Can a movie stand the test of time? - Star Wars Reviews

Is it possible for a movie to ever stand the test of time? Certainly the special affects, graphics, and to a lesser extent the acting will look different from modern film. Yet can a movie be more than the sum of those features? After all, is not Homer's The Odyssey still read after thousands of years, despite it being "dated"? Surely, it is hard to compare film to literature. Yet if it is ever possible for a film to be timeless, Star Wars and the trilogy it launched is it. This film not only represented, but represents to this day, the very best of what it means to be a sci-fi epic. Though revolutionary in the realm of special effects, groundbreaking in other areas and breathtakingly creative, it does not rely solely on its original themes or new quirks to achieve acclaim, as many "good" sci-fi films do. This film, combines the best of science fiction with a story and a spirit that has meaning-- an underdog struggle, a coming of age tale, a morality play, behind an incredibly rich backdrop and a timeless cast of characters that fits it perfectly. At the heart of it all is a celebration of faith in a world of science, of heroism and spontaneity that touched and should continue to touch first time viewers. Watching this film again after many years, I cannot help but compare it to the stale and formulaic films that have dominated the box office in recent years. In a world crammed with media, much of the spontaneity that once used to characterize American life seems to have quietly disappeared. Let's keep Luke, Han, Leia, Ben, Yoda, and the other unique characters that struggled against 'the dark side' alive for future generations.