4K Star Wars 1977 'Despecialized' - Battle of Yavin - Full Battle
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- Опубликовано: 30 дек 2021
- Relive the iconic Battle of Yavin Death Star assault in its original 1977 brilliance, meticulously restored to 4K without CGI and 1997 'Special Edition' enhancements. The original Star Wars trilogy, as seen theatrically during their initial runs, is no longer publicly available. Since 1997, George Lucas has designated the Special Edition as the official release, a stance maintained even under Disney's ownership, with no plans for the despecialized versions to be released.
With the analysis of the Death Star plans, a weakness is found in the exhaust port. The Rebels send 30 X-wings and Y-wing in hopes of destroying it before it can destroy them.
Sourced from the despecialization project known as D+77 
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Calling OG Star Wars veterans! If you were there for the original 1977 release... PLEASE share your tales of witnessing the original 1977 theater experience in this thread and how Star Wars first entered your life! Let's embark on a journey through this timeless universe together!
When this video was initially posted, it sparked a fascinating comment thread filled with firsthand accounts of experiencing Star Wars on the big screen in 1977. It was captivating to read about everyone's unique experiences- their age at the time, where they saw it, and the impact it had on them. Let's continue sharing and celebrating these cherished memories!
An amazing spectacle that i would never experience. First time I saw it when I was 6 on the original VHS release.
"Cutting across the axis to draw their fire" gives me goosebumps to this very day over 40 years later. The only thing I can compare it to is the Leia forest "chase" scene in kenobi...😮😮..... 😅😂😅😂😅😂😅😂😅😂😅
I was terrible with names as a kid, I called a certain character Death Vander.
This has aged so much better than any of the 'improvements'!
Watched the movie in theathers for 3 times with my late father, the second and the third times using my own pocket money to buy the tickets. I was only 12 years old at that time and that was the first time I was exposed to science fiction movies. 🤭👍
Only Boomers and Gen X know the thrill of seeing this in a darkened theater with no backstory; no expectations…and being totally blown away two hours later. We knew a world before Star Wars: we watched it happen in real time. Nothing would ever be the same. You can’t imagine the roar of the entire audience when Han flew in out of nowhere and saved Luke. People were ecstatic! Moments later, the Death Star was in bits and we screamed for joy like our team won the World Series. 1st standing ovation I ever saw in a movie theater. You had to have been there to truly understand.
So true. We are the generation who watched minutes of footage of Yoda without knowing it's him. Priceless.
Generation X here born in '74 and saw Star Wars for the first time in '82 on my parent's brand new $600 VCR. It changed my life forever and instantly became my favorite movie of all time!
star wars is the only redeemable thing you have to be proud of, your generation is dogshit in every other way. SAD!
I've seen nothing like it before or since.
@@atranfanatic same, XENNIAL born 81, my parents rented a VCR from grocery chain HEB and it was this, and Dune that got my little 3-4 year old heart into science fiction (along with TBS airing Robotech/Harlock/Voltron)
The military style aspect builds the tension so well. People repeating commands and doing call-outs for each other and no quick cuts to speed up the action is great.
In newer star wars movies they are either saying bad jokes the whole time or trying to say an emotional speech in the middle of a battle.
You hit the nail on the head. This sequence seems absolutely amazing and never breaks your immersion. The story takes itself seriously which, in turn, makes the audience take it seriously.
That's actually a really good point that i didn't think about until just now. Star trek was the same way. Interesting.
Exactly this, it gives you a feeling you rarely get from modern movies.
The fact that they don’t constantly have music blaring during the whole fight is also great, I think. We don’t need constant noise or music to tell us when something important is going on, or to build tension. The dogfight, callouts, and deaths are enough to make us understand the importance of the battle. The music comes in when it’s most important, and that makes the last bit of the trench run way better than if it was always playing
It’s not just the combat tactics and style changed, even the characters have devolved from adult to child.
I was there, opening day, in 1977. It was The Stanley Theater, in Vancouver. 70mm Dolby. We stood in line for 5 hours. It was a mind blowing experience. When the credits faded, the music twinkled, we dropped down to see the planet...then the ships took over the screen. I went in an innocent 8 year old boy. I left with a heart full of magic and dreams.
I also saw it at the Stanley theater in Vancouver. I was seven at the time.
My family and I were the first people to see it in Jackson, Michigan. Nobody knew what it was, we only went to see it because it was our family movie night and nobody liked any of the other choices. I remember mentioning it to my friends the the next day and one of them said : "Star Wars ? What's that ? Farrah Fawcett Majors and Kate Jackson ( this was when the original "Charlies Angels" was big on TV ) in a brest to brest match ?
Yeah I know that feeling.....seeing this scene again brought me tears just now, i need to compose myself here......
THEN DISNEY HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Impossible. 1977 already happened
Yep. I saw it on the first day also. Seven years old with my older sis and mom. I was in awe of the whole movie. I don't remember so much the audience being into it. I think it was because everyone else was in awe also. Nothing like it had been seen before. Now, when Empire came out three years later, the movie audience was stoked, because we had three years to get to know the characters and backgrounds at the time. When Vader revealed himself as Luke's father in the theater, you could hear a pin drop, followed by a loud disturbance of the force in the audience as everyone was going no way, and lamenting that it couldn't be true. Walking out, me and my best friend at the time were thrilled, excited, dumbfounded all at once. People waiting outside to get in were like, how was it. We were, it's the greatest movie ever. I still think it's the best sequel ever, and the best of all, and I do mean all the Star Wars movies.
I'm glad this was the original version without the "enhanced" Death star explosion ring.
"Estimated time to firing range: fifteen minutes." I never noticed, but this scene nearly takes place in real time.
Most of the elided time is probably the X-wings traveling to the Death Star, which would put the rest pretty much in real time.
Wow awesome
Except that certain graphic seemed to be always counting down from 15s
@@RennieAsh Yeah, I don't get what that's counting down to-next mile marker?
@@VideoMask93 probably just a reused scene in this edit , looks like it was meant for when there was actually only 15s to go, but they put it in every time they mentioned ETA to during range
It was 1977, I was 12 years old. Me and my best friend sitting in the theater waiting for the movie to start. The lights go down. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." Blown back in our seats when the music suddenly thundered to life and the logo blazed. Two hours later, we were different kids. Our lives had changed. Our obsession with everything Star Wars began that day. So glad I experienced it at the beginning.
Remember when the Rebel blockade runner came on screen for the first time, and then the Star Destroyer which seemed infinitely long? 😮
I was 7 but I these memories are seared into my brain. I saw it another 11 times in the theater that summer. There was nothing else like it. I'm glad I was there.
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
@@garymccammon6696 i loved how they joked about it in spaceballs LOL
"We break for nobody"
Me, I was ten years, and this film changed ma Life
These despecialized versions saved Star Wars for me! I recommend any fan of the original Star Wars supporting the project. Unbelievably worth it.
What makes them different from the original theatrical releases, resolution size and audio quality?
@futuza Basically, they're the original theatrical releases but "remastered" and without all the changes.
