The Storytelling Language of Star Wars

[@patrickhwillems]

Correction: Attack of the Clones is actually the first movie to use lightsabers as a light source. I somehow forgot this until right after I'd uploaded the video.

[@Jerech89]

Keep on the good work! Great video man, i really like the content you're making. Just great!

[@daviddenis4178]

It also has several really out of place crash zooms during the clone wars battle at the end that I'm surprised you didn't bring up.

[@arthur4350]

1) The Prequels used less CGI and more practical effects than both the originals and the sequels. So again an argument that keeps harping on the animated backgrounds of the prequels is just untrue, unhelpful and shows that you did not do as much research as you claim to have done. 2) The characters communicating across a space seemingly by Force was done in the famous Anakin-Padme staring each other across Coruscant skyline in ROTS. It wasn't something that just returned after Empire Strikes Back and then Last Jedi. If anything Last Jedi's use was directly inspired by Revenge of the Sith since that was again about a couple. 3) Obviously the choice of shots reflects intent for the scene and how it is to be looked. The fact that the prequels are distant and more "objective" surely has everything to do with the fact that unlike the original films which is about the good guys, the prequels is about Anakin becoming a murderous psychopath and as such he doesn't want the audience to identify too much with him. The more intense opening of The Phantom Menace with Qui-Gon and young Obi-Wan and the less intensive objective shots in Revenge of the Sith is reflected in the fact that in the former you have an aging Jedi (whose death is foreshadowed in his vulnerability there) and a young padawan novice, while in the latter you have experienced pros at the height of their prowess and experience. Style has to be in service to the story rather than at the expense of itself.

[@wmichaelbooth]

It's literally impossible for the Prequels to have used less CGI than the originals.

[@henryglennon3864]

How DARE you forget about Attack of the Clones! Also, on a related note; can you share with the rest of us how you were able to forget about Attack of the Clones?

[@1080TJ]

One of the most interesting additions I noticed in TLJ was when Luke was training Rey and explaining the Force, we got a quick cut montage showing light and darkness, life and death, etc on the planet. It was the most "in touch" with the Force I've ever felt as a viewer.

[@beancheesedip8337]

TJ Hastie I don’t know if you ever played it, but it reminded me a lot of KOTOR 2 when you first land on Nar Shadaa and I was very happy about that.

[@blokey8]

Also dialogue intercut with visuals that are happening elsewhere. Rey's description of the cave vision leads straight into her seeming breakthrough with Kylo, and then we have Luke's "everything you said was wrong" speech playing over Rey with the rocks, Poe and Finn emerging into the light, etc.

[@tupacca5136]

but Luke doesn't flip around and fight AT-AT legs SO IT SUCKS

[@TheeGrumpy]

But why did the montage include a pupil dilating and heroin coursing through a bloodstream??

[@totallyanonymousbish9599]

"trained" lmao. You wish.

[@Foomandoonian]

And not a single mention of the wipe transitions!

[@mikedrop4421]

Yeah, he did mention the flash back though. He also said the technical story telling hasn't been mentioned much. That's BS, I'm in the hate TLJ camp but think the technical aspect is by far the best in the series and every time I discuss it with a TLJ hater it comes up. Every time. That's the only thing both camps absolutely agree on!

[@karlkarlos3545]

He mentioned the visuell influence of Kurosawa though. So the wipes are indirect covered.

[@mphylo2296]

@@karlkarlos3545 Yeah George pretty much took them wholesale from Kurosawa so it's really more a case of George paying homage to one of his heroes rather than a unique part of Star Wars's storytelling

[@felipea1399]

@@mikedrop4421 He didnt say that tho... He said its not as talked

[@MrLarryboy7000]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the constant close-up inserts of characters' hands in The Last Jedi. It's the first time that up-close shots of this nature have been used really to heighten clarity of character action. Luke's metal hand first touching the lightsaber, Kylo's hands on the trigger of his ship's blasters, Rey and Kylo's hands touching, Kylo's hand force-igniting the light saber to kill snoke, Luke giving Leia the dice, etc. It was one of the visual storytelling elements about The Last Jedi that I loved the most.

[@TheCatLoverLord]

MrLarryboy7000 Same

[@sherlockmurdockkreia7330]

I walked out of the theater when Luke started drinking that blue milk… finished watching it on disney+ and still hate the film to this day, that trilogy is not canon in my brain, it's not that I hate Disney, I actually really enjoyed the 3d animated series, especially rebels and the last clone wars season, they are the legacy of George Lucas, it's his story after all, with the help of Dave Filoni and Favreu, they saved me from depression and suicidal thoughts, so yeah some Star Wars stories hold a special place in my heart, but seriously tho, TLJ and TROS are a BAD joke.

