Scenes I Love: Star Wars – A New Hope (Part 1)


Star Wars VIa

Today marks 30 more days before the release of the next chapter in the Star Wars saga. It’s been almost a dozen years since the prequels finally ended and the fandom was split between those who railed against it and those of the younger generation whose first entry into the Star Wars universe were the prequels instead of the original trilogy.

For those who grew up watching the original trilogy over and over throughout the years, the prospect of the franchise returning to it’s adventure roots instead of delving into the soap operatic backstory that made up the prequels was enough to create the massive swell of hype and anticipation for a film unheard of even in these current era of superhero tentpole blockbusters and massive sequels.

Star Wars: A New Hope was my gateway to the fandom and no scene helped usher me into becoming a devoted fan than the very first few minutes of the film as we see the message crawl to start then the massive bulk of the Imperial Star Destroyer chasing down a fleeing ship of much smaller size. Yet, the scene doesn’t end there. No, it continues inside where we finally get our first introduction to one of film’s most iconic villains to ever grace the silver screen.

The Imperial Star Destroyer opening was the hook and Darth Vader pulled one in.

3 responses to “Scenes I Love: Star Wars – A New Hope (Part 1)

  1. I’m surprised by how much casual dislike I read from critics about Star Wars – almost as if it isn’t cool to like it anymore. For my money (and I’ve contributed my fair share) it’s an absolute life-enhancing treat, if you let it in. This scene sets the scene better than any scene in film history.

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    • Even with modern CGI this opening space sequence using models, rotoscoping and matte painting background more than holds up 38 years later, but also looks better than most CGI effects.

      True, some CGI has been utilized for the Special Edition re-release to erase the seams that showed it was still a practical effect, but outside of that everything still the original effects.

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  2. Pingback: Scenes I Love: Star Wars – A New Hope (Part 2) | Through the Shattered Lens

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