National Film Vault
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FILM NOTES
Lucasfilm's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace arrived in May 1999 as one of the most anticipated theatrical releases in cinema history, marking George Lucas's return to the director's chair after more than two decades. The film introduced a new generation to the Star Wars universe while reuniting longtime fans with a beloved mythology, and its production on 35mm captured a visual scale that remains a defining artifact of late-twentieth-century blockbuster filmmaking.
This cell, titled Obi-Wan Kenobi Duels Darth Maul, preserves three frames from the climactic lightsaber sequence set within the Theed Generator Complex. Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn and Ray Park as Darth Maul clash in the opening frames, followed by Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan engaging Darth Maul directly. The third frame captures an intense overexposed flash marking a decisive moment in the duel.