Star Wars: A New Hope
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- This document is an initial edit, largely generated by a language learning model (erroneously called "A.I.") based on the source materials it was provided. Please feel free to correct as needed.
| File:Star Wars Style A poster.jpg | |
| Style "A" theatrical release poster by Tom Jung | |
| Directed by | George Lucas |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Gary Kurtz |
| Written by | George Lucas |
| Starring | Mark Hamill Harrison Ford Carrie Fisher Peter Cushing Alec Guinness |
| Music by | John Williams |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor |
| Edited by | Paul Hirsch Marcia Lucas Richard Chew |
| Production Design by | John Barry |
| Costume Design by | John Mollo |
| Release date | May 25, 1977 |
| Running time | 121 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $11 million |
| External Links | |
| Wikipedia | Link |
| IMDb | Link |
Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is a 1977 American epic space-opera film written and directed by George Lucas. The film is renowned for its revolutionary special effects and for introducing a "used future" aesthetic, where its iconic artifacts appeared weathered and lived-in, a departure from the sleek look of earlier science fiction.
Plot Summary edit edit source
In a distant galaxy, the Galactic Empire has just completed the Death Star, a battle station capable of destroying entire planets. When Princess Leia Organa, a leader of the Rebel Alliance, obtains the station's technical plans, she is captured by the ruthless Darth Vader. Before her capture, she hides the plans inside an astromech droid, R2-D2, who, along with his counterpart C-3PO, escapes to the desert planet of Tatooine. The droids are purchased by young farmboy Luke Skywalker, who discovers Leia's message. With the help of the hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi, smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, Luke embarks on a quest to rescue the princess and deliver the Death Star plans to the Rebellion.
Key Artifacts edit edit source
The following is a list of notable screen-used artifacts from Star Wars.
| Artifact Name | Type | On-Screen Use | Current Status / Last Known Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber | Hero Prop | Given to Luke by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had kept it since taking it from Anakin Skywalker. It is Luke's primary weapon. | The original prop, made from a Graflex camera flash handle, was sold at auction in 2017 for $450,000.[1] |
| Darth Vader's Helmet | Costume / Prop | The iconic helmet worn by Darth Vader, a key part of his life-support suit. | The original screen-used helmet from A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back sold at auction in 2019 for $900,000.[2] |
| Han Solo's DL-44 Blaster | Hero Prop | Han Solo's signature heavy blaster pistol, most famously used to shoot Greedo in the Mos Eisley Cantina. | The original prop, built on a Mauser C96 pistol, was long thought lost but was rediscovered and sold at auction in 2022 for $1,057,500.[3] |
| Millennium Falcon (Filming Model) | Miniature / SFX | The primary 5-foot filming miniature of Han Solo's freighter, used for most special effects shots. | After being presumed lost for years, it was found in a restorer's collection and is now part of George Lucas's personal archive. |
| Stormtrooper Helmet | Costume | The standard-issue helmet worn by the soldiers of the Galactic Empire. | Several screen-used helmets exist in private collections. One sold in 2019 for £100,000.[4] |
Production Notes edit edit source
Design & Construction edit edit source
George Lucas's vision for Star Wars was a departure from the pristine, utopian futures often depicted in science fiction. He wanted a "used universe" that felt authentic and gritty. Set decorator Roger Christian was instrumental in realizing this vision. He famously created many of the iconic props from scrap and found parts. Luke's lightsaber was built from a 1940s Graflex camera flash gun, and Han Solo's blaster was based on a German Mauser C96 pistol with a scope and other parts added.[5]
Costume designer John Mollo created the iconic look of Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers, drawing inspiration from historical military uniforms, particularly German and Japanese armor. The final helmet sculpts were done by artist Liz Moore and Brian Muir.
Special Effects edit edit source
The film's special effects, supervised by John Dykstra and John Stears, were revolutionary. They pioneered motion-control photography with the "Dykstraflex" camera, which allowed for complex and dynamic space battle sequences. This involved filming multiple passes of the starship models (like the X-Wings and TIE Fighters) and compositing them together to create the final shot.
Trivia edit edit source
- The sound of the lightsaber was created by sound designer Ben Burtt by blending the hum of an old film projector's motor with the feedback from a television set.
- The Jawa's language, "Jawanese," was created by speeding up and altering recordings of the Zulu language.
- The "laser" blasts were created by rotoscoping animation onto the film frames one at a time.
See Also edit edit source
References edit edit source
- ↑ "Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber From 'Star Wars: A New Hope' Sells for $450,000," The Hollywood Reporter, June 28, 2017.
- ↑ "Darth Vader screen-used helmet from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," iCollector, September 25, 2019.
- ↑ "Han Solo's DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol From Star Wars: A New Hope," Rock Island Auction Company, August 27, 2022.
- ↑ "Stormtrooper Helmet," Prop Store.
- ↑ Roger Christian, Cinema Alchemist, Titan Books, 2016.