ANH Chapter 4: Artoo's Mission DISCUSSION

Until the release of ROTS on 5/19/05, I would like to discuss ANH chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 47 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 1: Opening Logos, Chapter 2: A New Hope and Chapter 50: End Credits.

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 4: Artoo's Mission
DISCUSSION: November 2, 2004 - November 6, 2004
DVD TIME INDEX: 4:53 - 7:27

Synopsis:
A disc is being inserted into Artoo. C-3PO comes down the corridor looking for his droid companion. C-3PO sees Princess Leia, daughter of Bail Organa before the droid hiding and moving suspiciously. She moves away. Artoo comes to C-3PO. C-3PO expresses his concerns to Artoo. Artoo runs off again. Leia removes her hood to see the droids leaving the vicinity. The Imperial Stormtroopers lead captured rebels down the corridor. They come to another part of the ship, where Darth Vader chokes Captain Antilles, because the Death Star plans are not in the computer. Antilles denies any transmissions. Vader throughs him against the wall and tells the troops that he wants the ship torn apart. Imperials are looking around the corridor. Leia comes into view. The Imperials spot her. She shoot one troop and runs away. A troop stuns her and takes her prisoner. Artoo enters into an escape hatch, followed by C-3PO, who is almost shot at. An escape pod detaches from the Rebel ship. The Imperial ship spots it and says there's no lifeforms in it. The escape pod makes it's way to the planet of Tatooine. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
A continuation of an action packed beginning introduces Princess Leia putting the plans into R2-D2's memory banks. It's a good first shot for Leia. Most of the scene is mainly the husband and wife bickering between Artoo and C-3PO.

I like how Artoo is always the adventerous one, lovable but always looking for trouble and C-3PO is the meek follow along. The interaction between the two characters shows more of a relationship between the two. I like how Artoo receives the plans, because it fits more into his character than it would C-3PO. Leia in the scene shows to be sneaking and quiet. She's silent through the whole chapter adding intrigue.

When Vader chokes Captain Antilles, it feels like this guy has the power. We still haven't identitfied him as a Sith Lord, but know that he has a grudge against the rebels. Antilles buys the droids so time, by sacrificing his life. A recurring theme throughout the saga begins within the first ten minutes. The blue ring is so serial that it make Star Wars more of an homage to the genre.

End the scene with the escape pod, Lucas shows beauty in space and a way to further the story, an element also used in Phantom Menace, when escaping from ship to planet. Good scene.

 

"We still haven't identitfied him as a Sith Lord"

I noticed that when I watched the DVD for the first time. He physically chokes him. He doesn't use any Force Powers. In fact, the conference aboard the Death Star is the first time we learn he is a Force user - through dialogue and display of power.
Until then, he's a black robot-guy villain.
Nice. Probably won't work after RotS, but still.

 

First time we get to hear Princess Leia's theme.

The interaction b/w the driods is timeless.

 

Quite a frantic scene this - are the droids going to get out of there before Vader manages to find them and the plans?

The first longshot of Leia putting the plans into Artoo's memory banks, through all the mist, is just classic SW - it's a great shot. The whole scene between Artoo and Threepio here is great. It's a scene wonderfully paralleled in AotC as Threepio and Artoo argue about whether to help Padme and Anakin or not - both result in Threepio resorting to name-calling, yet still following Artoo.

The thing that stands out in the Vader/choking scene is Vader's height - I love the shot of Antilles' feet off the ground, just to really sell it. The cracking noises of Antilles' neck are great, too - nasty, but not too graphic or disgusting. Also, these are JEJ's first lines in the trilogy, and he really gets across that if Vader's angry, you don't cross him. I love the design of Leia's blaster, the one with the long barrel - I'm guessing a longer barrel helps with accuracy, as Leia seems to be the only main character who can actually shoot straight and hit her target 95% of the time. The stun effect is fun, too - it's a shame we don't see it anywhere else in the movies, but it's a nice effect.

Artoo and Threepio's lucky escape from the gunners is a typical case of the SW characters being incredibly lucky - or is it just the Force? I love the line "There goes another one" - a subtle way of telling us that other rebels have tried to escape in pods, and have been blown to smithereens. Finally, the music at the end and the final shot of Tatooine is fantastic. This is another instance where, although of course it would not have been planned in 1977, watching the movies in I-VI order will be great, as we'll already (I assume) after RotS know that Luke is on Tatooine, and here go Artoo and Threepio to land on that very planet ... It's the ciiiiiircle of liiiife!!!

 

A side note about the escape pod: this was the ONLY shot ILM had ready when George returned from Tunisia. The stuff-ups of those geeks pushed the start date from Christmas to Memorial Day. It was a good thing that happened!

No coments here, I'm waiting for the next scene when Leia smartmouths Vader but i love how Artoo and Threepio bicker.

 

This particular scene along with the ones before it are those that I don't think anyone could ever forget. Its the classic story of a beautiful maiden sending a distress call for help to be rescued from a villian. Very nice.

 

"I'm going to regret this."


With that one line..the Saga rocketed off!

 

QuoteA side note about the escape pod: this was the ONLY shot ILM had ready when George returned from Tunisia. The stuff-ups of those geeks pushed the start date from Christmas to Memorial Day. /Quote

I think i should point out that while it is true that ILM had not accomplished everything they were expected to you have to remember they were building from scratch.

Those motion control cameras are not easy to design/build. And i really think even if they hadnt shoved in a production team in there they would have started shovelling stuff out quickly, you just need to get over the initial slow work to make sure it all works first.

Gotta remember too those computers were custom made something that again takes time.

I think a lot of crap has been said of ILM in its earliest months about being too much of a think tank but when you look at the results i think they speak for themselves.

 

Gotta love 3PO and R2.

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). ANH Chapter 5: Vader Confronts the Princess DISCUSSION will be made available 12:00 AM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138

 

I think i should point out that while it is true that ILM had not accomplished everything they were expected to you have to remember they were building from scratch.



Yes, but as I said before George had just come back from Tunsia and he found out that they had virtually stuffed around while he was gone. Even John Dykstra admitted that they had wasted time.

After that George went to hospital after suffereing an anxiety attack. He promised that once he finished SW he wasn't going to make another film again. Good for us he broke that promise.


Those motion control cameras are not easy to design/build. And i really think even if they hadnt shoved in a production team in there they would have started shovelling stuff out quickly, you just need to get over the initial slow work to make sure it all works first.



Yes, yes and yes but George wanted them to do the film, not make new technology. They did some very stange stuff like giving a fridge a funeral and getting an escape slide from a plane and coating it with cooking oil.

I do admit if it wasn't for them, we might have special effects like on Dr. Who