THX 1138

Set in an unspecified future, THX 1138 follows Robert Duvall’s title character as he and a woman (Maggie McOmie’s LUH 3417) attempt to rebel against their rigidly controlled society. First-time filmmaker George Lucas has saddled THX 1138 off with an aggressively slow-moving feel that’s exacerbated by an almost total lack of context, as the movie is, for much of its running time, devoid of even the most basic exposition designed to draw the viewer into its oddball futuristic landscape – with the admittedly impressive visuals and set design, as a result, unable to compensate for a pervasively uninvolving and frequently interminable atmosphere. And while certain aspects of the impenetrable narrative are eventually made clear, THX 1138 nevertheless remains unable to even partially capture one’s ongoing attention and interest – with the less-than-captivating vibe ultimately compounded by a pared-down narrative that could hardly be less surprising (ie the story winds up exactly where one might’ve initially anticipated).

* out of ****