How to build the future While studying at the University of Southern California, young filmmaker George Lucas created several remarkable short films, many of which received very prestigious professional awards, emphasizing the extraordinary creative vision of the director, focused on the topical realism presented in an extraordinary visual performance. Lucas did not ignore the tragic division of the German people as a result of the treaty that followed the end of World War II ("Freiheit), ran through the history of modern society with all its problems and hopes ("A Look at Life), and finally turned his eyes to the distant future in the piercing futuristic history of the Electronic Labyrinth TNKh-1138. Having built fears about the possible subordination of human culture to a soulless computer system that excludes the manifestation of any emotions, the director managed to make a non-stop fifteen-minute action-thriller with minimal financial investments, laying serious fears in the minds of the audience. Progressive teachers of Lucas initially believed in the prospects of the project, and therefore in every possible way accompanied the promotion of the filming process, helping to achieve admission to the necessary locations closed to other fellow students of Lucas, working according to traditional rules that exclude courage and radical thought.
In January 1968, at the National Student Film Festival, held in New York, "Electronic Labyrinth TNK-1138" was awarded special attention by the jury, and also interested at that time completely unknown director Steven Spielberg, after which the long-term friendship of the two greatest filmmakers of our time began. Unlike most short crafts, which try to pass off a banal idea as some higher ideas, the film of George Lucas really struck. The storyline of “Electronic labyrinth TNKh-1138” can hardly be called twisted and complex, and yet it could not help catching. The story of the “little” revolutionary who challenged the totalitarian way of life of the future had strong ties to the sad reality corroding American culture from within. At the time of the creation of the short film, the intellectual audience had an undisguised interest in highlighting topical issues fueled by the Cold War and a series of political scandals, and therefore Hollywood producers led by Francis Ford Coppola saw in the escape of the TNK-1138 from the System a good opportunity to conquer big screens. Allocating George Lucas a small but sufficient budget, the studio gave the reins of the project to a beginner, sincerely hoping that he would not fail. Enthusiastic director, painstaking work and talent forged his way to the top, did not change himself and developed themes raised in the short film to the top of an emotional explosion, because of which the widely released TNKh-1138 was completely unclaimed. Somehow recouping production costs, the debut of Lucas for several years disappeared from view, and the director himself was forced to abandon the shooting of the long-cherished idea of space adventures, temporarily switching to the genre of the ever-in-demand youth comedy.
The premiere of American Graffiti, held in 1973, once again brought George Lucas back to the ranks of promising young directors who can not only spend, but also earn money. Repeatedly paying off at the box office, winning several Oscar nominations, "American Graffiti" contributed to the fact that "TNKh-1138" literally rose from the dead and was revised by the audience from a different angle. The re-release of the tape in the rental drove the audience of all ages into cinemas, finally able to consider in the revelations of Lucas something more than a specific fiction for a narrow circle of thinkers. People wanted to know more about the work on TNK-1138, what moved Lucas to write the script and why his thoughts about the future are so gloomy. And then they came to the aid of a documentary sketch called "Bold: The Making of THX 1138." Not having time to cool to the camera and nourishing a passion for everything that is worth transferring to the screen, George Lucas personally directed a documentary essay about “TNKh-1138”, trying to capture the most significant moments of the creation of the tape, including good conversations with Francis Ford Coppola and actor Robert Duvall, who tried on the role of a fugitive from the Electronic Maze.
Thanks to the revelations laid down in “Bold: The Making of THX 1138”, viewers were able to find out where exactly the story of the film began, and the shooting of the short film, this is far from what stood in the origins of the full-length debut of George Lucas. While still a student, the future author of “American Graffiti” spent hours of free time in communication with fellow students Matthew Robins and Walter March, presenting with his comrades hypothetical ways of development of civilization and the American community in particular. Gradually penetrating computer technology, robotics and the replacement of physical labor with the solution of intellectual problems could be both enthusiastic, rainbow in nature, and move us to the edge, after which machine slavery will no longer get out. Closer to his final year, Robins and March lost interest in social fiction, switching to third-party themes, and only George Lucas remained true to his own ideals, making TNK-1138 a springboard to great achievements, eventually immortalizing his name. 12 weeks of work on the short meter was replaced by no less long period of filming together with real professionals, supporting their leader even in the most controversial moments and dramatically difficult episodes.
Not the last role in the creation of the full-length TNK-1138 was played by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola. And the financial backing given to Lucas is just a small fraction of what the Godfather creator did for the younger colleague's fearless, shrill and treacherously misunderstood debut. Instead of brightening up the sharp corners of history, diluting the deep drama with lighthearted entertainment elements, Coppola's producer demanded that Lucas be himself, not change his own rules and move Hollywood forward. Having given all his heart to the project, the director sincerely believed that he would not let his senior colleague and good friend down, he would be able to break out of the ranks of eternally promising people with a camera, and as a result, he would be able to shoot only those stories that he considers the most profitable from his point of view. A few years later, Lucas will achieve everything he dreamed of, but it is the unfortunate experience of the relative failure of TNK-1138 that will be the point from which to count the successful years of the career of an extraordinary filmmaker. True pearls of world cinema tend to blossom over time and turn into bright stars that motivate people to great achievements. Just such a brilliant film was TNKh-1138, too smart for the simple viewer, an outlet for a thinking audience, a gift to intellectuals.
As a result, I want to say that after familiarizing with the short version and the hour and a half "TNKh-1138", it is necessary to evaluate "Bold: The Making of THX 1138", looking behind the scenes of a hypothetical future that is more disturbing than this or that horror film. George Lucas never looked into the past, as his gaze was always on exploring what would happen to us in a few decades. Creative freedom played an evil box office joke with the director, but at the same time tempered his character, allowed him to become the person we know him already in our time. And “Bold: The Making of THX 1138” becomes another modest, and at the same time extremely important element, without which it is impossible to appreciate the history of the development of modern cinema.
10 out of 10