Darth Vader and Obi-Wan’s lightsaber duel from the original Star Wars film has been reimagined in an epic fan-made video. While certainly not as refined or masterly-choreographed as the lightsaber battles from the other films, the New Hope duel is still one of the most critical moments in the Skywalker saga, as it sent the young Luke off to the next stage of his hero’s journey without his mentor physically there. Obi-Wan, of course, would still come to Luke’s aid as a Force ghost in later installments.

Ever since Star Wars became a global phenomenon in 1977, fan films based on the franchise have been incredibly popular. Sometimes, people tell their own, original stories in the galaxy far, far away. Others, however, look to put their own spins on classic moments from the official movies, which is what took place in the latest fan-made Star Wars project to hit the internet.

 

The video was posted by FXitinPost, a YouTube channel that creates special effects short films. You can watch it in the space below:

There is a sense of menace from the beginning as Vader is introduced, with tension built and held between Vader and Obi Wan in an initial stand-off that holds for over ten seconds before the duel commences. In this reimagining, the dueling has moved away from the original lackluster fighting to scenes more commensurate with a modern, up-to-date experience. Music is used to great effect, as is slow motion, items are thrown - as are punches, in storytelling that is dynamic and gripping. Given what we now know about the Star Wars series years down the line from A New Hope, there is added subtext to the scene that features these two characters. This is referenced in voice-over that has been added that eludes to the character’s relationship and their joint history.

The scene has been a huge hit with fans, with more than 1.5 million views and 100,000 likes as of this writing. Response has been overwhelmingly positive, with fans raving about its masterful execution, the cinematography, and an epic duel that some are now claiming as ‘officially canon’ as far as they are concerned. Those who enjoyed it were particularly impressed by the emotion conveyed by Vader, commenting that the hatred and wrath can be felt in each swing of his lightsaber.

With a film as canonical as A New Hope, and with Star Wars arguably holding one of the biggest fan bases in the world, reimaginings such as this will create huge interest, debate, excitement and disagreement. While some fans obviously love seeing some of their favorite scenes reworked with technology that now allows a more thorough interpretation of scenes such as duels, others will be likely to call such work sacrilege. Whatever the case, given the interest since “SC 38 Reimagined” was released this week, it is likely to be discussed for a while longer.

More: Yes, That’s The Death Star II (& Probably Endor) In The Star Wars 9 Trailer

Source: FXitinPost

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