>Touch of Evil (and many others) would like to have a word with
>you.
>

Touch of Evil does have a great, perfect opening shot that was incredibly influential. The reason I'd give the edge to Episode 4 is because its opening shot is so incredibly efficient and effective at setting the narrative in motion and setting the stakes for the entire series. With that one shot we know the following: the good guys, the bad guys, how much more big and powerful the villains are, what's at stake (the star destroyer literally obscuring a planet, the protagonists and most of the screen). That's all done in about 20-30 seconds


>>Episode 4 kicked in the door for what could be done visually
>>in film.
>
>Are you talking about from an FX standpoint? Otherwise...
>

Spielberg had already invented the modern blockbuster with Jaws. Episode 4 raised the bar for what could be accomplished visually with films. I'd argue that it was the definitive benchmark for mixing FX with real special effects until Terminator 2.

>>Star Wars also permanently reshaped how and what
>>movies get made in Hollywood.
>
>If true (which arguably it's not), isn't that terrible? If
>you're talking about studios shifting their emphasis to big,
>effects-driven, tent-pole spectacles with avalanches of
>cross-promotional tie-ins (happy meals, apparel, shitty toys,
>etc) marketed to the lowest common denominator, isn't that a
>shitty development in American movie making?
>

Star Wars had an effect that could be considered a gift and a curse. I'm pretty sure there were films that were big prior to Star Wars, but none were ever as big as Star Wars. I'm not just talking about financially but culturally. Star Wars (as a film and a franchise) grabbed the world's attention completely. It's still everywhere.

>>Also, Episode 4 is arguably the
>>most postmodern film ever.
>
>Curious what you mean by this. In what way is it post-modern?
>

George Lucas' approach to creating the story is what makes Star Wars postmodern. He grabbed a bunch of influences from multiple sources that vary between cultures and periods. Lucas basically took the adventure serial and remixed it into a Frankenstein of sorts: part samurai film, part space opera, part Spaghetti western, part Greek tragedy, etc.

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