[@aesir1ases64]

that film is crap

[@nickgreg78]

"I realise that I am a weird nerd and very few Star Wars fans care about these stuff the way I do, but when talking about movies its always worth talking about how these stories are told not just what happens at them." I'm gonna print this on a t-shirt and wear it on Conventions and see who's who :P

[@papusman]

Even as a fan of Star Wars, I could not be more tired of Star Wars analyzation on KZbin... but you managed to find an angle that interested me again.

[@streetlawyer]

And yet, you click on videos and leave comments

[@aolson1111]

"you managed to find an angle that interested me again."

[@Wired4Life2]

*This angle really should be the first angle addressed when analyzing cinema.*

[@Mega-Brick]

@@streetlawyer I can respect someone who will give things a chance in the hope that they may bring something new to the table. Avoiding stuff you dislike is close-minded, and it's how echo-chambers get produced.

[@ReaperStarcraft]

One of the things that really helped me understand the passive camera style of Lucas in Episodes 1-3 and 4 is that in some interviews he's actually outright said that he really likes documentaries and cinema verite' as a style of film. He even stated his earliest scifi film THX 1138 was shot in that style. It wouldn't surprise me if documenting events in a galaxy far far away is how he sees the role of the camera in Star Wars. This probably also helps explain the 3PO perspective shot in Phantom Menace - it's an inversion of how he tells the stories of his adventures in Return of the Jedi as a kind of personification of the documenting camera within the story.

[@sertaki]

If I remember correctly, he also stated that the films were seen in large parts from the perspective of the two main droids. In light of that, C-3P0's point of view makes a lot of sense, especially regarding how important that moment is for him (his maker is leaving him).

[@Wired4Life2]

Unfortunately, going with a documentary/cinema verite style doesn't exactly work if the world in which they're used is entirely unlike our own. The distance doesn't help us see things objectively, it only distances us from the emotion that this grand and sprawling space opera should be overwhelming us with.

[@AlexanderDiviFilius]

@@Wired4Life2 it clearly worked well enough to make Star Wars into a franchise pretty much everyone and their dog was enthralled with (at some point or another). After all, of the 6 films Lucas was properly involved with, 5 of them were shot like this.

[@AlexanderDiviFilius]

@@sertaki Exactly, at least for A New Hope, if not for the others of the trilogy. In fact, Phantom Menace does a similar thing with the Jedi being the perspective characters, with the story really being about Padme (and Anakin, to a lesser extent).

[@blokey8]

@@Wired4Life2 It also feels like Lucas had the medium working against the message. Full Fat Videos got into this - you want more emotive storytelling for a grand Galactic tragedy.

[@SirGeeeO]

My biggest takeaway from this is that Patrick is never going to see that Frozen Blu-ray again

[@ryshow9118]

But it was worth it for the song tho, right?

[@kwal3839]

Loved Jake's song

[@houston-coley]

I feel like I've had these thoughts subconsciously for years but never quite been able to put them into words. You did that better than anyone else could! Awesome analysis.

[@tatehildyard5332]

HoustonProductions1 Isn’t that ultimately what film and visual storytelling is all about? Using the camera, aesthetic, lighting, and framing to subconsciously communicate information about the story to the audience.

[@houston-coley]

Absolutely!

[@kylebookout1789]

Cool to see you here Houston! Love your stuff!

[@jackcoleman1222]

YES. PLEASE. MORE DISCUSSION OF THE FILM CRAFTSMANSHIP IN STAR WARS.

[@TheRishijoesanu]

There is an interesting lesson in this video on how visual storytelling is applied to cinematic universes. Star Wars has certain visual styles that have become viscerally iconic that even the slight deviations from it can feel jarring even if it serves the narrative purpose. This problem is something that Marvel Cinematic Universe have largely been able to sidestep owing to the blank slate it was offered in the beginning to the eclectic group film makers that Kevin Feige tends to choose for his individual projects. It's a narrative model that comics, in general, have been following for decades. For eg David Aja's illustration style may perfectly fit for Matt Fraction's narrative style on his famous Hawkeye run while Olivier Coipiel or Bryan Hitch's grand cinematic style may suit the big epic storylines of Avengers comics. Feige is analogous to a comic book editor who picks and chooses creative teams that fits the particular screenplay while being able to fit the disparate styles in the grand mosaic of the cinematic universe while not feeling jarring to the audiences. Currently, Star Wars seems to be feeling that visual inertia of legacy of the older movies which have developed their own cult fanbases. They can eventually get it done, I'm optimistic about it. Disney, after all, has the model, the know-how and the expertise of MCU which have already traversed this path available to them. A good Star Wars cinematic universe is definitely possible. We just need to give it some time.

