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 Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox released Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in May 1999. The film carried enormous cultural weight as the first prequel to the original trilogy, drawing record-breaking opening audiences and introducing a new generation to the Star Wars universe on 35mm before digital projection became standard.
This cell, titled Obi-Wan Kenobi Duels Darth Maul, captures consecutive frames from the climactic lightsaber sequence set within the Theed Generator Complex. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ray Park as Darth Maul are visible across three progressive frames, preserving the fluid motion of one of the most choreographically ambitious duels committed to film during the era.