RE-EDITING the OBI-WAN VS. DARTH VADER Duel from A NEW HOPE
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
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A Re-edit of the original duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader from A NEW HOPE by A.B.Director.
The final battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi in 1977's STAR WARS was originally hindered by the technology of the time. The lightsaber props were made of wood and broke constantly whenever the actors would strike against it.
For The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the lightsaber duels were faster and more intense partially because the prop blades were made of a more sturdy material (Carbon Fiber) and thus broke less frequently.
This is an edit of the duel between Kenobi and Vader to match the speed and ferocity of Empire and Jedi while also bridging the movie with REVENGE OF THE SITH.
The scene has also been remixed with more intense Sound FX to increase the ferocity of the duel.
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/ abdirector
I always defended the original version of this scene, as in the context of being the first lightsaber duel seen, coming after the setup in the cantina of one strike lethality, and Obiwan and Vader being masters, I believed measured dueling was effective and correct. After seeing this video, I believe this is what the choreographer intended and it's quite a revelation
Thank you! And yep, that was my goal. Not to so much speed up the fight to match the prequels or a modern movie sensibility, but to give an idea of what the stunt coordinator Peter Diamond originally intended the fight to be.
Diamond didn't intentionally choreograph it to be slow. After all, if one looks at classic swashbuckling movies like The Mark of Zorro or Robin Hood, the sword fighting choreography is actually very fast and would match or even exceed many modern movies today. The duel in A New Hope was slowed down only to accommodate the prop blades - made of a thin layer of wood and wrapped in reflective material to simulate the lightsaber glow - being so delicate and subject to breaking apart as the behind the scenes footage shows. That's why he said "I had to teach them [if they were to clash], to stop before [the blade] touched."
Alec Guinness and David Prowse also had to wear a wire up their sleeves that was attached to their lightsaber prop and a battery pack hidden under their costumes so that the blades would rotate to simulate the reflective material glow and that also hindered their mobility, too (you can see the wire up Obi-Wan's sleeve actually, if you pause around 2:03).
Which is one of the reasons why in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, they gave up trying to achieve the lightsaber glow in-camera and just used carbon fiber sticks so the actors could hit against each other without worrying about breaking the blades. And why those fights are much more intense than the one in A New Hope.
@@ABdirectorso glad to hear you telling this. I have tried over and over years for year to tell this to people.
Btw Did you see some of the black and white test photo of the instructors fighting. With the original Ralph McQuirre designs of the sabers? (The one more Flash Gordon half dome hilt a homage to old awash buckling film)
Agreed. What bothers me about the prequel fights is how no one ever gets tired and there is so much excess movement. There are so many times a jedi will spin and invite a stab in the back, or pointlessly swing his lightsaber around in a way that does nothing to attack and leaves him wide open to be impaled. The fights in the original trilogy are more grounded, with an emotional undercurrent due to the relationship of the characters.
I honestly thought this was going to be one of those fan edits that made it schlockier with a bunch of back flips, spins, etc. but this pretty great and apparent that you have a firm understanding of the emotional weight of the scene.
100% agreed. Everyone loves that fan edit and as I was sitting there watching it I was just like... Why? The choreography is way too over the top and the cinematography of it is just bad, or at the very least doesn't fit with the vibe of the movies at all. It looks like some dude was trying to shoot some modern blockbuster action movie and that's not what Star Wars is at all. People are allowed to like what they like but the only people who I feel like view that edit as superior in any way think of Star Wars as "Lightsaber Duels: With Some Story In There"
Those fan films “And we know who you are” are fun but it’s not OT SW.
Agreed. That terrible fan edit is a blight on Star Wars. This is much better.
@@c.j.echavebecause prequel fans and sequel have ultimately have taken over the community
SC-38 reimagined.
Out of all the changes Lucas made in the special editions it shocks me he never did anything like this well done!
because it doesn't fit the cinematographic language of the og trilogy and even the prequels. snap zooms and instant shot changes are at contrast with the documentarist nature Lucas was aiming for.
I was thinking the same thing about when Obi Wan's lightsaber appears. It's the oldest camera trick in the book, but when they do the edit to him holding the lit saber, it's just a tiny bit different position. That's fixable, I could probably figure that out.
