ANH Death Star Assault

Up to this day I find myself wondering "how did they do this VFX scene", still amazed every time I see it.

Over the years the Alliance take-off preparation scene on Yavin IV has become my favorite in ANH. It's beautifully edited and conveys remarkably a sense of purpose and willingness to self-sacrifice for the Alliance's cause.

The expression of uneasiness of the two actors (or is it one and the same?) below is priceless, IMHO.





It's just too bad we never saw the "launch tube" catapult launch of the Alliance fighters. John Dykstra hijacked the concept for Battlestar Galactica, and although George Lucas could have visualized it in the Special Edition, he probably felt it would have then looked derivative and copied although the idea originated with A New Hope.

 

This sequence, among so many others, was visually rendered in such a realistic and compelling manner.

The imposing vastness of the Death Star juxtaposes wonderfully with the smallness of the X-Wings and Y-Wings here.

What always elevates it, in my mind, beyond a mere "action sequence" is that, at the pivotal moment, it is neither technology nor might which reigns supreme in the end but spirituality -- specifically one's trust in the Force.

At the right moment, Force Spirit Obi-Wan calls out to Luke from the netherworld of the Force: "Use the Force, Luke. Let go, Luke. Luke, trust me."

And Luke switches off his targeting computer and goes on to conclude the "one in a million" moment just in time.

The dire music works tightly with the visuals here: the compressed conditions in that trench, the tension of Vader closing in, drawing closer by the moment, and then the heroic reappearance of the Falcon all converging here, with Luke, Obi-Wan, the anxious faces of the Rebels, in such a grand crescendo, like the buildup to the final moments of an ultimately cathartic and triumphant symphony.

And then...



Death Star and minds blown.

But, looking back for a moment: Jedha, Scarif, Alderaan, Yavin 4, and who knows what would have been next.

I doubt the Empire would have stopped with Yavin 4, as it was truly hell-bent on pan-galactic domination and subjugation. With DS2 and the FO's SKB, it was evident there would be repeated attempts at such nihilistic oppression.

So, to me, this final sequence in A New Hope also represents, in a grand Star Wars-defining symbolic fashion, the importance of recognizing pure evil -- how it would continue to grow and spread rampantly were it left unchecked -- the essential coming-to-terms with its real impending dangers against peace and freedom and life itself -- and, ultimately, a society, however small or seemingly insignificant, deciding to stand morally, and in clear action, against such obvious malevolence, even if the odds of success are thought to be one-in-a-million or impossibly higher.

 

The force is in all living things.

 

Plot hole!

 

This scene works well today but to really appreciate it in its original context you have to remember the 1970s.

A bunch of young hippies, guided by the wisdom of ancient mystical warriors, take on the full might of the Galaxy's military-industrial complex.

Star Wars came out two years after the end of the war in Viet Nam. I was too young to understand the parallels back then but the movie was very much a political statement in its day. It wasn't just awestruck fanboys like me that loved the trench run, it was everybody in the theater who had protested the war, who lost a loved one in a war they didn't agree with, or who spent time in Canada or behind bars because the military-industrial complex wanted to make soldiers out of them.

Great topic and absolutely great replies on this thread. I freakin' LOVE the Cantina

 

Yeah Buddy !
Yep, Noticed. Over an' over an' over an' over. Every time.
Why ??
'coz Garvin Was That good, so he was.
Off by a fraction.
Even in a GFFA = ain't technology Grand ?

I'm Late to ... again.
Love (so much) this part of ANH .
I Ain't got not Near the 'real world' experience you got @Lock_S_Foils (outside of growin' up watchin' war/WW II films and aerial 'dog fights') .
But I get and Understand and Love it, none the less.

 

Because he wasn't an overpowered Gary Stu despite being a well trained military pilot vs being a hick farm boy who's never been off planet nor flown more than his speeder.

 

… because INCOM used in both of their vehicles the same cockpit controls – or so the story goes.

 

Yes, add to this Biggs' comment about Luke Skywalker being the best bush pilot of the Outer Rim territories. Yet Brian Daley felt that wasn't enough, so in the ANH radio drama he took Luke to the flight simulator and Luke scored above the other, average pilots.

Which reminds me of something. I think it's also fascinating how they repositioned that one X-Wing and one (half completed) Y-Wing along with the fighter cardboards on Stage H to create the Illusion of many different fighters.

Back in 2015 I tried to make some sense out of it:

 

Thank you! And you said it: pure perfection.

What John Williams manages to achieve in this sequence goes so beyond the standard action movie soundtrack fare. Every note, every passage, supporting precisely what it happening here.

His modulations, pacing, use of percussion, his contrasting of themes -- and suddenly the beautifully mystical Force theme right in the middle of it all -- is truly amazing.

And to think John Williams did this not once but so many other times in this saga is simply incredible to me.

It's one of the reasons I tend to rewatch Star Wars on high-def headphones, so I can really appreciate that most integral aspect of these films.

Yes! His music is particularly memorable, scene by scene, and not simply in the Wagnerian leitmotif sense (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitmotif).

There are so many great examples in the saga...

the slower Imperial March theme returning when Vader faces Luke again on Cloud City, reigniting his lightsaber but then Force-throwing objects at Luke...

the sweepingly epic adventurous roller coaster ride of symphonic excitement as Han flies in the face of impossible odds and navigates the asteroid field while pursued by TIE fighters...

the Duel of the Fates scene with Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Darth Maul...

Yoda's theme....

the opening theme of every episodic saga film....

And so MANY MORE fine examples!

The Death Star trench run is such a perfect example of the enchanting and essential artistry of John Williams, and I'd even say I think that music should be considered a "textbook" for anyone interested in composing soundtracks of any scale.

 

Ah @Lt. Hija, so glad to have you back with your profound knowledge of all the SW background history!

 

@Lock_S_Foils

Yes, it's my own work. Did this in 2015 and forwarded it to Lucasfilm and DICE (SW Battlefront), hoping they could perhaps use it for Rogue One. Since you apparently liked the rough inner temple overview, here's the ground plan of the inner temple main building according to the set reuses and suggestions in ANH:



IMHO production designer John Barry was a genius. The actual (small) set is illustrated in the above left corner. But through clever editing and set reuse the conclusion I arrived at was a rather impressive building.

 

You should see the other things he has in his desk… see your profile posts. If I’m not totally mistaken, back then he was the head(?) of both the Star Wars and Star Trek fan magazine or club (?) over here. Sorry @Lt. Hija if I might have messed things up in my memory…

 

@Star Dude

No problem, that would have been Dan Madsen. I merely contributed to Star Trek and Star Wars fanzines in the 1980's and my own SW fanzine newsletter in the late 80's (where the Imperial rank badge overview was the first article). But I'm on the same page as Dr. David West Reynolds - http://www.rebelforceradio.com/news/2017/6/28/support-dr-david-west-reynolds-return-to-tataouine - "approaching the world of Star Wars like ancient Rome or Egypt, considering it a culture from another time and place to explore."
(how I wished he were still working for Lucasfilm... )