Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Released in 1999 by Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox, The Phantom Menace marked the return of the Star Wars saga after a sixteen year absence from theaters, introducing audiences to the prequel era and the fall of the Galactic Republic. As the first new entry since 1983, it carried immense anticipation and became a cultural event in its own right, drawing record crowds and reintroducing the franchise to a new generation while reconnecting longtime fans with the galaxy far, far away.
This 35mm cell preserves a moment from the climactic lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul, one of the most anticipated confrontations of the film. Obi-Wan, apprentice to Qui-Gon Jinn and a central figure across the entire saga, makes his defining early stand here, while Darth Maul stands as one of the era's most striking antagonists. For collectors, this pairing represents a pivotal turning point in Obi-Wan's journey, a moment of transition from student to warrior that echoes throughout the films that follow.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even and the punched corners are rounded and clean.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block pattern visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, and a DTS timecode stripe is also discernible as a thin line beside the optical track.
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; faint edge markings are present but cannot be quoted with confidence.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-violet tint consistent with a dye-based colour print stock; dye image appears neutral with no obvious colour shift.
Projection history
Light horizontal scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot and are consistent with a scene from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
Era check
The combination of variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and DTS timecode stripe is consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1990s, matching the 1999 release of the film on record.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000064075
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
