Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

***Star Wars*: Episode IV *A New Hope***, originally released as ***Star Wars***, is a 1977 science fantasy film written and directed by George Lucas. Ground-breaking in its use of special effects, this is among a handful of the most successful films of all time and is generally considered one of the most influential as well. The film was selected to be preserved by the Library of Congress as part of its National Film Registry. The film was selected in 1989, the program's first year in existence.

It is the first *Star Wars* film, the first chapter of the original trilogy and the beginning of the *Star Wars* franchise.

The film is set about 19 years after the formation of the Galactic Empire; construction has finished on the Death Star, a weapon capable of destroying a planet. After Princess Leia Organa, a leader of the Rebel Alliance, receives the weapon's plans in the hope of finding a weakness, she is captured and taken to the Death Star. Meanwhile, a young farmer named Luke Skywalker meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived in seclusion for years on the desert planet of Tatooine. When Luke's home is burned and his aunt and uncle killed, Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training as they—along with Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2—attempt to rescue the Princess from the Empire.

Inspired by films like the *Flash Gordon* serials and the samurai films of Akira Kurosawa, as well as such critical works as Joseph Campbell's *The Hero with a Thousand Faces* and Frank Herbert's *Dune* books, Lucas began work on *Star Wars* in 1974. Produced with a budget of US$11,000,000 and released on May 25, 1977, the film became one of the most successful of all time, earning $215 million in the United States and $337 million overseas during its original theatrical release, as well as winning several film awards, including 10 Academy Award nominations. It was re-released several times, sometimes with significant changes; the most notable versions were the 1997 Special Edition and the 2004 DVD, which were modified with CGI effects and recreated scenes. It was re-released in the Blu-ray format in September of 2011.

## Opening Crawl

```
It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking
from a hidden base, have won
their first victory against
the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel
spies managed to steal secret
plans to the Empire's
ultimate weapon, the DEATH
STAR, an armored space
station with enough power
to destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire's
sinister agents, Princess
Leia races home aboard her
starship, custodian of the
stolen plans that can save her
people and restore
freedom to the galaxy....

```

## Plot

The galaxy is in the midst of a civil war. Spies for the Rebel Alliance have stolen plans to the Galactic Empire's Death Star, a heavily armed space station capable of destroying an entire planet. Rebel leader Princess Leia has the plans, but her ship is captured by Imperial forces under the command of the evil Darth Vader. Before she is captured, Leia hides the plans in the memory of an astromech droid, R2-D2, along with a holographic recording. The droid flees to the surface of the desert planet Tatooine with C-3PO, a protocol droid.

The droids are captured by Jawa traders, who sell them to moisture farmers Owen and Beru Lars and their nephew, Luke Skywalker. While cleaning R2-D2, Luke accidentally triggers part of Leia's message, in which she requests help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. The next morning, Luke finds R2-D2 searching for Obi-Wan, and meets Ben Kenobi, an old hermit who lives in the hills and reveals himself to be Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan tells Luke of his days as one of the Jedi Knights, former Galactic Republic peacekeepers with supernatural powers derived from an energy called The Force, who were all but wiped out by the Empire. Contrary to his uncle's statements, Luke learns that his father, Anakin, fought alongside Obi-Wan as a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan tells Luke that Vader was his former pupil who turned to the dark side of the Force and killed his father, Anakin. Obi-Wan then presents to Luke his father's weapon – a lightsaber.

Obi-Wan views Leia's complete message, in which she begs him to take the Death Star plans to her home planet of Alderaan and give them to her father for analysis. Obi-Wan invites Luke to accompany him to Alderaan and learn the ways of the Force. Luke declines, but changes his mind after discovering that Imperial stormtroopers searching for C-3PO and R2-D2 have destroyed his home and killed his aunt and uncle. Obi-Wan and Luke hire smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee first mate Chewbacca to transport them to Alderaan on Han's ship, the *Millennium Falcon*.

Upon the *Falcon*'s arrival at the location of Alderaan, the group discover that the planet has been destroyed by order of the Death Star's commanding officer, Grand Moff Tarkin, as a show of power. The *Falcon* is captured by the Death Star's tractor beam and brought into its hangar bay. While Obi-Wan goes to disable the tractor beam, Luke discovers that Leia is imprisoned aboard, and with the help of Han and Chewbacca, rescues her. After several escapes, the group makes its way back to the *Falcon*. Obi-Wan disables the tractor beam, and on the way back to the *Falcon*, he engages in a lightsaber duel with Vader. Once he is sure the others can escape, Obi-Wan allows himself to be killed. The *Falcon* escapes from the Death Star, unknowingly carrying a tracking beacon, which the Empire follows to the Rebels' hidden base on Yavin IV.

The Rebels analyze the Death Star's plans and identify a vulnerable exhaust port that connects to the station's main reactor. Luke joins the Rebel assault squadron, while Han collects his payment for the transport and intends to leave, despite Luke's request that he stay and help. In the ensuing battle, the Rebels suffer heavy losses after several unsuccessful attack runs, leaving Luke as one of the few surviving pilots. Vader leads a squad of TIE fighters and prepares to attack Luke's X-wing fighter, but Han returns and fires on the Imperials, sending Vader spiraling away. Helped by guidance from Obi-Wan's spirit, Luke uses the Force and successfully destroys the Death Star seconds before it can fire on the Rebel base. Back on Yavin IV, Leia awards Luke and Han with medals for their heroism.

## Cast

* Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker
* Carrie Fisher - Leia Organa
* Harrison Ford - Han Solo
* Peter Mayhew - Chewbacca
* David Prowse - Darth Vader
* James Earl Jones - Darth Vader (Voice)
* Alec Guiness - Obi-Wan Kenobi
* Peter Cushing - Wilhuff Tarkin
* Anthony Daniels - C-3PO
* Kenny Baker - R2-D2
* Phil Brown - Owen Lars
* Shelagh Fraser - Beru Lars
* Denis Lawson - Wedge Antilles
* Garrick Hagon - Biggs Darklighter
* Angus Machlnness - Dutch Vander / Gold Leader
* Drewe Henley - Garven Dreis / Red Leader
* Rohan Nichol - Raymus Antilles
* Alex McCrindle - Jan Dodonna

## Soundtracks

Total Time: 74:58

## Appearances

### Planets

* Tattoine
* Yavin IV
* Aldeeran
* Dantooine (Mentioned)

### Vehicles

* Millenium Falcon
* Luke's Landspeeder
* Rebel X-Wing Fighter
* Rebel Y-Wing Fighter
* Imperial TIE Fighter
* Imperial Star Destroyer
* Darth Vader's TIE Advanced
* Tantive IV

### Droid Types

* Protocol Droid
* Astomech Droid

### Organizations

* Rebel Alliance
* Galactic Empire
* Jedi Order (Mentioned)

### Armies

* Rebel Trooper Army
* Rebel Fleet
* Imperial Army