National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

George Lucas returned to the director's chair for the first time since the original Star Wars to launch this prequel trilogy for 20th Century Fox. Released in May 1999, The Phantom Menace became a cultural event of rare magnitude, introducing a new generation to the saga while expanding its mythology with the early days of the Republic and the Jedi Order at its height.

This cell, titled Yoda and Mace Windu, captures both figures within the Jedi Council chamber, seated in the characteristic low, reclined posture familiar to the scene. The three consecutive frames preserve a single quiet moment between two of the Order's most senior members, the warm wooden tones of the chamber interior lending the image a contemplative stillness.