Something I Can’t “Unsee” About Han in Carbonite

[Captain Dunsel]

Off and on, over the last 6-months, I’ve been working on a Han in Carbonite build.

Today, I was looking at the way the hands are braced upwards in protest, in the Han casting. I realized that in order for his arms to shoot nearly straight upwards in their trajectory, in the casting, and for the hands to land where they are, Han’s elbows would have to be somewhere down by his lower thighs and he would have some extremely strange looking arms.

As a matter of fact, given where Harrison’s elbows SHOULD correctly be, rather than his hands and arms landing this low on his body…

…his hands should land much higher in the casting, like this (a pose an actor happened to strike in an episode of Star Trek)….

Now, it’s clear to me that not only was the head cast separately from the rest of the body, as we all know, but the arms were also cast separately and placed in the wrong location relative to the body.

Now, I can’t unsee it…

I understand that there was originally a casting of Han in Carbonite that was much less dramatic…that essentially just appeared to be Han taking a nap. When Kirshner requested that the prop be redone, I wonder if the arms / hands were added to the casting, in a very hasty fashion?

 

[OzReturner]

I am able to have my elbows against my body, and raise my hands to about nipple level, no problem. Looks ok to me.

 

[division 6]

Well his arms where pinned back.
Maybe that's their reasoning on the sculpt.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I am able to have my elbows against my body, and raise my hands to about nipple level, no problem. Looks ok to me.

Look at the arms in the cast though….

To put your hands up in protest, at nipple level, your arms would form an “L” at the wrist point and your arms would almost not even be seen in the casting. Try it and look to see where your forearms end up being positioned.

In the actual casting, however, Han’s arms can be seen and instead of forming an “L” at the wrist joint, the arms are going almost straight up.

To achieve arms with the wrists at those positions, relative to where the forearms are positioned (nearly straight up) , one would have to look more like “Poor Star Trek Guy”

 

[13doctorwho]

There is a slight problem with your assessment. In Return OF The Jedi Harrison Ford stands in that position sitting in a defrosted block prop before falling out. His hands don't seem to be out of position in that scene. So they must fit.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Well his arms where pinned back.
Maybe that's their reasoning on the sculpt.
View attachment 1713295

Even with the binders on his upper arms, the arms / palms of the hands should still roughly land at the level of “Poor Star Trek Guy”.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

There is a slight problem with your assessment. In Return OF The Jedi Harrison Ford stands in that position sitting in a defrosted block prop before falling out. His hands don't seem to be out of position in that scene. So they must fit.

Well, let’s take a look at that scene; to your point.

Look at how high up and how far out those hands had to go to strike even a similar pose in the “defrost scene”…but the hands are not even close to nipple level…as a matter of fact, his hands end up at shoulder-level in these behind the scenes photos (where they should be).

I’m telling you all, I wish this weren’t the case, but the arms in the casting really aren’t where they should be, anatomically. Now I can’t unsee it.

 

[Gregatron]

He’s also wearing the wrong shirt.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

He’s also wearing the wrong shirt.

Oh yeah…then there’s that.

And where did the upper arm binders go when he was defrosted?

 

[division 6]

It's only a movie.
Mistakes where made.

Besides, you can always correct it since it is your prop.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

I think the strange hairline always upset me more... and the shirt.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I think the strange hairline always upset me more... and the shirt.

Clearly the Han in Carbonite prop is a mishmash of body parts that don’t altogether meld as they should.

The main body casting (of the actor who played Bossk) also must have been originally created early in production, before Han’s outfit was nailed down, as the shirt in the casting is one of his leftover A New Hope shirts.

 

[Gregatron]

Oh yeah…then there’s that.

View attachment 1713325

And where did the upper arm binders go when he was defrosted?

People always mistakenly think it’s a goof that he’s not wearing the wrist binders, but the Ugnaughts clearly remove them just before he goes in. It’s the arm binders disappearing between films that’s the actual goof.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

People always mistakenly think it’s a goof that he’s not wearing the wrist binders, but the Ugnaughts clearly remove them just before he goes in. It’s the arm binders disappearing between films that’s the actual goof.

The disappearing upper arm binders are ones I’m also referring to

 

[Gregatron]

Clearly the Han in Carbonite prop is a mishmash of body parts that don’t altogether meld as they should.

The main body casting (of the actor who played Bossk) also must have been originally created early in production, before Han’s outfit was nailed down, as the shirt in the casting is one of his leftover A New Hope shirts.

Flaws aside, it’s still an iconic prop. Kind of amazing how many iconic props are so compromised in terms of continiry errors and shortcuts and whatnot, whereas we all like to imagine that they’re perfect.

In reality, they just have to look good on camera. That’s the only rule.

 

[Gregatron]

The disappearing upper arm binders are ones I’m also referring to

I know.

(*ahem*)

 

[greenmachines]

I just tried it and it hurts like h... to even come close. It is easy to get your hands at that height.... with your elbows sticking out of the back of the case but the palms will be pointing down toward the feet not out and the arms will most certainly not be going anywhere down. They can only physically go straight to the back. Think it through, it is the classic pushup exercise position. The forearm would be point front to back and would not be visible in the picture while the elbows would be deep out the back of the case. In fact, have someone do a pushup while you are watching. No way that forearm is going to be pointing down from the wrist towards the knees, never ever going to happen. Another childhood memory crushed... sometimes you people.....and the binders... ugh

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I know.

(*ahem*)

Given the topic, that could not be a more perfect phrase.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I just tried it and it hurts like h... to even come close. It is easy to get your hands at that height.... with your elbows sticking out of the back of the case but the palms will be pointing down toward the feet not out and the arms will most certainly not be going anywhere down. They can only physically go straight to the back. Think it through, it is the classic pushup exercise position. The forearm would be point front to back and would not be visible in the picture while the elbows would be deep out the back of the case. In fact, have someone do a pushup while you are watching. No way that forearm is going to be pointing down from the wrist towards the knees, never ever going to happen. Another childhood memory crushed... sometimes you people.....and the binders... ugh

You’re right on-point.

 

[Gregatron]

Given the topic, that could not be a more perfect phrase.

View attachment 1713330

That was the joke.