@@futuzaover the years Lucasfilms changed scenes, CGI and i believed in one case removed a scene entirely
@@shasha6337 You're talking about the difference between the current version of the film and the despecialized version. I was asking about the despecialized version vs the original theatrical release. nofmcgoff3307 already answered my question, the answer was basically just that the theatrical release wasn't remastered (lower quality picture resolution, lower quality audio etc)
(The theatrical cut was made available on dvds a few years ago - but was never available on bluray in a higher quality format).
This is what's all about including the awesome incidental sounds like the turn of the knobs and flick of switches.
I can’t believe how much better this is despecialized - it makes me want to cry
Watching Episodes VII-IX made me want to cry.
@@swampwiz ruclips.net/video/iyvQ48V7LAQ/видео.html
@@swampwiz - I know what you mean.😬🤢😮💨
tears are flowing from me right now
@@swampwizThose films are fanfics by Disney. They are not canon. Those films happened in a different timeline.
The “Get setup for your attack run” command is so underrated. The man is a leader of a rag tag last ditch effort. He’s a hardened veteran who has the most experience. He should be it, by military standards.
But he doesn’t comply with Luke’s request. He knows he done for, and the last useful thing he can do in his life is buy time for said last ditch effort. He’s a man of the mission and not of himself. A true leader, and a man who deserves to be followed into battle.
RIP Garvin Dreis.....I wonder if Darth Vader knew he shot down a former wingman from the Clone Wars....
@@PrometheusOfVideos His last acting role. He had to retire from acting after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drewe_Henley
Seriously, you can see the disappointment and disbelief on his face not that he's about to be killed, but that he's not taking everyone on the death star with him.
According to canon he was already an experienced pilot and could have gone to the Imperial Navy but chose not to
Its the same as "Pops", knew he was dead, so decided to make his last moments useful "IT CAME FROM BEHIND!"
"We're in position, I'm gonna cut across the axis and try and draw their fire."
*John Williams intensifies*
Yes. How the MUSIC DOMINATES and intensifies after that line is SIMPLY OVERWHELMING!!! It's magical!!!
1:23
Chills even after a 200th rewatch.
John williams deserved awards for his work with this film
@@Canadianvoice He did get the Oscar!
Yes!! It's incredible how the music swells exactly when it's supposed to and works in accordance with the dialogue and the sound design. This is perfection. Besides, the new Dune films, most cinema and shows just Don't note this at all, I just don't get it.
1997. Screening of the Special Edition. First guy on the trench run misses. Guy in the back of the theater:"You suck!"
Classic.
Haha, that's awesome! Did your whole theater burst out laughing?
I remember watching the '97 re-releases too. During that scene in Empire where Leia kisses Luke, the whole audience groaned in discomfort. Then, one of my friends yelled out 'INBREEDERS!!!!!!' and suddenly, the groans turned into laughter throughout the entire theater. Ah, good times!
During the release (special edition) of ESB when the first transport slips past the star destroyer off HOTH…
“The first transport is away.”
Three guys in the front row put their arms up like the rebels and say,”Yay.”
Everyone laughed.
@@Tigerman1138 When I saw Jedi in 97, the whole audience erupted in applause when that one Ewok got blown away by the AT-ST 😂 Epic!
@@PrometheusOfVideos I remember people groaning a little too.
Those were good times, so much fun during each screening.
What's crazy is like twenty minutes before you were watching a sword and sandals fantasy film, and now we're in a gritty space age war film
Absolutely! George Lucas had this uncanny knack for transporting us to entirely different worlds within the same movie experience.
But when it comes to dialogue...... ehhh... haha. Still, anything he made is 100x better than Disney Era / Kathleen Kennedy Star Wars!
It's so cool to see tie-fighters actually fighting x-wings on equal terms. Nowadays, the tie fighters would get destroyed like they were nothing, but back then they were actually good pilots.
TIE fighters on paper are actually superior fighters. They're slightly faster and more maneuverable. Xwings only have shields which is 2nd chance at best. But if a good TIE pilot is on your tail then they won't help you for very long.
That what made the movie authentic, the Empire being a real threat. Not this Disney shit.
Tie fighters do have 2 giant targets on either side of them tho. But the empire would be more of a threat if not for the Tarkin doctrine
@@freddederman7270 From the sides, sure. Take a look at the massive footprint of an Xwing from the top down which is the most common angle of attack. The only thing bigger was a Y-wing.
The Tarkin Doctrine made plenty of sense. Everyone forgets how vast the Empire was. Even if you made ISD's from the Death Star materials it wouldn't have been enough to police the galaxy. Fall in line or get nuked is pretty convincing. If only a single nation had developed nukes in our world then they would be the ultimate power.
@@brainplay8060 yes but you would think the empire would at least try to change their strategies a bit considering the fighting tactics of the rebels. I’m not saying the tie was bad it was actually really good. And I’m not saying the tarkin doctrine was stupid. Just not the best for fighting the rebels
The way Luke takes command when Red Leader dies and the immediate acknowledgement from (the more experienced) Wedge.
"Right with you Boss"
Wouldn't say Wedge is more experienced. Somehow, Luke's "bush pilot in the Outer Rim territories" gets him the Five slot in Red Squadron. (That seems an important, maybe 2nd in command slot.) Luke is a more "lived" pilot, Wedge is a more... classically trained pilot.
@@Svensk7119you may be right I always assumed Wedge had more experience, the way he claimed it was impossible even for a computer, made it sound like he'd been around a bit
@@anon17472 I see that, a bit. From how they interact, though, I get my previous descriptions, lived and classic.
The best, to me, evidence for Wedge's experience is his frontal attack on the TIE-fighter.
@@Svensk7119Wedge is definitely more experienced: he was a TIE fighter pilot in the imperial navy before defecting to the rebels. And Biggs was an ace navy pilot before he, too, defected. But they both follow Luke all the same.
People instinctively recognize a natural leader.
@@hux2000 Luke hadn't shot down any TIE fighters, but he had been flying far longer.
He is his father's son.
I think what George Lucas has forgotten, is that it was the original Star Wars, without the episode four title, that most people of that era fondly remember. It made him famous and rich, yet he decided to alter it and then made sure no one would ever see the original that made him and the other films so popular. That’s why we need this despecialised version.
The original models are so much better than the cheesy enhanced CGI added to the movie years later. Thank you much for this!
It's difficult today for people to realize what impact this movie had on viewers back in 1977. There was VERY little pre-release hype and publicity of this film. Nobody really knew what to expect. I was 22 at the time, and when I came out of the theater, I was a changed person. I truly felt I had actually been "in a galaxy far far away" for the past 2 hours.
It's always interesting to hear stories from people such as yourself who were there in 1977...and you confirm what was mentioned In the Star Wars documentary, 'Empire of Dreams' where George Lucas thought it would either be a modest 'hit' like $20 million or in his words, 'Die a horrible death' he wasn't aiming to make a blockbuster or game changer. Even upon release the studio only opened it on like 37 - 40 screens initially? But eventually it took the U.S. then the world by storm!
awesome
@@PrometheusOfVideos I was six years old, and saw it at the ABC cinema in Leeds. My older sister said I was so transfixed I didn't blink throughout the entire film, and had to be dragged away after the credits had finished. It was an epochal moment in film making, and with Empire it would only get better!
