Modern cinematic science fiction would be vastly different without George Lucas. Yet, without a remarkable leading actor in his debut major film, envisioning today’s sci-fi landscape becomes nearly impossible. When we associate George Lucas with sci-fi, our thoughts naturally turn to—and the talented actors whose careers Lucas propelled through that landmark film. However, in 1971, long before Star Wars, a highly skilled actor aided Lucas in launching his first feature. The modern history of sci-fi as we recognize it would not exist without Robert Duvall’s outstanding performance in THX 1138.
Duvall, now 95, is perhaps most renowned for his roles in The Godfather, Lonesome Dove, and Apocalypse Now—a Francis Ford Coppola film that George Lucas initially aimed to direct. Yet, in 1971, prior to Star Wars and before what we now term the modern era of sci-fi cinema, Robert Duvall headlined George Lucas’s first masterpiece. Today, THX 1138 is even more perceptive and striking than it was 55 years ago, with its brilliance partly owed to Duvall’s timeless performance.
For readers of dystopian sci-fi classics—such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World—elements of THX 1138 will ring familiar, though reimagined with a sleek minimalist art-house style. This is the type of sci-fi film Terry Gilliam might have aspired to create, or, alternatively, a non-cheesy take on 1976’s Logan’s Run.
In an unspecified future, humans are heavily medicated and live tightly regulated lives. Duvall’s title character, identified only as THX 1138, works on an assembly line, presumably manufacturing some form of robots. Early in the film, 1138 is detained for refusing his medication, as he and his “mate,” LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie), seek to escape an oppressive daily existence. Is this all as clearly explained as the exposition in films like The Running Man or The Hunger Games? Not in the least.
George Lucas wrote and directed THX 1138 as his very first feature, adapting it from his 1967 short film, Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB. Today, due to the success of Star Wars—and THX 1138’s critical and commercial underperformance—this film is sometimes seen as a stepping stone to the mainstream sci-fi empire Lucas would later build. Few diehard Lucas fans would call it his best work. Still, it is almost certainly his most artistically bold and socially insightful. Moreover, it may rank among Robert Duvall’s finest performances, full stop.
What makes THX 1138 such a standout moment for Duvall is that the film’s minimalist nature becomes a perfect canvas for an actor’s interpretation. Duvall praised Lucas’s famous hands-off directing approach, stating, “[He] leaves you alone…That’s always a welcoming thing…You felt you were in very safe hands.”
How does this manifest in the film? Since the world-building is never fully elaborated, Duvall’s natural, empathetic performance becomes the audience’s gateway to the story. A common critique of THX 1138 is that it prioritizes social commentary and bleak sci-fi concepts over characters. In reality, the opposite holds true. Lucas understood then, as he did with Star Wars, that characters drive the narrative. With the lead role of 1138, there was ample room for the actor to shape who this character is and how audiences connect with him.
This is where Duvall’s performance becomes indispensable. With minimal dialogue, he conveys the array of emotions THX 1138 experiences: complacency, rebellion, confusion, seething anger, defeat, and more. All of this is delivered with a depth of realism unmatched in comparable sci-fi films of the era. Duvall’s character and masterful performance might be compared to Patrick McGoohan’s Number Six in , but without the dramatic, attention-grabbing spy thriller elements. Instead of amplifying the movie’s high-concept bizarreness, Robert Duvall made a crucial choice: He grounded it in reality.
If there’s a prime example of Lucas writing sparse dialogue and letting actors embody and interpret his vision, this film is it. It’s one of the 20th century’s most significant sci-fi films, yet 55 years later, it remains tragically underappreciated. And within Robert Duvall’s body of work, this is a stellar performance that hopefully endures for decades to come.