There’s no doubt that Star Wars possesses some of the most iconic visuals in film history – everyone knows the iconic silhouette Darth Vader’s helmet, or the iconic Binary Sunset scene of Luke on Tatooine.
But one of my personal favorites is the first few moments of A New Hope. As the yellow text of the opening crawl slowly fades into the distance, we pan down to a shot of Tatooine & two of its moons against the black of space. As the music swells, we see a spaceship pass overhead (as we’re soon to find out – it’s the Tantive IV, carrying the Death Star plans). It speeds on by, desperate to make it to Tatooine.
What happens next is breathtaking.
A Star Destroyer, The Devastator, appears in the top right corner following the Tantive IV. First, it’s just the stark white tip of the triangular ship, but within seconds, we the audience know this isn’t a fair fight. The ship continues to fill the screen, stretching across the upper portion of the frame, revealing itself to be larger still, more menacing, until suddenly it’s stretched across the entirety of the top portion of the screen and only continues to grow – continuing to fill the left side of the screen as well. All while the Tantive IV continues to escape and becomes a pinpoint in the distance.
At its largest, the Devastator takes up more than half of the composition of the shot. Its presence literally overwhelms the audience.
Not only is the shot visually impressive due to the work of Industrial Light and Magic, but it introduces the dynamics of the two opposing factions in an instant.
The Tantive IV and by association the Rebels are small. They’re running away at a breakneck pace desperate to deliver their one and only chance at a victory to Tatooine. By comparison, the sheer scale of the Star Destroyer makes it feel as if it’s moving at a slow pace, no effort is needed to keep up with the tiny blockade runner. It’s a menacing presence that there’s no escaping.
Within moments and with only visuals and an epic score, the movie has set up the dynamic that will last the entire saga, and convinced us to fight for the little guy.
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Jakku Journal 