SERIOUSLY!!!! Until 1977, even the previous year, Sci-Fi looked like Logan's Run. And that was a big-budget movie. Star Wars totally changed the meaning of SciFi universes. If someone wants to wrap their head around the change, I challenge them to watch Logan's Run (which I do enjoy, but it's NOT Star Wars).
It was only released in 40 theatres nationwide back in May 1977..
It’s mind boggling that a small talented group of guys in the 70s are still a million times more imaginative and able to portray a story than anything Disney does today!
I mean, they 'homaged' alot from Dune.
@@KhevaKins Most sci-fi homages from something else. The difference is that Dune was written for the mind and Star Wars for the screen. Aren't we on the third screen-telling of the story now? Nobody is going to make the rest of the Dune stories until they get it right - which may have happened in 2021.
Innovation and Zeitgeist vs maximized corporate profit
Yep
It's because Star Wars movies of today are created by a committee rather than the creative vision of one man backed by a team of extremely talented artists.
I was a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army on my first tour in Germany in 1977. The first Star Wars movie did not release to Military theaters till 1978, so I read the Book and then saw the Movie in German Theaters. It was called “Krieg Der Sterne” in German. I knew very little German, but the movie was stunning visually and needed little explanation as to the good versus evil nature of the movie. It was also interesting to watch the Imperial troops in German WWII style uniforms in a German theatre just 22 years after WWII ended. I will never forget the first time I saw this movie. “I have you Now, What???!!”.
It was released 1978 in Germany (33 years after WW2, btw). A 1-year-delay of the release of a movie was common at that time, because they had to do a German overdub. The German overdubs for Star Wars are very good, the voice of Darth Vader is even better than the iconic original voice. I was 13 when I saw the Star Wars 1978 in Germany.
22 years or 32 years?
@@martinsteen4316 Also because Film prints had to be made and posted to every single cinema at the time.
@F1Boomer
"Möge die Macht mit dir sein!"
I had a bootleg version of this just after it came out in the theater... long before it was released on VHS. My dad 'knew the right people'. They gave me a perfect copy on tape. At the time I was around 10 years old. I watched it almost every day. It was such an inspiration to me. Thanks for the memories. This is the way it was meant to remain. Cheers.
Thanks for sharing the story! Glad I can help you relive some of those memories! It's always awesome to hear stories such as yours. Were you able to watch it in theaters in 1977?
@@PrometheusOfVideos Absolutely. I saw it twice in the theater. I would have gone more but my folks didn't like Sci-Fi, lol. It still remains of my all-time favorite movies.
Only rich kids and large high schools even had a video tape machine back then... I hope you put that silver spoon to good use
@@jony3775 even back around 1980ish vcrs especially those in schools were huge top loading machines with tv like dials on the front of them weighing at least 50 pounds, the TVs themselves were also very heavy and so the schools has to have a special large industrial strength tv stands on wheels to move the two units around on as they were far to heavy to carry, even pushing them around the hallways was a bit difficult from the size and weight....
Same with my family. We had it on BetaMax. Watched everyday after school.
I was born in September of 1970 so I was six years old when Star Wars first came out. I am now 53 years old and I still remember that summer morning when my mom took me and my sister to stand in line through two showings just to get in to see this.
I am proud to say that I was part of the generation that grew up with this film. I remember the excitement that everybody had when this film was released and for almost an entire year, this film was still being shown in theaters. Something unheard of these days.
The visuals, the sounds and the excitement that this film brought to us was unlike anything that anyone had ever experienced. I was part of that audience that was in total awe from the very beginning when the star destroyer flew over to the very end.
I had the topps bubble gum cards, the underoos, the action figures, the ships, the laser guns, the shirts, the posters, the soundtrack, the novel. People that did not grow up when this film was released will never experience what we experienced in 1977. There was no movie at the time that had the advanced special effects, costumes or impact that this film had on the world. Then when you add John Williams score to this movie made it that much more epic.
This film had mostly no name actors and actresses but most of them went on to become huge successes and household names. When we all saw this film, it was an instant hit worldwide.
Imagine seeing a movie these days where the technology was so far advanced from what you’re used to seeing, theaters having lines going out the door for blocks, the theaters being packed for months on end, merchandising everywhere you went, fans going back for repeat viewings and everybody in the theater cheering to the top of their lungs at the end of the film and wanting more. That’s what it was like. But even those words does not describe or help you to feel what we felt and saw back in 1977. It was an experience that will never be repeated….and an experience I will never ever forget.
Don’t forget the board game!!!
The Lord of the rings trilogy... 😎
I had forgotten all about that, in January of ‘78 I took my gf on our first date to see it same theatre in Boston that I saw it in July
Losing the guns on the action figures always sucked. Chewbacca had the coolest gun and Ig-88 had two!
The closest thing to that recently was Avengers endgame and before that, LoTR.
I genuinely tear up reading the comments of all those who were fortunate enough to watch this movie in theaters back in 1977 (I was born in 1990). You can tell that this was a world-changing experience.
Bro same. It was very impactful when I was a kid but imagine back then…
It was truly unforgettable (I was 9, 53 now.) At the time, my dad was replacing his Super 8mm home movie camera, and he gave me his old one the following Christmas when I turned 10. It had a frame-by-frame mode, and you could screw a "cable release" into the camera so you could trigger the taking of a frame without touching the camera). I learned how to do stop motion animation (of course, a child's version, using my friends' Star Wars toys) and how to use the pointy end of a drawing compass to scratch the emulsion off the film, frame by frame, to make laser beams. It wasn't just that the story was compelling. The technical genius of it (there were TV specials showing how it was done) made many children want to see if they could make a movie. It strikes me now that many of us did.
My stepdad was a kid at the time. He says he knew movies would never be the same after seeing this
@@arsenal-slr9552 Damned straight. It was of course not the first amazing movie ever made (my favorite movie ever came out the year I was born, "2001: a Space Odyssey", but your stepdad was right, Star Wars was a game changer for the kind of movie that it was, even as it itself was a callback to older and less memorable science fiction cliffhanger serials of the 1930s-1950s ("Flash Gordon", "Buck Rogers").
It truly was. Nothing like it ever before. Real models made by amazingly skilled people, not CGI stuff from a few trained chimps with a keyboard.
I was 18 and in the U.S.Navy at the time this came out in 1977 and I must of went to theaters a good dozen times to watch this over and over again this was truly one of the all time greatest movies back in the day for sure and is still just as great today on DVD!😉👍.
"... must have gone ...". It's mildly irritating to read babble.
@@kasegiyabu5030 Bibble. Babble. Babel. Boogity. Bombastically. Blasphlegmy. Oh, yes......I did spell everything exactly the way I wanted to. Mostly, just to provoke you and spellcheck.
Saw this first time when i was 13, probably the best time to have seen it. Remember - all these effects were practical SFX, no CGI, all models and pyrotechnics!
3:43 I always loved how Vader already knows what's happening and realizes the main battle is just a diversion.
Darth Vader was certainly a most formidable villain for how he could sense things through his mastery of the Force.
