The attack on the Death Star is one of the most iconic and impressive scenes from the first Star Wars. But you know, it would be different if the decorator didn’t want to save a week’s work…
As FilmStarts recalls, the story of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope is full of coincidences, improvisations and accidents, but one of them was good: without him, the attack symbol of the Death Star, which ends with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). With force guided sniping, hitting the battle station’s sweet spot would be very different!
A simple time saver
Who would have thought that the iconic scene only existed because designer and layout artist Colin Cantwell was desperately trying to save a week of work? The latter, who left us last year, qualified for the position thanks to his work on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. He created original sketches for Star Wars starships such as the X-wing, Star Destroyer, TIE Fighter and worked on the Imperial Death Star itself.
As you know, before the fatal shot, Luke and his comrades fly to their destination in the trench of the Death Star. Such an action scene has never been seen in cinema before: the flight through this narrow gorge is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and technically impressive moments of the film. But as Colin Cantwell In a 2016 Reddit Q&A, it was pointed out that the Death Star wasn’t originally supposed to have such a trench for rebel pilots!
George Lucas entrusted the design project of the “Death Star”. I didn’t originally plan for the Death Star to have a moat, but while working with the mold I noticed that the two halves narrowed to the point where they met in the middle. It would take a week of work just to fill this depression, sand it and fill it again. Therefore, in order to save my job, I went to Giorgi and offered to dig a ditch. He loved the idea so much that it became one of the most iconic moments in the film!
It seems that when Colin Cantwell Relax, legends are born. We can only thank him!
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope will be rediscovered streaming on Disney+, as will the rest of the saga.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
