Posted on 12/28/2017 5:00:43 PM PST by nickcarraway
The video, less than a minute in length, serves as a teaser trailer and already has more than a million views. The lightsaber fight between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi was likely a rush for fans when Star Wars: A New Hope opened in 1977, but compared to the lightning-speed choreographed duels of the prequels and latest films, the moment seems to drag a bit.
Enter a well-done fan-made video.
Posted a few days ago, YouTube user FXitinPost re-imagined what the Vader-Kenobi fight would look like if it was filmed in modern day.
The video, less than a minute in length, serves as a teaser trailer and already has more than a million views.
The video is highly entertaining in that it isn't the over-the-top sword ballet of the prequels, but rather a slightly faster fight than the original with more intensity.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opened Dec. 15 stateside to near-record-breaking numbers and continues to dominate the domestic box office over the holiday season.
This is excellent. The lightsaber duel in the original film was not one of the strongest moments (the budget had a lot to do with it though).
In an actual sword battle, how much action (and gymnastic movement) is there?
Honestly, I have no idea.
You've got me interested in finding some real accounts of sword fighting now. I will ping you if I find anything good. Cheers!
Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.
I watched a pan american medalist in the foil, go against anyone in my beginning fencing class with the same result every time. He would push your foil away, and poke you in the heart. It did not matter what anyone did, we even had a hack and slayer, same result.
In the first movie (1977) the only real use we see of a light saber (before the duel to the death between Vader and Obi Wan) is in the cantina, quick slice of an arm.
And in the sequel, Luke loses a hand in close combat.
Not as much as the movies. No one is twirling and exposing their back to the enemy like they do so often and for so long. Its choreographed to appear the least phony and the more cinematically pleasing simultaneously. So some reality is lost and more theatrical exaggeration is added.
Depending on the abilities of each combatant, not much. Sword play relies heavily on feints and misdirection followed up with a speedy attack and riposte.
For all intensive purposes, Vader and Obi Wan were “unarmored vs unarmored”. Any contact is going to strike (there is no armor against it, only strategy, meeting the saber to block saber blows, and “the force” to not get hit - say forcing your opponent’s arm or leg to unsteady a blow). Ultimately Obi Wan gave up the fight to become greater/stronger in death.
How Long Would A Real Sword Duel Last?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlcDBfiGbao
Here’s some slicing (objects, not people)
Cold Steel - Russian Shasqua
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avprmm0I3aE
Some of the other fight sequences I saw were more bludgeoning or blocking.
I like it.
? I saw Star Wars at a theater in 1977 when I was 27, but I don't remember "A New Hope" as part of the title.
From Mr. Plinkett
Watch any of the Zatoichi shows for real sword fights.
It wasn't in the original theatrical cut. When the sequel's opening crawl billed it as "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back," Lucas went back to Star Wars and added "Episode IV: A New Hope" to the crawl for the 1981 re-release. Lucas didn't only start tampering with the movies in 1996...
Where did my life go?
I choose to see the duel as one between two aging Jedi past their prime. Kenobi admits he's getting to old for action, and his intent was never to win in any case, but cause a diversion.
Robin Hood Swordfight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaFqCSbV-Ag
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