2004 directors cut) (uncredited)
Paul Sharpe	....	digital artist (2004 special edition) (uncredited)
Peter Szewczyk	....	visual effects artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Catherine Tate	....	digital compositor: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Eric Voegels	....	digital artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Elbert Yen	....	digital artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)

Stunts
Duffy Hambleton	....	bike stunts (as Duffy Hamilton)
John Ward	....	car stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ned Kopp	....	assistant camera
Steve Lighthill	....	assistant camera
William Maley	....	gaffer (as William Mayley)
Ken Phelps	....	key grip
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Caleb Deschanel	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Animation Department
Hal Barwood	....	animator

Casting Department
Ronald Colby	....	casting supervisor

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Donald Longhurst	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Marcia Lucas	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Hal Barwood	....	titles
George Burrafato	....	production assistant
Lillian O. MacNeill	....	continuity (as Lillian McNeil)
Nick Saxton	....	production assistant
Stan Scholl	....	production assistant

Thanks
Carl Bernstein	....	thanks (as Cal Bernstein)
Caleb Deschanel	....	thanks
Peter Szewczyk	....	special thanks
Haskell Wexler	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• American Zoetrope
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (director's cut) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)  special thanks
• City of Oakland  special thanks
• City of San Francisco  special thanks
• Fibre Fab Inc.  special thanks
• Marin County, California  special thanks
• Synanon  special thanks

Also Known As:

THX-1138 (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity. (2004 director's cut)

Runtime:

86 min | USA:88 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | UK:15 (video rating) (1988-2003) | UK:X (original rating) | Germany:12 | UK:15 (video rating) (director's cut) (2004) | South Korea:15 (director's cut) | Brazil:14 | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-11 (2004 director's cut) | Iceland:Unrated | Italy:VM14 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:R (2004 director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

American Zoetrope

Trivia:

For the final sequence in which THX is climbing up to the surface, it is a simple perspective trick. It is not a ladder, but re-bar embedded in concrete. The actors are actually crawling along a horizontal surface. By tilting the camera to appropriate angles, it appears that the characters are climbing upward.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the car chase, the number 5 on a radio announcer's hat is backwards, revealing the usage of a mirror image.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Male voice (medicine cabinet): What's wrong?
THX 1138: Nothing. Nothing really. I just feel that I need something stronger.
Male voice (medicine cabinet): If you have a problem, don't hesitate to ask for assistance.
THX 1138: Yes, thank you, I'll be alright.
Male voice (medicine cabinet): Call 3485...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Snatcher (1988) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Elevator Music

Huxley and Orwell meet the French New Wave

George Lucas has a fairly small body of work, as a director; and most of it is fairly simplistic, except this film. Lucas' first feature is steeped in the French New Wave mode of philosophical musings and strange visuals. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily make for an exciting film. However, there are enough intriguing ideas to sustain some interest, although you do have to fight off the boredom factor.

Lucas is, and has always been, a visual filmmaker. He is not great with actors and his films aren't noted for their performances, except American Graffiti. That was a more personal film, and Lucas probably had a clearer idea of the characters thoughts and emotions. Here, emotions are stifled by drugs and the wooden performances reinforce this.

According to Lucas, the film is the story of escape, told in three different forms: an escape from the drugs that keep people in check, an escape from a prison with no visible barriers, and an escape from the city itself. The final sequence contains most of the action, but is marred by the budget constraints.

Robert Duvall commands attention when he is on screen, but you never really feel like you get to know THX. Donald Pleasance, as SEN, provides a nice turn as the antagonist, of sorts. The rest of the cast is fairly forgettable, with only minor moments. The philosophical underpinnings of the film are often lost in pretension, the same flaw which hit the Matrix in its sequels. Lucas could have delivered his message in a far simpler fashion, probably with greater result. Still, the film does have its interesting moments and memorable ideas and images. The robot police are quite chilling, although they are used sparingly. The white prison is quite unsettling as well. The final escape is the most riveting sequence of the film.

The new DVD has Lucas' trademark tinkering. Only this time, the alterations help to add scope to the film. The city scenes are expanded to add complexity to the environment that was missing in the original. There are no fundamental story changes, as in the Star Wars Special Edition (Greedo shoots first). The commentary and featurettes help the viewer to understand the intent of the story and help to establish the context in which it was made. Lucas makes a statement that he would like to return to this kind of film. Given the disappointing nature of the Star Wars prequels, I wouldn't mind seeing Lucas take another crack at a more cerebral sci-fi story. My only request is that he works with a great scriptwriter.