@mikebasil4832 well, he used to be a general in the clone wars. Of course his cunning mind understands many strategies in war as possible
@@mikebasil4832That’s how he remained the most popular villain of Star Wars. Even adding him as a small role can improve a movie (Rogue One) or game (Fallen Order).
Vader is likely using the force as an extension of Ne to instantly understand the true subtext of their attack. He knew instantly that they were attempting to execute on a weakness in the Death Star plans, given his history with them since Rouge One.
Intuition adepts can get there in seconds with only limited information, then act to seize initiative before others.
Vader is the Empire's MVP in every movie. I've heard him described as "the hero for the other side."
Also I'll never forget when the movie was over EVERYONE gave a standing ovation. Then we all sat and watched the credits until the very end. Listening to the awesome music and finding out if the crew was actually human. Goosebumps till this day. 45 years later
Not trying to diminish or anything (I think I have seen the first 6 movies 100+ times a piece), but the Marvel movies have done pretty well in tapping into that same energy with the next new form of cinematic story telling with its connected universe. Its the same type of revolution Star Wars did back then. Wish I could have seen this then also.
I remember that too I was 11 years old in May 1977 I'll never forget it
I was 9 years old sitting in the center of the theater with my big brother to my right hand side the day it came out on May 1977. When I saw the opening scene, the Star Destroyer that was bigger than life going across the screen, nothing was ever the same again. It changed me forever. Forever. I still feel it today, and I'm 53 years old now.
I remember my sister (about 17 at the time) coming home and telling my dad he needed to take me to see this movie. I was 7. I saw it in the theater 8 times. We moved over seas but acquired a copy on betamax (yeah I'm that old) and I guarantee you I've seen this movie over 200 times. At one point I knew every line. We lived in Saudi Arabia for 2 years, as you can imagine in 1977-1980 there wasn't much tv for us in Jeddah, SA. Came home Xmas of 1980 for a visit which was timely and I got to see empire in the theater as well. Back when movies were made with models and the effects weren't generated on a computer.
@@MobiusJack Yeah...that scene changed the world forever. It is still awesome and cannot be beat, even by modern movies. Still awesome..........
I still remember the day. Woke up at 6am to queue for three hours to watch the movie here in Singapore in 1977 on opening day. On days when I'm bored, I watch it again 😂
This was how I spent 10 afternoons in 1977, walking to the local theater after drivers training class to watch Star Wars.
I love the despecialized version... You are doing the Lord's work.
@9:55 I never realised until today that you can actually see Darth Vader's eyes in his mask. Freezing the frame at that time also shows how gorgeous film grain is for capturing turquoise and reds.
same :)
Word me too 🤣
David Prowse 🙂
Fun fact: in the upcoming Extra-Special Edition, Hayden Christensen’s eyes will be digitally inserted over David Prowse’s. 😩😁
@@SnowyNightFlyer watch that actually happen...
1:27. How can anyone not love that shot of the X-Wings rolling into the attack to that trumpet fanfare. Just epic.
That specific shot is one of my favorites in all of movie history. And I teach film...
I had the lovely double LP soundtrack album, which I absolutely plowed by playing it so many times, and it was thrilling to try and remember the sequences as I listened to it multiple times every day.
I agree with you - but where has the bloody fanfare gone? It definitely used to be louder than this, you can barely hear it now.
@@richardanderson8696 drowned out by all the CGI overload
First time I saw it I heard "COOL" from other guys in the theater.
Star Wars Veteran: My friends all told me I had to see this movie! In the summer of '77, my family visited family in Seattle, which is where we saw Star Wars for the first time. We waited in line to get in and were seated on the balcony at the theatre. When the Death Star blew, the whole house went up in a roar! Cheers and ovations!! I saw Star Wars no less than 14 times in the cinema, with most viewings at the Westgate Cinema in Beaverton, Oregon. It played there for over a year! Thank you for posting this. A breath of fresh air and a feast for the senses. Love the sound!
I raised this video back from the dead and got it restored! My DMCA Counter was successful after waiting 2 long weeks!
Enjoy the Battle of Yavin as it was originally meant to be seen back in 1977!!!!! (or as close as possible...it's a TL:DR story..)
not all heroes wear capes
You are doing the Lord's work.
Scrap the "special editions". This is the *real* Star Wars!
From a now old man who first watched this scene in '77, " THANK YOU so very much!" It gave me the feels. I'm not ashamed to say it. Again, thank you! Nicely done.
@@TheUnknownVideographer seriously? just type 'star wars D+77' trust me there's plenty of results...
This scene was the icing on the cake , mesmerized a whole generation of fans . If you thought the the film up until this point was ahead of its time, this scene was out of this world . The music, medal ceremony scene , the credits . This changed cinema forever
That's what SW detractors don't understand. This shit was a game changer, AND had an amazing universe built within a single film. To achieve that cohesive and deep universe while also changing the course of cinema forever via it's execution of that universe is why SW will always be one of the GOATs.
As far as fantasy/sci-fi goes, Star Wars and Star Trek are the closest we'll get to another Tolkien-esque creation. By that I mean, a fantasy world that utterly shifts the paradigm.
I've seen the space battles and special effects in sci films prior to Star Wars, and they really help you appreciate the work and intuition that went into the special effects for this movie. No one had ever seen anything like that. Realistic aerial dogfighting with spaceships that looked REAL. No shiny futuristic colorful flying saucers or rockets, but space "fighter jets" that sounded like real aircraft and looked dirty and worn.
What’s amazing is this was made some 31 years after the end of World War II. Some ace fighter pilots Still relatively young were Excitedly thrilled to see this An amazing moment
Absolutely. It was an out of body experience. Especially when Ben Kenobi started coaching him from the Netherworld; and he got all Zen to blow up the Death Star. That was a beautiful incorporation of all the movie's themes.
The film transported me. It was mesmerising. But even as a kid I found the medal scene cheesy, and turned out it was a portent of cheesy things to come (like Ewoks).
"Use the force Luke" along with the music hits hard. The memories of my childhood coming back and the love of certain characters and their development like Obi-Wan through the different episodes, and how you grow to love those characters.. watching all this and hearing that gives me goosebumps and tears from childhood memories .
I was there, many times that summer of 77. I remember it like it was yesterday. Times sure have changed! I'm 60 now and I have witnessed a great many things in my life, but this one is the top cinematic moment for me. It was a decade that saw the early beginnings of change in art, movies, music, literature and science. What a decade.
I find it interesting that the original versions of these look more realistic than any of the rest of them. Sure did when I was a kid. They all look like video games now.
Models with firecrackers have to abide by physics. CGI does not, so realism is replaced by visually attractive. Many times CGI is pretty and boring.
I can appreciate the practical elements, but some of these effects have not aged well.
My great aunt took me to see this movie. May God rest her soul. I was 7 years old. After the movie ended I was sitting in my seat completely in awe. When I finally got myself composed, I looked over to see what my great aunt thought about the movie only to find her slumped over in her seat snoring like hell. 😊
LOL! I tell my mom about Star Wars and she doesn't see what the fuss is about, she prefers good old fashioned Westerns, which we both watch.
Same! I was 7 and begged my dad to take me…he slept the whole movie.
