Stage and Screen (July/August 1971)

THX 1138

THX 1138, starring Robert Duvall in the title role. The story of one man's fight against and eventual escape from a terrifyingly mechanized society.

I will never forget seeing THE FIXER and THE CONFESSION within two weeks. Both films concerned the struggle of the individual against a stifling social system, and both depicted in great detail the devastating horrors of prison life under totalitarian regimes. They shared that rare artistry which demands a strong emotional commitment from the viewer, leaving him enervated but absolutely aware.

In this tradition is THX 1138, George Lucas's shattering portrayal of existence in the United States some years hence. “Existence”, not “life”, is the proper term, for mere survival is all that is possible in such an utterly dehumanizing society. In Lucas's vision of the future social life has become, by law, completely egalitarian: everyone wears the same uniform, watches the same entertainment à la 1984, and lives with the roommate whom the omniscient computer has assigned. For the most part, the intellect and vitality are dead, having been carefully conditioned and tranquilized out of children.

In such a beyond-Walden-Two world, few men have the strength of purpose to assert their individuality; THX is one who does. Forbidden to live with the woman he loves, he is placed in a bleak and surreal asylum for the intransigent. He is determined to escape and the passionless bureaucracy cannot stop him. His ultimate triumph in eluding his captors is one of the most exciting climaxes in any recent film. When THX emerges from his prison into the brilliant sun and stands awed by the greatness of his achievement, the magnificent ironies of his captivity become clear. We realize for the first time that the entire film has taken place underground. Even natural light, undoubtedly considered subversive, has been denied the slaves of the State.

Lucas's major achievement in this film lies in fitting the method so well to the content. The movie is at times difficult to grasp because quick cuts are so frequently used, but they successfully underscore the the impression of disjointedness that is central to appreciation of the film. Prior to his escape, THX's life is a series of quick flashes from one stark, meaningless encounter to another. Nothing is allowed to be whole or satisfying. Lucas reinforces this theme through his skillful union of symbols and plot.

MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER

MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER, with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie as the leads. McCabe and Mrs. Miller supervise the construction of an entire town (the main business of which is prostitution), only to have their flourishing concern threatened by coercive robber-barrons.

THX shows that It Can Happen Here, and in Robert Altman's MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER we find more or less the same message, presented through a non-science-fiction medium. MCCABE operates primarily with the emotions, while THX utilizes both the emotions and the intellect. As the central figure Warren Beatty, in the best performance of his career, confidently projects the image of the quintessential loner and individualist pitted against unscrupulous crooks. He is the sort of wheeler-dealer who can start anew in a strange town size up the market immediately, and provide what is needed.

Once the market has been opened up, however, it is a sure bet that someone is going to try to cash in on it by other than honest means. More than a little naive in business, McCabe cannot cope with the power-politics tactics of the big businessmen who try to force him out, but he puts up a shrewd battle against the gunmen who have been hired to “persuade” him. On this level, then, we are encouraged to applaud the moral victory of the individualist over his collectivist foes.

But it would be unfair to leave you thinking of MCCABE as the great libertarian epic — it isn't. McCabe can be seen as a larger-than-life figure, more admirable than not from a libertarian point of view for his near-anarchistic approach to life; or he can be viewed as the prototype of the Little Man, the good soul who is robbed by evil Laissez-Faire Capitalists. The second perspective probably represents the director's intention.

MCCABE can also be approached on a non-ideological level. It is similar in its folk-epic style to BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, though the latter had less to recommend it. Altman's film is technically superb, and the performances are outstanding. Despite its flaws, it is an appealing movie that presents an engrossing picture of the turn-of-the-century Pacific Northwest.

TWO-LANE BLACKTOP

TWO-LANE BLACKTOP, featuring James Taylor, Warren Oates, Dennis Wilson, and Laurie Bird. Taylor and Wilson ride around the countryside in a high-powered old car, and searching for the meaning of life and incidentally making a living by drag-racing. Laurie Bird joins them for the Big Race with “GTO” Warren Oates. Another “now” movie.

TWO-LANE BLACKTOP is a simpler film to criticize, because there are no might-have-beens about it. To date, it has my endorsement as rip-off movie of the year. Remember the old hot-rod films? Remember WHERE THE BOYS ARE and BEACH BLANKET BINGO? BLACKTOP is their lineal descendant — a tasteless representation of life in one narrow, over-glamourized segment of the youth culture. The pony-tailed girl in the souped-up car may have changed into an aimless fifteen-year-old runaway and the crew-cut driver may have been transformed into James Taylor, but the fact remains that this movie is as bad as anything from the youth cult of the '60's.

Among the three principals there is nothing that can remotely be termed acting. Each character appears to have picked one vacuous facial expression and settled into it for the duration. Warren Oates has more to offer than any of the others, but so little is required of him that even his effort is wasted. For a major film, the script is one of the most forgettable in years. TWO-LANE BLACKTOP is one of the turkeys of our anti-life culture, and it should be avoided at all costs.

Carol Newman has an MA in English from Brown University and has worked in theatre. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.