Or the black levels with the Rancor's green screen work or a dozen other tiny things.
McLunkey
@@barsabe And that 97' CGI and cinetography just blends soooooo well with the star wars
@@timewarpdrive77 dude you dumm? wth is "97 cinetography"? and what does cgi have to do with camera style? like can you even read?
I'm sayin Lucas remained mostly consistent with his style to the point he kept the powerpoint slide effects to never make a transition abrupt. Unlike most hollywood poop he's not using camera to consciously amaze the viewer, it's more like a phantom documentary recording that captures only the truth of the scene. He did it in THX1138, did it in Star Wars. Ridley Scott would do it for Alien. And it's smooth as f
This is the first re-edit of this fight that captures the essence and idea behind the original trilogy fights, it's consistent and such a MASSIVE improvement.
I hated that SC 38 video
@@timewarpdrive77 Same lmao
Nope, I find that the SC vid completely shows the brute force motto that Anakin continues to try and increase versus a Form 3 master that simply is getting weaker with age but that has one last trick up his sleeve.
@@Grimloxz You can justify it next way to sunday, but its still ridiculus
@@timewarpdrive77 Well, of course I justified it. It’s written in my response. Hey, what makes it look ‘ridiculous’ to you?
This is so different from typical "fan fixes," where instead of delving into the filmmakers' understanding and the tone set by the creators, people just throw in a bunch of noisy, flashy VFX shenanigans. I am sincerely grateful to you for sharing your talent and understanding with the world. I hope that the Star Wars fan community will increasingly consist of people like you-not only masters of their craft but also good, perceptive viewers who understand the author's intent.
Yeah, some of those are fun but they take it too far. This is appropriate.
Wow. Just... wow. It feels so much more powerful with the edit and more importantly the new SFX. Bravo! My favourite re-edit of the Ben vs Vader duel so far.
Way to go! This is definitely faster and more intense!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This is PERFECT! Finally an edit of this fight that looks and feels correct, while still being a massive improvement.. bravo!
It takes a non professional to do a professional job. Top notch superior work on the gentleman who reedited that scene, simply Imperial.
Speechless. How is it so powerful yet so tasteful at the same time?
Thanks for the compliment. One of my favorite things about lightsaber duels is the sound editing and effects done by Ben Burtt.
He really makes the lightsaber clashes sound almost ‘musical’. Every hit sounds appropriate like a song almost.
I think a lot of fan edits of this duel are great, but they don’t take the ‘musical lightsabers’ into account when they enhance the sound edit. What I did differently is I left the original sound effects of the fight in and simply enhanced them, but still kept the musical “order” of them intact. So if a clash sounded vaguely like a C note, I copied it with the new mix.
My reaction exactly!
This is so quietly intense. Well done.
Actually insane how with some edits and new sound effects, the fight seems much more powerful and formidable.
I was skeptical at first because I didn't understand what you were trying to do, but after watching it, I'm really impressed. What you've done is that you've captured the essence - I believe - of kendo, that is, of simplicity of movement with deadliest of strikes. That's essentially what mastering swordsmanship is about, the elimination of unnecessary movement and keeping only the essence. And the essence of swordsmanship is defense and attack. More inexperienced people are more attracted to flashy movements because it looks stronger, but in reality, the masters simple movements feel stronger.
Agreed, I've never liked all the spinning and flipping. So much of it changes nothing in the fight except opening yourself up to an attack. Deadly efficiency was always more attractive to me as a jedi quality than unnecessary flourishes.
@@TheMidnightPhil Well, considering it isn't history or actual swordfighting but a fantasy/sci-fi entertainment, I like the dramatic moves. If I want to see a realistic swordfight I'll watch The Duelists.
Wow, by not changing a lot, just improving what's there, that works
I’ve seen other edits of this fight but this one takes the cake you nailed the vibe of this fight but not so much that it looks like the prequels nice job 👍
In all fairness, the prequels were supposed to take place 30+ years prior, when advanced technology ruled the galaxy, and Palpatine hadn't sent it all downhill with his corruption.
