National Film Vault
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FILM NOTES
George Lucas returned to the director's chair for the first time in over two decades when 20th Century Fox released Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in May 1999. The film launched a prequel trilogy that expanded the mythology of one of cinema's most enduring franchises, drawing enormous global audiences and marking a turning point in the industry's use of digital production techniques.
This cell captures Obi-Wan Kenobi dueling Darth Maul within the corridor and hangar interiors of the climactic lightsaber sequence, with the large cylindrical structures of the Theed Palace generator complex visible in the background. A second frame preserves a brilliant flash of light between the two combatants, freezing a moment of peak intensity from one of the saga's most celebrated fights.