That is hilarious! I remember my Grandpa took us to see ROTJ, which was a surprise because it didn't seem up his alley at all. He claimed to have liked it, but he may have just said that.
My brother took me. He was as excited as me. I was eight years old. And I couldn't believe my eyes what I just saw.
I was 5-years old when my parents took me to see this. I remember being scared of the sounds the lightsabers made.
It was the early 90s, and I was a Star Trek fan when was 8 or 9 years old. I was bored, never heard of star wars before, but saw my dad had a VHS copy on a shelf one day.... Bored out of my mind, I finally picked it up and looked at the case.... A drawing of a dude holding up what looked like a laser sword over his head, and a chick showing a leg from her white gown was enough for prepubescent me to pop in that tape... Hell, the opening scene was a space battle with a massive ship, then a black robot dude showed up thru the door... I was HOOKED
Watching this and suddenly 12 years old again. It's 1977. This film was like nothing I had experienced before. Thanks for showing this and letting me return to that time.
I think being limited by technology of the time made this scene even better. Rather than being just a flashy space battle, you feel the stress and panic if the rebels as you ride in the cockpit next to them
You can easily capture that with today’s technology. Rogue One has a little bit of it for example
@@evann5451 All the modern star wars films completely lack anything of the sort.. As well as acting skill in general. Technology nothing to do with it directly, It's just a lost art in a world of plastic acting straight from school and using modern graphical technology at their disposal as a bridge to make up for it lol
@@danimayb E - X - A - C - T - L - Y.
@@danimayb eh, rogue one actually felt like the battles had soul.
@@danimayb right, EXCEPT Rogue One
9:56 Darth Vader has eyes! I was 7 years old when I saw Star Wars in the theater and probably have owned every iteration of the film on all formats ever made, but I've never seen such clarity before. Wow.
It's both amazing and pitiful that a group of talented individuals can release better 4K Star Wars than the actual official release from Disney...
(I've gotten feedback from a number of people that said the 4K from Disney is pretty bad where the 4K in the clips I've used has been way superior)
Same here. Never noticed it before.
I would comment the very same thing.
Noticed a few years back that they could be seen! But yeah, it's amazing just how clear you can see Prowse's face here.
yeah wtf i just noticed that
You did what Disney refuses to do. Thank you!
Admittedly some of the special effects do look a bit dated now, but for1977 this was revolutionary. Even the special effects artists themselves were wowed when they saw the completed film for the first time. That speaks volumes.
I had this on VHS as a kid. I must have watched this sequence in excess of 500 times over the last 35 years. There is simply nothing as thrilling in any movie since...kudos for the 4K cleanup.
I second that! No matter how many times I watch it, it still gives me goosebumps it's that good! I honestly couldn't tell you how many times I've watched this scene/whole movie. But I'm sure your 500 rewatch is probably a conservative estimate W M, no need to be modest. May the force be with you!
OK, but am I the only one that is going to point out the obvious here? Jedi ghosts are apparently watching Luke a LOT if not all the time, in order to chime in now and then on what he's doing. Luke is a healthy active young man, which means he probably wanks at least once a day, but how can he when he knows that there are old man ghosts watching him, possibly even whispering stuff to him when he's at it. No wonder he gets so pent up that he ends up making out with his sister.
Right there with you.
@@BoopSnoot That is so weird! Not what you said, but that I've been having similar thoughts lately. Though not in relation to Star Wars... more thinking about it in real life, if there is an afterlife, like are ghosts watching me wank? Sucks to be them, cause things are going to get weird.
@@Midnorme maybe that's ghost porn lol
This is how I saw it back in '77 at a huge movie theater in Guatemala City. At 4:53 it made me feel I was really there in one of those X-wings. Unforgettable.
You ever get to ride the original Star Tours at a Disney park? That was an amazing experience as you get to experience the trench run
Now that you specifically point out that scene, and I rewatched it like 5 times, I can't help but notice the awkward transition during the 2nd white flash from the AA guns xD The shots aren't perfectly aligned, and you can see the low and high detail models switching.
@@UsernameGeri What's important is that you never noticed it before. : )
Lol -- I was in San Pedro Sula at the same time, that's where I saw it!
ANH has aged amazingly. And yes, that shot is one of the coolest POV shots of all time for cinema.
That was PURE NASTALGIA. BRUNG BACK MEMORIES OF SEEING THIS MOVIE IN TIMES SQUARE IN THE 70'S. LOVE THIS MOVIE
Although I genuine love the special editions, it's so important to preserve and keep watching the absolute masterpiece that is the original. Thank you for the effort.
Where do you get the original? I thought that was why they did these, it's gone, destroyed.
I was 10 years old when this came out in 77 and it changed everything. I'd watched reruns of Star Trek and Space 1999 on TV when I could catch them (no TV guide I could read so it was always a crap shoot) and was really just getting into science fiction at the time. And then this. My neighbors down the street were going and asked me if my folks would let me go. Parents said yes so off we went. There wasn't a line yet at the only two screen cinema in town (I grew up in a fairly small town) because it had just come out so one coke and some popcorn later and it started up. That first scene with the Star Destroyer and the Tantive IV was just absolutely mind blowing. There had been NOTHING like this before and it stayed like that all the way through the film. Nobody wanted to leave for snacks or the bathroom and when it was over, that's where the line actually was.
I remember going home and begging my parents to let me see it again. We went like two weeks later and NOW there was a line. My Dad and I waited for probably 3 hours for a ticket (they would fill up the theater, show it, and then the next theater full of people would come in.) The line was out of the parking lot, past a burger place and out of the little shopping center the theater was in. Mom stayed in the car until Dad and I got closer to the front. What others are saying about the theater cheering when the Death Star blew up is absolutely true; it was the first time I'd ever seen anything like that too (but granted most of the stuff I'd seen up to then was kid movie stuff.) The movie stayed in town for like months and I was able to see it multiple more times before it left. That's the first time my parents really let me see a film more than once or twice.
The other kids in the neighborhood and I went NUTS over that movie afterwards. Cutting plastic tubing to tape to flashlights to make our own light sabers before the merch came out. No colored blades or anything. Had an absolute blast. You didn't really hear much after it was gone from the theaters, which did take a long time and it got re-released back a year or so later which was also unheard of. When I saw the trailer for EMPIRE it was like a damn bomb went off in the theater. Good times. =)
Actually, it was pretty common for big films to get rereleased. Just think "Gone With The Wind."
@dsolosan Not where I lived. Small town with a two screen theater. It was extremely rare to see a movie come through a second time.
@@frost2392 That would explain it. If you only have two screens in your area, it's hard to justify using one for a second-run film.
@@dsolosan At the time, a lot of people thought this movie was just a flash in the pan. The idea that it'd get rereleased, or that a sequel would be made, was a little far out. As kids we were hoping and praying for it, but we were just kids.
Thank you for the unaltered version and the 4k remaster. I wish Disney would release the original movies in 4k without any of the new special effects.
Welcome, thanks for the comment! and yeah I agree, Disney would make bank if they'd release the OT in their original form...