DAMN! Every strike looks like a killing blow that is quickly blocked and countered by another killing blow. I had hoped of somehow seeing the "Reimagined" fight scene inserted into this but not anymore with this edit. Amazing!
-Try spinning, that's a neat trick!
-...
-...Or maybe don't.
Of all the changes the original Star Wars has gone through, this is one that is actually needed. Incredible editing, subtle but impactful.
Yup, this is the supreme edit of this fight. I clicked on this just to see what it would be like, and while I do appreciate the effort put into the "SC 38 Reimagined" by FXItinPost version, you could put this one in the actual movie and it would work flawlessly. As a matter of fact, I finally felt a sense of danger and intensity while watching this fight lol The editing and especially the SFX were top notch... This might be as close as I will ever get to feeling what everyone else felt in 1977 seeing a saber duel for the first time ever 👏
Exactly. That reimagined version was cool but way too much modernisms, too much of a departure.
This looks like how I imagined seeing it the first time.
@@shanester1832yeah I like Sc 38 reimagined but it does feel too flashy and overly saturated. This edit is just perfect imo
Absolutely INCREDIBLE. Possibly one of the best edits I have ever seen, you changed so much without having to butcher or seriously alter the scene at all!
Wow, amazing job. The duel feels alot more intense and not so clunky.
Wow this was great! I had every intention of shitting all over this thing for adding in all the unnecessary acrobatics and gymnastics.
Instead, you made the fight look way more intense by speeding up the swings and tightening up the audio. You have preserved how this looks like a fight, rather than a choreography display.
Bravo!
By far my favorite fan edit of this scene and it's so good that it's kept in line with what the actual original choreography intended instead of turning it into a prequel fan fic like SC 38 Reimagined did, that one just didn't click with me and felt way too out of place and over the top but this is just perfect. Really well edited and executed.
This is the best fan edit I’ve seen of this fight
The visual effects are very nice without going over the top. Complimented by great sound design and faster more energetic dueling that doesn't overdo spectacle to the detriment of impact. Much more powerful and an enhanced sense of how dangerous lightsabers can be. Great job.
You could TASTE the ferocity of the sabers' clash and the fight in general. THIS IS BEYOND EPIC, SIR THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL JOB.
What an incredible difference, while keeping the sense and identity of the scene and characters in the first film. Wonderful work.
This is fantastic! This improves the fight dramatically (in both senses of the word), but retains and respects what was originally filmed.
This is the best edit of the original Vader vs. Obi Wan fight I have ever seen. It maintains the original choreography, the emotional weight, and the build-up to the climax. All that was done was change some of the sound effects, edit some parts to make it faster, and make it so the blades really felt like they hit hard despite it being so simple. The lack of music until the scene's climax is still maintained, too. If Disney ever decides to do another "special edition," I'd welcome a change like this.
The definitive edit! You kept the feel and spirit of the original, extracted the lameness that didn't age well over the years and seamlessly made it better . Perfect!
You did such a good job on this - as mentioned, certain famous “edits” are way too flashy and more insane than the prequel fights, but this captures the quiet intensity at play between these long warring enemies - beautifully done!
Lifelong fan and this edit fits sooooo well with what I believe the choreographer was trying to accomplish originally. Well done!
A fantastic and faithful edit. This truly fits with the era and tone, and is seamlessly done. A true treasure.
Wow. I'm really blown away here. The approach is relatively minimalistic, but the effect is enormous. I like this much more than the "Scene 38" edit (which really qualifies as more of editing in a fan film). It's amazing what just speeding up some footage and a little bit of trimming can do
This is amazing. The fact you only used components that Lucas already shot makes it much more authentic. This now canon. Bravo
I can't believe how much more powerful this make Obi-Wan look. It really gives you the impression that even as an old man he is still a Jedi Master to fear and respect.
I stand by that the refilmed fight that a team did was the best reimagining of the fight.
BUT, of all the edits of the og fight using og footage I've seen. This one absolutely steals first place.
They didn't just speed it up like others have done. It actually looks like they reduced the frames to make it still the same frame rate as the rest of the footage, but feels faster that way. Which feels way more consistent than just making the footage sped up slightly.
They also went further and looked like they rearranged clips to slightly alter the order of choreography. That plus the new effects and sounds make it all feel a bit more aggressive.
