National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

George Lucas returned to the director's chair for the first time since the original Star Wars to deliver this 1999 Lucasfilm production, released through 20th Century Fox. The Phantom Menace launched a prequel trilogy that expanded the mythology of one of cinema's most enduring franchises, introducing new worlds, characters, and a generation of audiences to the saga on the big screen.

This cell, titled Qui-Gon Jinn, captures Liam Neeson in a close-up of the Jedi Master's face, filmed near a reflective surface under warm interior lighting. The sequential frames suggest a quiet, intimate moment within a single continuous shot, preserving the stillness and gravity Neeson brought to this central role.