A Long Time Ago in a Theater Far Away: STAR WARS as a Silent Film
August 23, 2010 —With the 30th Anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK this summer and the news of all six STAR WARS films arriving on Blu-ray next year, fan-made mash ups of George Lucas' cinematic galaxy have proliferated on the interwebs lately. From Lego block remakes to 1950s sci-fi B-movies, the Saga has been remixed thoroughly and cleverly online, but not completely. Well, not yet.
A group of filmmaker fans known as Anachronisme has recently given STAR WARS the silent treatment by turning the climactic lightsaber duel between Luke and Vader into a scratched, high-contrast simulation of a 1920s silent film: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as if directed by Fritz Lang.
The story's the same, but the intertitle cards have replaced dialogue with accurate but occasionally humorous effect, and the old-timey piano treatment of John Williams' Imperial March theme really pull the emotion out of the melody in a strangely effective manner. The visual effects turning time back sixty years on this color film are truly impressive, especially the more you know about and have seen vintage silent films from that era. Give this a screening and enjoy!
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are available on DVD and coming soon to Blu-ray