Well done.
Scene 38 Reimagined is fun, but I actually preferred this edit to it. Reimagined tries to bring the fight to a modern level that doesn’t match anything else in the film, let alone the whole trilogy. Meanwhile, this edit strives to make the duel feel equal to its peers in Empire and Jedi. In terms of putting artistic intent over theatricality, this definitely wins.
@@rpvee that is a very fair assessment. One of my critiques of the reimagined scene is how the cinematography is not the same style of ep 4 at large. The use of ep3 music as well breaks from it.
But I do think the choreography was on par with and didn’t overstep ep5 and ep 6.
@@CritStanley Yeah, the choreography wasn’t an issue with Reimagined. I actually quite like how well it captured the rage Vader would be feeling facing his old master once again. I meant it was more the general aesthetic, such as the cinematography and the music as you mentioned, that didn’t fit the rest of the movie. I definitely enjoy Reimagined for what it is, but I really appreciate it how this edit stayed true to the aesthetic of the film the scene is a part of.
SC38 is awful
Omg the pacing is sooo much better! It’s such a classic fight ❣️
So essentially changing it without changing changing it, a few little edits really go along way in speeding the flow and making it feel more intense. Very good
This is better than anything in the prequels or sequels. There's a close visceral feel to this fight that is totally believable given the nature of the weapons. It's a very personal feeling showdown that is as much about the exchange between old friends/enemies as it is the clash of lightsabres. The new effects give it just enough more crash and speed to highlight all of this without "getting in the way." 10/10
Okay I was not prepared for how intense this would be hahah! Well done. I wish I could watch this officially in the full movie.
Wow! Great job on editing this already iconic duel, I really appreciate how you stuck to the original spirit of the fight without going over the top. I really liked SC38 Reimagined, but I think this version of the fight is the perfect balance of modern editing without some of the unnecessary shenanigans that other creators have put into this fight. I think it would be awesome if this made it into the fan-made "Original Trilogy - The Final Cut", because it has definitely earned its place!
If they're ever going to make another special-special edition of this film, this change should be included.
Very well edited. While I don't mind the "lack" of speed in the OT, I think you've done a great job re-editing the scene without changing too much. The speed you added makes the encounter truly more exciting. Thumbs up!
The legend has returned after 1 year with a banger! Great job!
This is awesome, it improved upon it without being silly or over the top like certain other edits out there, they should release the scene like this whenever they do another inevitable re-release of the films.
I'm stunned - I never thought this duel could be re-edited to become as powerful as all the others - fantastic work!
I gotta admit, this does make a certain special difference.
As a fan, I think this is by bar the best edit I have seen for this scene. The idea behind it it’s just so breathtaking. Understanding the original vision, making a homage, improving the pacing, and improving the sound effects as the original editor intended… all at the same time.
Really, thank you for this and you should be really proud of this marvelous work. Congrats!
Your genius cannot be overstated. This fight went from an underwhelming stage play, to a fierce battle that I can’t help rewatching over and over. Thank you.
Well done. Your work is seamless and doesn't destroy the original work.
Cannot believe its the OG source material. Bravo!
Dude!!!!!!
major improvement! oh my God! The editor literally could have done this from day one. Awesome job 👍
This is so much better than that silly CGI Kenobi v Vader fight somebody created a few years ago. This keeps it an old man vs a lumbering machine as it should be and just makes the lightsabers more dangerous.
Thank you!! I hate it when I see that cgi fight edited into clips as if it fits with the movie at all!!
Yeah but explain why other Jedi that were old were able to fight much more acrobatically, also Obi wan is not as old as he look in this movie so that silly CGI fight might have helped better tie it to the prequels. Also it’s much more of an improvement than what is in the original
@@seriousnesstv7902because people like Dooku were still honing their skills. Obi-Wan just sat in a desert for 20 years. For Vader it was just because they had David Prowse doing the fighting. Later movies they had someone else doing it so Vader looked more formidable.
-_-
@@seriousnesstv7902because George didn’t think it through? 😂
I like the SC 38 video, but this is more accurate to how this fight is described by supplementary material in both continuities. They state that Vader was approaching this fight very cautiously, based the probing and prodding the Vader was doing with his lightsaber in the fight. I do like the speed increase, and the addition of modern lightsaber sound effects.
