Program Note
Looking back, it was the most beautiful moments in life, filled with expectations and anxiety about the unknown future, and marked by youthful recklessness. The word “youth” itself carries inevitable romance. Set in a small town in northern California, George Lucas’s second feature film, American Graffiti captures the one-night adventure of four friends, who have just graduated from high school and are about to embark on different paths the next day. It transcends time, depicting a portrait of youth that exists beyond its era. Set in 1960s United States, a time when the wounds of the Vietnam War were far from healed, the film portrays growth, friendship, and hope amidst an uncertain future. From the beginning to the end, it is adorned with authentic 1950s rock n roll music, capturing the essence of youth and the most romantic and American atmosphere of the era. The tremendous success of this film paved the way for the most famous film series in history, the Star Wars series. Directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, and featuring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, and Harrison Ford, among others, it is a nostalgic work that welcomes us with the appearances of the directors and actors who came to represented American cinema during that time. (MO Eun-young)