Documentary Captures Magic Of Ultimate "Star Wars" Light Saber Duel!

‘’Documentary Captures Magic Of Ultimate ‘’Star Wars’’ Light Saber Duel’’

By Arlene R. Weiss © Copyright October 22, 2005

Fans are already waiting with baited breath and anticipation for ‘’Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge Of The Sith’s’’ DVD release on November 1st.

But along with ‘’Sith’’, fans are going to have their socks knocked off by the inclusion of a bonus DVD documentary, ‘’Within A Minute: The Making Of Episode 3’’.

The October 28, 2005 issue of ‘’Entertainment Weekly Magazine’’ gives a sneak peak at the one hell of a thrill ride, documentary, on pages 37-41. The 78 minute documentary, directed by Tippy Bushkin showcases the film wizardry and magic implemented to create one 49 second portion of the mind boggling climatic light saber duel between actor Hayden Christensen’s character, Anakin Skywalker, and actor Ewan McGregor’s character, Obi-Wan Kenobi on the lava planet of Mustafar.

Implementing some 150 interviews and 1,000 hours of film footage, the entire duel sequence is broken down in a play by play, detailed overview from it’s very inception by ‘’Star Wars’’ creator, George Lucas as a written concept, to storyboards, to diorama sets, costumes, makeup on the actors, (including Christensen’s Anakin’s lengthy transformation in the makeup department, to a burned, sizzling crisp by hot lava!), to the set designer’s creation of the molten lava, to live action shots, to CGI green screen and blue screen shots with computer generated effects, to the step by step merging of CGI shots with live action shots, right down to the final Director’s cut, fit for the audience (aka…your approval!).

The photo spread in ‘’Entertainment Weekly’’ features a dazzling preview of some of those amazing images and the enormity of the amount of work, time, and the skilled people involved in the film crew.

The most stunning shots are those of duel, Stunt Coordinator/Choreographer Nick Gillard seen practicing some kick ass martial arts with Christensen and McGregor, followed by the green screen CGI shots laid out, side by side, against the live action shots of Christensen and McGregor merged and completed with CGI imagery right down to the colors of their whirring, legendary light sabers.

Gillard says of the light saber duel, now revered as one of the longest and obviously THE most pivotal, jaw dropping, and stunning in the ‘’Star Wars’’ franchise, that the duel between the two central characters had to be ‘’both precise and emotionally resonant.’’

Bushkin pipes in that, ‘’You’re blown away thinking, ‘Wow, this is what goes into 49 seconds’, and yet I kept thinking, ‘If people could only see everything else that was done.’’

Muse News & Micro Muse October 22, 2005

By Arlene R. Weiss © Copyright October 22, 2005