Very impressed. I didn't know what to expect. It's subtle, near invisible work, but makes it so much better.
It's infinity more appropriate than some of the over the top choreographed modern fight edits.
Clearly a superior edit. It gives me the feeling as an adult of what it felt like as a kid, which is quite an accomplishment. Bravo. I’d be curious to see a middle ground version where a touch more of Kenobi’s feebleness is let back in. He’s so agile here that when Vader says “your powers are weak, old man,” I don’t feel that’s true. Which is really interesting, but definitely changes the energy. In any case, awesome.
Damn. Now this is something I wish George would’ve done
Yeah this works really well and I appreciate that it doesn’t cut to all the ridiculous flipping and swordplay that really bogs down the longevity of the prequel fights.
It is crazy how bringing the fight up to speed really brought up the tension and the stakes. This was probably more of what we needed than the slower paced fight. Thank you.
Without having to completely remake the scene like that CG animation from a few years ago, this is AMAZING!
dane this is SO GOOD
Wow, that looked a 1000% better than the original. Can you do the whole movie
There’s nothing wrong with the movie
This really conveys what I understood the original intent to be. Economy of motion and a subtle but deadly match of wills and skill.
Amazing edit! As others have mentioned, it resonates well with the rest of the film, unlike other edits (the most obv being sc.38 reimagined). Also, the way you sped up certain frames gives it true retro authenticity! It can also be interpreted lore-wise as Ben and Vader using the Force to amplify their speed, agility and dexterity.
I'd love to see this spliced into Star Wars Revisited, by Adywan.
Seeing this movie so many times in different forms growing up, I was confused at first upon viewing your edit. I honestly couldn't tell the difference regarding what was original vs. changed...but the comparison shows many more quick cuts and generally a faster pace. I wasn't born in 1977, but I think audiences back then would've had their socks blown off by something like this.
Woah, that's some fine editing and remarkably 'ups the energy level' of this lightsaber fight between old men without making it look silly (with nonsensical spinning) or too choreographed (like Disney's later versions).
Such a huge improvement without any reworks to the scene itself, very well done!
Even without the edit, this is still a better duel than any of the duels in the prequels and the sequels combined.
I agree with the sequels but choreography wise the best is phantom menance
The other big edits of this scene on youtube try to make it feel like a prequel era fight, this feels a lot more grounded considering the age of the both of them. Force assisted or not. (Like fights with Dooku if any prequel fight)
This is insanely good! It’s so slick and intense. Brilliant edit!
Good job. I wish this was the version of the Disney Plus. This is probably one of the best scenes of the movie and one of the most iconic. The dialogue in this duel its great and its very Star Wars.
Better than Sc 38 reimagined imo
This edit still retains the tension and simplicity of the original fight, but doesn’t make it flashy or over the top
Well done. It punches up the importance of the two characters interaction. And it compliments Guiness's Obi Wan performance, that one last push. And dials up Vader's intimidation factor.
That was wonderful. Thanks for the great edit
"Faster, more intense"😍
Wonderful!!! Maintains the original vision and still feels fresh and powerful! Love this!!!
Ah, very nice job
I always thought part of what Vader vs Obi was too "meh" is how slow they felt and the camera barely showing the lightsaber. Now, with this edit that's solved and they feel a lot more faster and dynamic, like Ahsoka vs Vader
Simply excellent. This will be both my new canon, and how I will introduce friends to this scene mid-movie.
One word, BRILLIANT!! I wish this could be inserted into the movie and released on home media. Better still, not the 1997 version, but inserted into the original as it was first seen.
Honestly removing Obi's spin is the best thing you did 😂
🤣
The most underrated duel in the franchise.
Only because the Prequel kids don't understand the logistics of light sabers and that the duel should first and foremost advance the story/mythology. So ridiculous to see them just twirling the sabers overhead.
You have made a great job here, recovering the original intention, congrats!