@@PrometheusOfVideos or at least a special edition that includes the originals in their original form.
yeah f george disney and everyone who has had a part to bury the work of the genius 1970s sfx filmmakers
@@merafirewing6591The Special Editions need to be extinct off the face of the Earth.
Fuck what George Lucas thinks.
It is all about the original theatrical trilogy.
THOSE are the ones that created the Star Wars legacy.
Not the shit-smelling Special Editions, and the even crappier Disney “MacKlunky” versions.
I was a teen leaving childhood behind, Star Wars blew me away and took me to the realm of sci-fi! The fascination never left me; I'm a middle-aged man and the joy of the saga is part of me forever...
I was there in the theater as a 7 year old boy in 1977 to witness the epic spectacle which was then only called "Star Wars". It was simply the greatest cinematic experience of my life. It expanded the boundaries of what a movie could be and brought hope, joy and excitement to a world that desperately needed it. It also fueled the imaginations of an entire generation of children like myself.
Been almost 30 years since I first watched this, and it STILL gets me to the edge of my seat.
Sadly, you never saw it in its original form....
During kid moment
Watching black n white TV
Some movies stay in memory
2024 0502
Shoutout to the unsung hero of this breathtaking scene - Marcia Lucas and her fantastic editing. Every cut is perfect for this tense action sequence. Neither too long nor too lingering.
I don’t know what all of this sudden new found love for Marcia Lucas is, but this is revisionist history. Not only was she not “unsung” (she won an Oscar for the editing of this film), but she was only one of three credited editors (Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew being the other two, who also took home Oscars). Marcia Lucas left the Star Wars editing work in November of 1976, before final editing was completed, to go work with Scorsese on “New York, New York”. And I say “credited editors”, because George Lucas also worked on the editing of the film, and it was he who was primarily responsible for the editing and pacing of this scene (Episode IV commentary;1:45:15, “The Making of Star Wars” Rinzler, 2007; pg 238). Marcia Lucas was a very talented “in demand” editor in the early-mid seventies, but much of the recent credit that has being assigned to her for Star Wars is inaccurate, and diminishes the work of others.
@@rorycobb8290 Yes, Hirsch and Chew were brought in as well. Marcia Lucas gets a ton of credit suddenly nowadays, but she was only one of a few of editors who recut the entire film. I think part of it is because people are trying to highlight the work of a female editor in the 70s, but the other people deserve equal credit. Apparently, it was pretty bad before the re-edits. In the original, there was not even a countdown to the rebel base being destroyed. They invented that later and put it back into the film to create a high stakes drama.
I think the prequels fell flat in many areas because George Lucas, at that point, was regarded as a god. No one wanted to question his creative instincts. But Lucas' was a bit out of touch with how to pace and edit a film. He took on way too much in the prequels and it shows. I'll never forget the clip of his crew watching The Phantom Menace and at the end, they're all just kind of stunned at how lame it is but people are tiptoeing around it.
@@logicaldude3611 I'm reading Hirsch's book right now. He came up with the countdown, recut the Luke in Obi Wan's house to make more sense. He also came up with Vader getting away in the end by repurposing already shot footage, (the shot of Vader and the two fighters leaving the Death Star is the same shot as Vader getting away with the TIE fighters taken out and the Vader spinning was an unused take from another shot) He also persuaded Lucas to lose the Jabba scene and the Biggs on Tattooine scene. The cut Lucas showed his friends was pretty much the final version we've all seen except none of the effects were done so nobody knew what to think about it but no one thought it was bad. I think some of his friends thought the story was a little trite and the performances a little stale.
It is a Master Class in Editing.
I don't think he was out of touch with pacing and such so much as he put too much attention on the new technology available for the prequels and thus didn't give the rest enough attention. That screening room viewing you talk about also suggests that they hadn't tracked their pacing and story progress well enough until that point, at which time it was too late to make major changes in that way (due to limited available material). At that point they did what they could.
Though I've generally enjoyed most of Episode I, if I'm being honest...it just suffered from some glaring flaws, but definitely felt like a Star Wars film to me.
This actually BLEW my mind; the incredible efforts of the teams who pulled this off back then! I feel like obscuring their work with modern computer effects is disrespectful, even the sound here is majestic. I love it all, thank you for sharing this with us.
1977, I was six. My Mom worked at KFRC radio station in San Fran and she came home that day and said, “we’re going to see a premier of a movie called Star Wars tonight”. No advertisement was out, so heard nothing and knew nothing. The sound, the letters across the screen, the star destroyer shooting; my six year old self was, “Whoa…!!” Blown away! Movie was over and David Proast, dressed in the real Darth Vader outfit came out from the exit door right of the screen, walked up the aisle and I saw him throw a kid out of his chair and on the floor. I was sitting in the aisle seat and almost pissed myself as he walked by. Awesome!!!
Great story...I was also six yrs. old when Star Wars changed the world, I saw it in Minneapolis, and then I saw it 3 more times that year, Star Wars has been a running theme through my life and I can't imagine life without it...did you get Boba Fett in the mail after saving up enough proof of purchases?
Did KFC give you free chicken to at the movie. That would be so nice
@@tradtke101 No I did not get free KFC, did you? What city did that happen? and if that is a joke, I guess I don't get it?
“It’ll be just like Beggers Canyon back home.”, he says as he rockets his X-Wing into the Death Star trench. Classic!!
Poor womp rats never knew what hit’em.
@@lewstone5430 Or Tarkin, for that matter.
It's a pity they left out the comeback by Wedge when Luke goes "I used to bullseye womp rats with my T-16 back home. They're not much bigger than 2 metres." The reply was "And did you have a thousand other, what did you call them, womp rats, shooting at you with blaster rifles? This will take a lot more than barnyard marksmanship, believe me." Used to have the novelisation. When Jabba was definitely human.
Beggers canyon was a rough place
Let's take a minute and recognize the legend that is Gold 5, chin strap not fastened, stabilize rear deflectors, stay on target!
Even 45 years later, still fantastic!
1977 this was the very first movie I ever saw in an indoor theater. I will never forget the experience.
Love this, I’d pay for a well done, 4k upscaled, DESPECIALIZED version of all 3.
But I honestly like the comments even more, 8 year old me seeing this in ‘77 formed much of me as a kid, Star Wars is a defining factor for many of our generation, it’s nice being amongst those that remember how special this really was.
I have all three despecialized in 4K. I found them on the high seas.
I'd send them to you but they're HUGE, each movie is 60GB.
Too bad you weren't around when I initially uploaded these back in 2021-2022, a lot of people asked if I could send my copies to them and I did it with a 30 day Dropbox trial to do it....😥
The Millennium Falcon coming out of the sun and taking out Darth Vader and his cronies to save Luke is one of the most exciting moments in film history. It might be the best moment in Star Wars history.
"I have you now." No, you don't thanks to Han Solo! What a scene, and sets the tone for the entire series.
Back in 1977, the whole theater exploded in cheers. What a scene. What a movie.
That was the moment I fell in love with Star Wars
@@jimsannerud6254 No one ever mentions that since Han was the pilot, Chewie would have had to be the gunner.
