American Graffiti (1973, George Lucas)

The first time I saw "American Graffiti" I dismissed it as visually striking but empty. Several viewings later I have come to appreciate it as Lucas' masterpiece and one of the best films of the 1970's, a film with a real sense of maturity and understanding of this phase in life, and one which features so many colorful and interesting characters who all feel real or relevant even today. "American Graffiti" is so much more than just a nostalgia piece, and remains far, far superior to the many movies it inspired, which ARE empty and lack the substance and strength of character this had. Even the acclaimed ones like "Dazed and Confused" are exposed for what they really are when compared to this film.

Haskell Wexler is credited as a visual consultant on this film, and given that I cannot find any information on the credited cinematographers (who are only credited on one other film) I must assume that he had a lot to do with how this film looks, as it does seem very much like his work. It really is absolutely gorgeous, and given how hard it must have been to light the sets where the film was shot, completely on location, quite a remarkable aesthetic achievement. It's stylized, but not in a manner that makes the film look improbable or unrealistic, and it is one of few American films from the 1970's which consistently looks beautiful, where one can pause the film at any point and find an evocative or beautiful image.

George Lucas was still a good director at this point, of course, and he tells this story remarkably well. I don't think there's anything here that I would have done differently, and it is almost unquestionably his finest achievement as director. Even when you take away all the great shots in this film there's still a rich and well-told story. There have been numerous films like this, chronicling the experiences of a group of seniors just after or just before the end of high school, but none even begins to approach how perceptive and intelligent "American Graffiti" is, and how well it captures the emotions many of us felt at that age.

"American Graffiti" is a special film that is unlike any other although it has been copied many times. It is not just great entertainment, it is a film that captures human nature like few others, and one that is as striking on an emotional level as it is on a visual level. A simply outstanding film.