One of the best fan re-edits I've seen...well done
I like the angry Vader noise taken from his fight on cloud city for when he takes obi wan down
The duel became so much more aggressive and relentless with these changes. I think this reflects how much of a real threat Vader actually is. I love it. These are the highlights I loved the most (because they are just details, but the magic is in the details):
- Sparks SFX at 01:32 when the lightsabers make small contact with each other
- 02:02 there is a brief couple of frames in which you can actually see some "dust", which I define as "smoke" from the sparks or something like that. It's like the sabers got to burn some dust in the air (subproduct of the battle movements and footsteps), due to how fast the combat is. I personally loved this small detail, and I definitely can't remember if it's an addition from this video or whether it's actually from the original cut. I love it nonetheless.
PD: Long live Marcia Lucas, who saved this film and enabled a whole franchise, as well as all of our childhoods.
Excellent work on this, the sped up footage is noticeable in a few places but overall it's a much more exciting and tense fight the way you edited it
That was surprisingly effective. Great work!
Everyone in the comments here talking shit about the SC 38 reimagined version. That was a fun project that clearly wasn't meant to actually fit the movie. There wasn't even an attempt. Stupid criticism. This edit right here does and it's fantastic also. I could actually see this being a actual part of the movie.
For the record, personally, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the makers of SC 38 REIMAGINED. As a fellow Star Wars fan, I thought their video was great.
My goal with this re-edit was to update a video I had done way back in March 2008 called "Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader - Lightsaber Duel (More Intense)" (Which, for anyone curious, can be seen here: czcams.com/video/1fI9xcZIl80/video.html&ab_channel=A.B.Director ).
I did relatively the same thing as this edit, but it wasn't as polished. I had to remove it back in 2012 when Disney cracked down hard on copyrighted material after buying Lucasfilm and started striking channels with any Star Wars stuff (many fan edits, music videos, etc. I had made suffered from it).
But it was a fun idea and I wanted to revisit the concept.
@@ABdirector For sure. I think what you've done here looks great!
You’re spot on.
This edit is more appropriate for the movie, but Sc 38 reimagined is more of a love letter to the prequels
Brilliantly done! Amazing what some subtle trims and improved sound design can do in making this fight feel way more on par with the others in the trilogy. Bravo!
If I were to have any nitpicks, I think it would be more impactful if the hum of the sabers becomes a bit muted as Obi-Wan sees Luke and Williams’ score comes back in. But otherwise, this is amazing!
Editing is tight. Fantastic work.
I genuinely can't stop watching this.
Much better than so many other re-edited, imagined
I came here to sternly remind everyone that the film won an Oscar for editing, but after watching it, I have to say it's a big improvement on the original.
I think the yellow flashes might be a bit too much but I get that was in the original so letting that pass pretty perfect, looks awesome!
Yeah, this was before ILM started to tone down the flashes the sabers created when they clashed in Empire Strikes Back, so I tried to retain that aspect of the original A New Hope and just add more where I put extra moves for effect and consistency.
But, as Lucas would say, “I may have gone too far in a few places.”
I’d probably tone it down/rotoscope the characters to be properly in front of the clashes if I decided to do a second attempt.
Thanks for the compliment.
@@ABdirector This is great. I feel Adywan should see this for his New Hope edit.
Impresive. Most impressive.
Dude that was excellent. I felt now more exited about this scene
Maybe in 1977 the audiences weren't ready for quick and cutty editing. Definitely shows how editing has saved a lot of productions in more modern times.
It's not so much the editing, just the duel itself. But audiences had already seen great fast-paced choreographed blade-to-blade duels long before Star Wars.
For example:
czcams.com/video/nB8tiSMCwRE/video.htmlsi=A5ooD1ZIRTC-OXvR
Holy cow, dude. This is the first time I've seen one of these internet Star Wars edits and GENUINELY thought "Wow, they really need to do that to the official release". What a great way to bring this pivotal moment closer to consistency with the rest of the saga's duels, enhance the punch of the film, and not use any new footage or CGI to do so. Just editing. This is easily a superior approach to the Special Edition changes that are in this movies now, and done to a scene of greater importance.
No matter how many times I've seen ANH that at 2:58 the start of Williams music and the look Guinness gives hamill. Gets me every time
I got goosebumps, that was an AMAZING improvement to the scene! I sure wish I had a version of the movie with this edit inserted…👀