In a galaxy far, far away exists the original cut of George Lucas’ 1977 space opera Star Wars. But maybe that galaxy isn’t all that far, as the “first print” of the film – which Lucas dramatically and controversially changed in 1997 – had a rare screening this week.
Star Wars was the main attraction at the BFI Film on Film Festival in London, marking the first time since 1978 that this particular print of the original cut has been screened. To set up the event, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy joked, “I’m here to make sure you don’t think this is an illegal screening,” which we’ve all seen as problematic for much-sought-after films. As previously reported, the British Film Institute had extensive negotiations with Disney and Lucasfilm over the conditions of the screenings.
Touching on the significance of this original print of Star Wars – which had been stored in a temperature-controlled environment – being shown in such a capacity, Kennedy noted, “It’s incredible folklore. Even when I came into the company, there was endless conversation about where everything was, and what was in fact the first print? And it’s quite remarkable, what you’re going to see is in fact the first print, and I’m not even sure there’s another one quite like it. It’s that rare. There’s so much tinkering that’s gone on over the years, and things that George [Lucas] decided, ‘I’m gonna change this, I’m gonna try that.’ And then, everybody kind of lost track of what it was.”
We couldn’t possibly go into the “what it was” vs. the “what it is” of Star Wars (and, really, do we need another breakdown?), but when it comes down to it, there is a huge percentage of fans that only know a galaxy where Greedo shot first. That’s an issue. Yes, ultimately George Lucas is the one to decide how his film should be seen, especially since he never truly felt that Star Wars was “complete” when released, but to hide the original version from public eye and home video is a sin for film fans.
The Star Wars franchise is as busy as ever but with this recent screening of the original cut, it’s hard to get one question off the mind: Is there a new hope to get a wide release?
