Star Wars – One Scene: Two Suns, Myriad Possibilities
Two Suns. Lots Of Memories
Today, life gave me a little gift. Or was it Tik Tok?
Either way, I had a very nice moment watching this video breaking down John Williams’ composition that played behind the Twin Suns scene in the original Star Wars.
@brettboles#duet with @brettboles #starwarsfan #theforce #filmscore #johnwilliams #themtea♬ original sound – The M Tea! 🎶 with Brett Boles
Now, Brett set me up pretty nicely to search for a breakdown of that seminal scene, my favorite moment in ANY movie ever.
BTW: That’s 46 years of movies (and I saw Star Wars (1977) first).
Thankfully, Lucasfilm is in the midst of a series of articles based on “Defining Moments.”
Quiet Scenes: Much To Say
American Graffiti. Image: Lucasfilm.
Audiences who had seen American Graffiti in 1973 might have noted a familiar theme when they went to see Star Wars: A New Hope four years later. College-bound friends Curt and Steve, two of Graffiti’s main characters, wrestled with dreams and distress about a future outside of their small town. Similarly, in A New Hope, an adolescent on a far-off planet named Luke Skywalker laments being stuck at home with its obligations. [Both photos are above]
Owen and Beru. Image: Lucasfilm.
Luke’s yearning and frustration takes him outside at sundown. The harsh desert world of Tatooine has not one but two suns. Atop a small rise in the barren landscape, Luke gazes into the fading light without a word. A gentle piece of orchestral score illustrates his emotions. Writer and director George Lucas would note that he asked composer John Williams for something “romantic” and “wistful”….
Anakin. Image: Lucasfilm.
The image of twin suns originates in George Lucas’ rough-draft summary of “The Star Wars” from 1974, wherein early characters King Kayos and Queen Breha watched the sunset from their “Palace of Lite.” The idea survived revisions into screenplay form. In 1975, artist Ralph McQuarrie painted a scene of the desert planet with the suns visible. Lucas had developed the characters Luke and Leia as twins, and the suns reflected this “mythological significance” according to “The Making of Star Wars” by former Lucasfilm executive editor J.W. Rinzler.
The Clone Wars. Image: Lucasfilm.
Alpha Omega
And, of course, Lucasfilm has used the motif in many, many of its Star Wars films.
From beginning to the end. Image: Lucasfilm.
And for a kid who grew up on a street with a small farm stand at the end of it, with cows nearby. And with a whole lot of woods and; well, you get it. I could relate to looking off into the sunset dreaming of a larger world.
I’ll admit it. Adventure. Excitement. I caved these things.
And, well, fast forward to the present. Different planet, er, town. But I’m surrounded by farms and orchards – plenty of woods.
But hey, Luke ended up in a similar spot, too.
