THX 1138 was George Lucas’ first feature length film and probably his most visually and narratively revolutionary film even though it borrows heavily from Orwell. THX 1138 is a dystopian world that criminalizes behaving like a human, literally controls people’s minds and bodies through drugs and technology so they can be efficient workers and segregates them based on profession, which includes a de facto racial segregation since possibly all black people believe they are holograms, i.e. entertainers, not even real life people. Gender is erased-there appears to be no distinction between male and female. Devotion is reduced to a solitary, mechanical routine vaguely based in consumption and the system. The devotion’s historical and artistic origins are forgotten. Even the idea of revolting against the system seems impossible since the system appears to be an all encompassing, well-oiled machine with no evil, mustache-twirling head pulling the strings. Lucas cleverly reverses the Adam and Eve story, but instead of fruit from the tree of knowledge, Eve or LUH 3417, takes something away. Paradise is a prison. Is Lucas a (former) Catholic? Apparently he was raised Methodist. Once again, enjoyable sex is the original sin, but it was shocking that in the prison area, i.e. people who revolted from the system, rape becomes an unfortunate side effect of freedom. Even though it is alluded to, it felt like a missed opportunity to just make it a male raping a female. That male convict should have been trying to rape everybody, especially since society was genderless, and that individual may not have abstained from drugs. Drugs may have been ineffective on him. I wanted to watch THX 1138 because Robert Duvall plays the titular character, and he does an impressive job. It felt like Duvall even integrated dance techniques in his acting. THX 1138 probably improves upon repeat viewing, but it is one of those 90-minute movies that feel like an eternity so I will not rewatch it. THX 1138 is a masterpiece-visually and audibly original though narratively derivative.