When me and my friends saw Star Wars in 77 we were 5 years old. We didnt want to be a Jedi. We wanted to be X-Wing pilots. All our dads/uncles loved the movie for the X-wings too since they were all in the military and wished they had them to fly.
Still wanna be an X-Wing Pilot to this day.
I was also 5, in 77 when this came out. This has been with us for our whole life. We are the original Star Wars generation.
Everytime we watched this on the original VHS, when the credits rolled we'd run around the house with our arms out stretched like x-wings and tie fighters, chasing and shooting each other to the music.
@@lamarravery4094 Gen X(wing)
Hell I was 5 in 1998 when I first saw this and being an X Wing pilot always won out over being a Jedi. Was impossible to play one on the playground compared to stick lightsabers though. Thank goodness for stuff like the Star Wars games like X Wing and TIE Fighter, and even Freespace.
I was 10 years old, and I saw it on the BIG screen not a multiplex half sized theater with my mom. I walked out numb. The next time my mom took me to see SW again, mom took me many times more, I had my own plastic toy light saber. Played with that until it broke.
This is incredible. Absolutely mind-blowing. Wow.
I saw episode 4 in the theater in 1977 and about 20 more times on tape between 1977 and 1999. I remember when the special editions were released, and I was impressed by how they were able to update or upgrade this scene to make it look better while still trying to maintain the older feel of the original from 1977. I thought the blend they did came out really well. (making it look newer but still feel older) I remember the Death Star had no shock wave when it exploded originally and they added it to make it look more like it did when it exploded in Return of the Jedi. Lots of parts of the dogfights were added and/or enhanced from the original. I always wondered if I would ever get to see the original ending again, and here it is.
This was an absolutely stunning piece of work. I'm speechless.
To whoever it was that made this clip; good job x 1000. Very, very well done. You deserve an Oscar or something. 👍
I so totally agree, it truly ticked me off when they put cgi over the explosion, what a crock!
I saw Rogue One in theater. When the Battle of Scariff started and the Rebels reported in, the part where Red Leader reported in was great, a lot of people in the theater were cheering seeing him again.
The fact that the best versions of the original trilogy are unavailable is ridiculous. Great work on this!
I have both versions of all three of the original and extended versions on DVD.
@IAMCAVE The original cuts on DVD were ripped from the laserdisc release and have inferior audio and video quality. The 4K77 cut is much, much better.
@@MrWhipple42 the ones I got are jes fine. 😉 but when $$ permits I’ll upgrade.
57 year old Generation Xer. Remember going to see Star Wars at the Burlington Mall theater when I was ten with my mom & 8 year old younger brother. WOW! been a life long fan ever since! I was lucky to see them all as George Lucas designed. Shared them with my kids. On video & DVD. As well as bringing them to the to the Disney era sequels. But nothing beats the OG! Rouge One being the best of them!
I was 5 years old when this movie came out. It ruled my life for nearly a decade, but changed my life forever.
The first time I watched this in the theater back in '77 I was a grade school kid. I remember most the awful knot in my gut every time one of the rebel pilots died. The build-up of tension in this scene, reinforced by the masterful musical score, was almost unbearable for me to watch, but I just couldn't unglue my eyes from the scene unfolding before me. The theater was packed and the moment the Death Star exploded - everyone - and I mean EVERYONE in the theater jumped up from their seats and started cheering and applauding. I'd never experienced anything like that before in a movie - and nothing even close to it since then. One of the most cherished moments of my childhood.
There are few movies for me too that have done that. Alien did that for me. Star Trek First Contact. This movie. Everyone lost their mind during rhe FPS scene for the Doom movie with Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson . I mean the movie was not great, but that music and the FPS scene. We lost our minds. An entire theatre yelling and cheering , attendants came in to see what the hell was going on .
@@firestuka8850 why was doom movie not great i thought it was good
@@davidjoelsson4929 Just for me, and I'm fine if others enjoy it more or less than I did.. for me, I didn't like the Doom movie as much because it was less about demons from hell and about mutations & chromosomes and was like An Alternate Universe Doom 3 , which isn't bad but wasn't very "helly". It Qasim almost a zombie infection take of hell's influence then am army of demons stamping out the humans on deimos and phobos labs. Reaper's sister screamed way too much for me.
The monsters weren't big enough. The pinky , the only one, was pretty small. The Doom roster was hardly used. It didn't have as much character as it could have. I give it a 6-7/10 cuz it was an ok movie, but it wasn't a pretty good *Doom* movie.
The final act of Star Wars is a master class on how to build tension and the setup and payoff. Movies up through the late 90's could deliver this type of story telling, but the pacing of movies these days just makes it impossible.
@@Indylimburg For a good modern example of this kind of tension buildup, climax, and payoff, Inception scores reasonably well in my opinion to deliver this kind of an effect. Truly masterpieces of cinema.
I saw this in Leicester Square, London in 1977. The whole school took a bus trip to see it. There had been nothing like Star Wars before. I can't explain how amazing it felt at the time.
Explain have you no need; amazing feeling too had I.
Me too.
I was 7 years old in 1977 , when I went to see this wonderful movie at the movie theater, one of my best day of my life, I will never forget the special effects seen them for the first time, the sound effects , mind blowing movie, it changed my life
I was 6 years old. My aunt came to town and took me to see it. It was the greatest thing ever! I still remember. Nothing lives up to that first viewing and ive allways compared it to all new releases.😊
Still blows me away to this day, after hundreds of viewings. It is the sound design that gets me every time. I can close my eyes and still be swept away
Right? the 'organic sound' library that was created...which won an academy award for sound mixing and rightfully so!
I've probably damaged several speakers from cranking the sound to this sequence.
The sound design is under-appreciated. There are many issues with the sequels and other Disney-era works, but one that never gets enough attention is the near-total destruction of the Star Wars soundscape all throughout.
Agreed the thundering sound effects are the icing on the cake. Modern Star Wars sounds so hollow and clean.
Even those ion cannons sound so sexy
As a 7 year old in '77 this has burned deep into my being; just watching this again gave me chills. Shout out to Marcia Lucas, without her editing skills this movie would not be what it is.
Editors don't get enough credit in filmmaking
You can give shout outs to many people. Without John Williams this film wouldn't be what it is.
May 1970 kid right here!
I was 6 in 77...right there with you
I was 8. I think it was perfect timing.
I don't care what anyone says, this still looks stunning to me in its original form.
My mom took my friend and I to see it in the theatre the first day it came out in 1977. I was 14 years old. BEST..........SHOW..........EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No other movie in this whole world moves me more than the original Star Wars Trilogy. This was my childhood, Luke was my hero, and he and I had some awesome adventures when I was a still a kid with imagination. May the force be with you, always!
Bruh im 21 and my fav characters from each era and i go on adventures all the time😂
Disgusting how Disney treated his character and our love for the original trilogy characters
It was an important cultural event for a generation of kids. SW taught us about sacrifice, ESB about friendship and loyalty, and ROTJ about redemption.
Always 1977
@@tomatodamashiBy having him sacrifice himself to the rebellion and teach the new Jedi the force? He was still a hero in the end, just as before.
Saw this in 77' in the Midwest 2 weeks before it opened in the west coast. Changed my life! All my friends were envious when i got home and told them about it.
