Lets talk all things Star Wars
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Riceball
Master Member
This should be of interest to most of us here:
fansstrikebackexhibition.com
The Fans Strike Back® in LA - A Star Wars fan exhibit
The biggest Star Wars fan exhibition arrives in Los Angeles. Feel the Force and discover official costumes, models & figures. Buy your tickets!
fansstrikebackexhibition.com
Everyone loves to crap on the ANH duel because of it's simplicity. I think it's a loving tribute to the Kurasawa films that inspired George. Fans also rave about that fan edit with all that flashy stuff that tonally looks completely out of place because all the camera work and moves are way too modern in a late 1970's movie. As much as I enjoy the choreography Nick Gillard did for the Prequels, I much prefer the simpler, character driven fights from the OT. The fights didn't have to be flashy to be effective. They were the literal conflict manifested from the emotional conflict the story created. If you create relatable characters with believable stakes, the action is only enhanced.
Rawktrooper
Well-Known Member
the style is definitely modern. modern camera angle, modern choreography, modern movement, modern effects.. but its amazing.
Which is why it doesn't belong in the 1977 movie. As a fan made short it's fun.
I think its fun to watch, and I enjoy different lightsaber duels, but this is a bit frantic for my tastes and feels less Star Warsy to me.
Jaitea
Master Member
Yep those Red 1 images are fantastic reference photos
www.hollywoodreporter.com
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Lost ‘Star Wars’ X-Wing Fighter Up for Auction Decades After Going Missing
The model was discovered in a box as friends prepared the auction of late Oscar-nominated modelmaker Greg Jein’s collection. The bidding starts at $400,000.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
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Solo4114
Master Member
People who crap on the ANH duel don't know s*** about actual sword fighting. All the flashy cinematic stuff looks super cool and exciting, but would get you killed. The ANH duel is (1) classic jitai geki style dueling, (2) a model of centered footwork and balance (mostly), and (3) designed to preserve maximum flexibility and responsiveness.
Put simply, if you make big, wide swings, it looks cool, but leaves you open to counterattack by an opponent who is fast and balanced. The middle-guard position that both Obi-Wan and Vader take is a balanced, cautious position. Your feet are planted about shoulder-width, your weight is evenly distributed and centered between them, your shoulders are down and your sword is pointed towards your opponent. From this position, you can respond to almost any attack with relatively minimal movement which preserves energy and also allows you to recover to your guard position quickly if you need to. It's a basic stance that you can use to transition to any number of other positions (naturally, since it's in the middle of pretty much everything).
I actually think the AOTC fights between Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Dooku are the worst of the bunch because of how they're edited. They look flashy when you first see them, but if you watch more closely, it's a mess of close cuts with flashing lights around them, facial expressions that are cropped REALLY close to hide that Christopher Lee couldn't actually do his own sword work (which he's admitted nonchalantly) because he just wasn't fit enough for it anymore (I absolutely believe he could've done it in his prime, though), and probably to give the scene "drama." But much like the fight sequences in the Bourne films, it ends up feeling much more chaotic and incomprehensible, which for me totally undermines any drama.
When Dooku severs Anakin's arm, it just feels arbitrary and dumb. Like...why was he able to do that there when he couldn't do it earlier? Why didn't Anakin block the attack? None of it makes sense.
Meanwhile, the Vader and Obi-Wan fight in ANH has them probing each others' defenses, maneuvering around each other to try to find a good position, and mostly being evenly matched because neither can break the other's guard (and Obi-Wan isn't even really trying to, which becomes clear later). It's a great scene. It's just not a modern, flashy, spinny-spinny-choppy-slashy scene with big, sweeping movements that'd get you killed in real life.
In ANH whenever the lightsaber came out it was eventful, and I remember the instant Vader drew his red blade to duel with Obi Wan it blew my mind. As it was already mentioned, the duel was modeled after the fighting style in jidaigeki films. It had suspense and tension.
But the prequels were a different matter. I haven't watched A Phantom Menace in over 20 years. I just remember Ewan McGregor running around flourishing moulinets all over the place for absolutely no reason.
But the prequels were a different matter. I haven't watched A Phantom Menace in over 20 years. I just remember Ewan McGregor running around flourishing moulinets all over the place for absolutely no reason.
That's the key to the duels in the OT. They had TENSION. The drama came from the true sense of conflict between the combatants. We knew the characters well, we knew the stakes, so the flashy moves weren't necessary. As much as I appreciate Nick Gillard's work, it would have only been enhanced had George better developed the plots and characters of the PT.
Question: How are Jedi Force powers "isolated" by being placed in hand cuffs/shackles? We saw this in ROTJ, AOTC, TLC, and countless times in the animated series.
1) Just because your hands are secured, you can't use the Force?
2) You can't use your Force powers to remove the cuffs from yourself?
1) Just because your hands are secured, you can't use the Force?
2) You can't use your Force powers to remove the cuffs from yourself?
From an story perspective, the different styles made sense. In the OT, lightsaber fighting is a forgotten skill only a few know. And those few have not trained in years. I’d expect a more stilted, slower style. In the PT there are thousands of Jedi in their prime, training daily. I’d expect a more acrobatic style, using more moves.
I also agree they need tension. Thats where the PT failed. Much less tension, even the final Anakin/Obi-Wan fight didnt hit like it should have. Having said that, my favorite bit of lightsaber fighting is from The Phantom Menace. The short, 10 second beginning after Qui-Gon dies and Obi fights Maul. There is tension as you feel Obi-Wan with a rush of anger and energy. The choreography is really crisp and works extra well because each move feels like they are trying to kill each other. The moves are deliberate and don’t feel like a performance or a dance, the way some later fights do. After those first few moments, it kind of goes back to being a bit performative, but that short, opening burst is incredible.
ScourgiousJinx
Master Member
There's something specific that impairs the ability to use the force in the binders that are designed for force users(not all binders have this). What that actually is and how it works (to my knowledge) hasn't exactly been defined as of yet but it seems to be more than impairing movement or stunning the wearer to block the use of the force.
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In Jedi, Luke surrendered willingly so he didn't bother trying to take them off because he was there to save his father by risking his own life. Same with the Ewoks. He went willingly and gave the Ewoks a chance to earn their trust, only using the Force to lift 3PO as a last resort.
As for the other stories? Who knows? I guess it would depend on the circumstances of the story whether it would matter or not?
Come to think of it, most Jedi use hand gestures to use the Force. Perhaps binding their hands makes it difficult for them to concentrate on moving objects with their minds while their hands are inhibited because that's a component of their training? Seriously look at all the uses of the Force to move things, they always reach their hands out.
From a narrative perspective, when you have characters that have powerful abilities, whether it's the Force, or it's espionage skills, etc, you have to balance those abilities with limitations, otherwise the story can get away from you and the audience can no longer suspend it's disbelief. As questionable as some of George's choices were, even he understood the need to keep the Jedi from becoming invincible, otherwise the conflicts would have zero tension. Just look at his concept for Grievous's bodyguard staffs. By being able to withstand blows from a lightsaber, it presented a combat challenge that the Jedi might not overcome every time.
So many of the writers/ producers seem to forget this cardinal rule and treat characters as if they were immortal. When death, or the threat of death, loses all meaning, it's really difficult to care about what's happening.
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