THX 1138:4EB (Electronic Labyrinth) Synopsis

THX 1138:4EB, also known as Electronic Labyrinth, was the seminal student film of acclaimed filmmaker George Lucas. His thesis at the USC School of Cinema-Television, the fifteen minute short gives us Lucas’ nightmare vision of the future. Electronic Labyrinth tells the story of THX 1138, a man desperately attempting to flee the computerized authoritarian world of the future.

George Lucas Biography (by BookRags.com)

American filmmaker George Lucas (born 1944) was responsible for the creation of a number of the most profitable movies in history, including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies. Lucas is also responsible for many technical innovations in filmmaking, especially special effects.

Lucas was born in Modesto, California on May 14, 1944, the only son among George and Dorothy Lucas's four children. His father sold office supplies and equipment and owned a walnut farm. George Lucas Sr. found his son difficult to understand and quite stubborn. Lucas enjoyed racing cars and was the proud owner of a suped-up Fiat in high school. He was not a good student, and barely made passing grades. Shortly before graduating from high school, Lucas was involved in a serious car accident and nearly died from his injuries. With broken ribs, Lucas spent three months in the hospital. This experience seriously affected his outlook on life. Lucas decided that he wanted to go to art school. His parents refused to support this decision, however, so Lucas instead studied social sciences at Modesto Junior College.

While at Modesto, Lucas developed an interest in photography and film. He began making films with an 8mm camera, though he knew little about the art and its history. Lucas combined his new interest with an old one when he began to photograph car races. He also became involved in the building of race cars. One was built for Haskell Wexler, a famous cinematographer, who befriended Lucas. With the cinematographer's help, Lucas entered the film program at the University of Southern California (USC). Lucas had a variety of interests in film school. He began in animation, then moved on to cinematography and editing. Lucas was determined to succeed as a filmmaker, and produced eight student films. One of these films, 1965's THX-1138: 4EB won several awards, including a first prize at the National Student Festival. In this short film, Lucas explored his version of the future.

Lucas graduated from USC in 1967 and worked on the fringes of the film industry for several years, holding odd jobs. He spent time as a cameraman for Saul Bass, filmed part of the infamous 1968 Rolling Stones concert in Altamonte, California, and worked as an editor for documentaries produced by the United States Information Agency. While working for the USIA he met Marcia Griffin, a film editor. They married in 1969, and adopted a child in 1981. The couple divorced in 1984 and Lucas later adopted two children on his own.

In 1969, Lucas won a scholarship from Warner Bros., which allowed him to watch a film being made. He was on the set of a film directed by Francis Ford Coppola entitled Finian's Rainbow. Lucas and Coppola developed a strong friendship. Lucas became an advisor on Finian's Rainbow and assisted in the editing room. This was the break he needed. Lucas worked on Coppola's next film, The Rain People, and made a documentary about the production called Filmmaker.

Through Coppola's newly founded film studio and independent production company, San Francisco's American Zoetrope, Lucas made his first feature, THX-1138. Based on the short film he made as a student, the full length movie took the futurism to an extreme. With an intelligent story, and no real special effects, Lucas's version of the future was not unlike George Orwell's 1984 with some elements of his future hit, Star Wars. Though produced through Zoetrope, the financing for THX-1138 was provided in part by Warner Bros. The studio did not like the film, and wanted their money back. Coppola convinced them to reconsider. After Warner Bros. edited five minutes off the film, THX-1138 finally saw a limited release in 1971. It was never promoted by the studio. THX-1138 was not a commercial success and received mixed reviews. Critics praised the technical aspects, but found the story to be derivative of other science fiction films. In 1978, THX-1138 was re-released with the missing minutes restored, and it quickly became a cult classic.

Further Reading
• Barson, Michael, The Illustrated Who's Who of Hollywood Directors, Volume 1: The Sound Era, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995.
• Curran, Daniel, Guide to American Cinema, 1965-1995, Greenwood Press, 1998.
• Giardina, Carolyn. Film and Video Magazine, June 2001. Available from http://www.filmandvideomagazine/.
• International Directory of Films and Filmmakers 2: Directors, edited by Laurie Collier Hillstrom, St. James Press, 1997.
• Monaco, James, The Encyclopedia of Film, Perigee, 1991.
• Quinlan, David, The Illustrated Guide to Film Directors, Barnes & Noble Books, 1983.
• World Film Directors: Volume II, edited by John Wakeman, 1945-85, H.W. Wilson, 1988.
• Advertising Age, August 31, 1998.
• Esquire, December 1996.
• Forbes, March 11, 1996; October 14, 1996; September 22, 1997.
• Fortune, October 6, 1980; August 5, 1985; August 18,1997.
• Inc., June 15, 1995.
• Life, June 30, 1983.
• Newsweek, May 31, 1993; May 13, 1996; January 20, 1997.
• The Other Side, March-April 1997.
• People Weekly, June 23, 1983; March 26, 1984; February 26, 1996; November 30, 1998.
• Time, May 19, 1980; May 23, 1983; June 27, 1983; June 16, 1986; September 22, 1986; March 2, 1992; September 30, 1996; February 10, 1997.
• Variety, July 20, 1998; July 27, 1998.

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