This kind of movie is exactly what ignited the need of a huge theatre sound system overhaul, and so THX was born. Movies like this sounded as intended from then onwards..
I still think when Luke switches off the computer is one of the greatest scenes in this movie.
When he says "Nothing, I'm alright"...I get the best feeling.
Same
Sometimes, we need to switch off the computer, take a leap of faith and listen to that still, small voice...God has given us brains and a mind, we need to use them more.
My favorite moment in all of Star Wars. "NOTHING, I'M ALRIGHT!"... damn straight.
@@iangunn49 It is a great moment. I feel like a part of it plays into one of the biggest themes of the movie. The mechanistic, faceless might of the Empire against the inspirational people and principles of the Rebellion. The Rebels are fighting the Empire on their own turf with the same kind of weapons, but what they really need is something... more.
saw it in the theater in '77, when it was just called star wars. when the death star exploded, the whole audience cheered. thanks for the memories.
42 Years old and I can still watch this like I'm a kid all over a kid. This is such a techinical marvel.
Brilliant! It's important to preserve the original (and superior) version of this film.
I still believe that this sequence really put the audience 'in the cockpit' unlike any other I've seen. Absolute movie magic!!
Imagine if the 3D tech back then was as advanced as it is today,imagine how great the battle would’ve felt
@@paulmallon9033 It would have been rubbish. CGI gets vastly overused today to the point where you can't tell what the hell is going on. I much prefer models.
@@paulmallon9033 We saw what happened. It’s called the “special” editions and the prequels.
@@mintydog06 yea agreed. prime example: LOTR vs The hobbit. that feeling of being in middle earth is far superior with lord of the rings compared to the hobbit like not even close thats just focusing on that aspect of the films id say the hobbit as a whole is trash compared to LOTR ,but thats just my opinion
That "fixed-on-the-dash" camera position is iconic of Star Wars.
saw this with mom at a drive in in Manahawkin NJ ;) middle of nowhere far away from the city light pollution and under the stars that lit up the black as pitch night. the death star blowing up on the 60-foot curved screen against the backdrop of the night sky perfectly blending together was epic. no standing ovation but what seemed like a hundred cars blaring their horns and flashing headlights and cheers. quite unforgettable and inspiring
Ah I can’t wait to tell my daughter that once upon a time Star Wars was the benchmark of quality film making
I love that Luke tells Wedge to back off, knowing that if he stayed and provided cover for Luke, he likely would’ve been killed. That works well too because then during the Battle of Endor, Wedge gets his revenge for all his fallen comrades
Yes indeedy, Red group is actually Rogue Squadron that went into the Battle of Endor as Red group in honor of the fallen from this battle.
Yet he left Biggs behind
You can cut the tension in this scene with a knife. I don't think any movie ever made me ride the end of my seat more than this. What an absolutely perfect scene.
I saw it as a 7 year old in the theater in 1977 and still remember how tense it felt.
the pacing is excellent. it's an all time iconic sequence
The power of a good film editor. I read that the rough cut of this film was abysmal, until Lucas' wife at the time herself a film editor, re-edited the entire Battle of Yavin sequence. Marcia Lucas went on to win the Academy Award for best film editing that year. An extremely well deserved award.
I was stunned as a kid, their willingness to just kill off good guys, one by one, by one... all that loss makes the final win so much bigger.
EDIT: The more I think about it, this scene plays like the Red Wedding, but in an (ostensibly) "kids" movie. Amazing. No one would have the guts to do this today. Heck, no one else had the guts to do it back then, either.
Also notice how the pilots are acting like trained professionals. As soon as Wedge said "look at the size of that thing" he's quickly reprimanded by his superior. When their wingmen get shot down no one is crying and throwing a hissy fit, they don't have time for that. When they shoot down an enemy fighter they don't celebrate and make stupid jokes. Rogue One did this pretty well too.
Compare this to something like the battle of Coruscant in ROTS, where everyone joking around and making stupid quips all the time, there is absolutely 0 tension.
Summer 1977. I was 17. Seems like yesterday I was always saving my lawnmowing money to go see it again and again. One of the most memorable summers of my life.
Awesome. This looks better than ever, just the way it was back in 1977!
I was five years old when I saw this at the local drive-in theater. We were in the back of an old Ford or Chevy pickup truck on an old mattress my dad kept in the garage for watching movies at the drive-in.
I remember I kept looking up at the stars in the night sky looking for the Rebel X-Wing fighters while watching this scene.
Thank you for the awesome memories!
Fantastic! Saw this in the theatre when I was 16 and was completely dumbstruck. The opening scene where the Star Destroyer *flies over you* chasing the smaller ship set the stage. You could *hear* it like it was actually flying overhead! I’d never experienced anything like that before. It completely changed the way I thought movies ought to be presented. Nobody had ever done things with sound the way Star Wars did. It was truly an immersive experience!
You are exactly right. Thanks for putting in words what I could not.
Wow my 1995 edition VHS trilogy has never looked better.
Seriously that was the last time I saw the despecialized versions
I was 14 when I saw it at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. They had the imprints of the actors in cement and had employees dressed like the characters. I had scene Space 1999 battles. However, my mouth stayed open through the film. Everything was fantastic. I was so afraid for the rebels until Han Solo flew in. Afterwards I was in a trance for weeks. I saw the Star Wars 14 times and got into student film making and special effects as a hobby, Thank you George Lucas for starting the Sci Fi Renaissance,
For years I've longed to see the original death star explosion. Thank you.
Thanks for the thanks! Welcome and glad I could provide it
Tbh it looks like a rather cheap pyrotechnic effect (which it really is) and not at all believable or realistic for a massive detonation of a moon-sized superweapon. But the remastered version doesn't look quite appropriate either, though quite soulless.
@@axelhopfinger533 People back in 1977 seemed to have gotten their money's worth, so it can't have been too bad of an effect.
@@MrPoeGhost Guess it was fit for the purpose at the time. At least it had lots of glittery sparks to dazzle the already dazzled audience.
@@axelhopfinger533 Lucas got a lot of inspiration for the look of the spaceships in Star Wars from Space 1999, along with those explosions.
Still blows me away that this film was done with a $11m budget. Considering just the pre-production cost alone… this was an amazing feat.
George Lucas and Gary Kurtz!
Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $52 million today. Still low cost by today's standards.
@@blakemore99 For the end of the 1970ties standards that was an ok budget. Not top of the line, but still doable. The film does look like higher value though...
I was 7 years old when I saw Star Wars for the first time. It was not in theaters and it was the Special Edition Gold Box but man it changed my life. This was just as thrilling to watch as it has been the last 1000 times. I'd love to see the OT in it's unspecialized glory.
I was 7 when we saw Star Wars. My dad wasn't too thrilled about a "Space Movie" he was a classic movie buff and I think Alec Guinness was the only reason he went. I best memory of the movie was when they were walking thru the Death Star with Chewy in cuffs and a mouse droid came around the bend a Chewy roarded and it went back up the hallway. My dad recalled that I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my seat.
the iconic famous words.. "Stay on Target"
Famous last words, as it turned out.
I cant be the only one with a soft spot for Porkins.