[@bogboy90210]

Caps lock.

[@jackcoleman1222]

Well spotted.

[@hotsebulba]

I think part of the reason why its is more difficult for Star Wars movies to introduce new story telling devises is because almost all Star Wars movies are part of one continuing narrative. New techniques will feel more startling when introduced into a story that has previously established other techniques. It's easier for Marvel to use a wider variety of storytelling techniques because they have a wider variety stories to tell.

[@jhonathansanatcruzpaz9871]

I do not agree bro. Just look the Harry Potter series. The visual style drastically Changed over the continuing narrative. I belive the problem with Star Wars are the annoying fans refusing (and even rioting about) every little change to "their Star Wars". agh.

[@Elagabalus711]

The Frozen bit at the end might be the funniest thing ever to happen in a video essay, I'm dying just a bit

[@lunamax1214]

Aside from the essay itself, the Frozen bit may be my favorite thing in a Patrick production, ever. 😂

[@skylarspeer5824]

I am only forty seconds in but I wanted to pause and compliment you. It seems video essays are a dime a dozen these days. Everyone with an opinion and a USB microphone figured out how to get their theories out there, but there's next to no production value to be seen amongst the masses. Your skits, your production quality, your visible effort to make an entertaining experience that stands out. Patrick, you and your team are great. Please keep it up.

[@treborkroy5280]

I did the same. Paused. Liked. Ensured I was already subscribed. I was. Continued video.

[@FullForce098]

Yeah, I honestly kind of think the opposite. Really wish he'd stop trying to shoehorn sketches and other live action nonsense into his videos. It's just arbitrary fluff that distracts from the actual content and stretches the runtime. This is one of the reasons Nostalgia Critic videos dropped in quality. I'm not here to see him try to act and be funny, I just want to hear his thoughts on film.

[@skylarspeer5824]

@@FullForce098 1:01 There you go pal, I skipped that arbitrary, fluffy nonsense for you.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

Videos like this illustrate the difference between a video essay and a vlog.

[@tankgunner9860]

This

[@SimonClark]

This was really great. Learned a lot

[@chrisflodberg]

I"m glad you took the time to make this video. Star Wars is a film style unto itself. It's a combination of things that rarely gets discussed. Another interesting thing that Star wars does is that it shows you something amazing...but only for seconds. It doesn't linger on the amazing, but presents it as incidental

[@nicdennis]

Wow. I had never considered camera movement as part of the dissonance felt in the Special Edition segments. I'll never unsee it now.

[@1800astra]

While we're being civil and courteous on the subject of Star Wars, George Lucas argued with cinematographer Gilbert Taylor over how the lighting and lenses should be used on the first picture, with Lucas wanting an 'ethereal' and 'diffused' look, while Taylor insisted that the film should be as 'crisp' as possible, primarily due to the amount of process and effects work required to realise the script. 20th Century Fox agreed with Taylor. Lucas should absolutely get credit for visualising his own story, but it must be remembered that he was at that time a sort of 'experimental' film-maker, out of film school with a lot of cerebral ideas about cinema, fewer about actors and acting, and used to controlling his own projects. Star Wars is the product of a very talented army of film-makers, doing their best - and in some cases unbelievable - work, which Lucas somehow marshalled into creating an unforgettable movie experience. For the sequel, Lucas chose one of his film school lecturers Irvin Kershner - whose style was known to focus on character - to helm the project, and my word, it shows.

[@SonofSethoitae]

Also, now that an early draft of the screenplay is available via Dark Horse Comics' adaptation, we ought to recognize that they were right to restrain him

[@Jelperman]

That's funny since the "ethereal" and "diffused" look is exactly what Lucas got in The Empire Strikes Back (as well as in a number of re-shoots for Star Wars by Tak Fujimoto) , which was shot by Peter Suschitzky, Lucas' first choice to photograph Star Wars when Geoffrey Unsworth was unavailable. Lucas probably didn't appreciate Taylor going behind his back to the studio. I'm glad Lucas made the other five movies with no studio interference, because Empire has the best cinematography not just of the series, but some of the very best in all of movie history.

[@Jelperman]

@@SonofSethoitae Nobody restrained Lucas, except a very minor point about camera focus and what shade of grey to paint the interiors of the Death Star. Every major creative decision was his: www.rickworley.com/The%20Force%20Awakens%20vs%20the%20prequels%20by%20Rick%20Worley.pdf

[@SonofSethoitae]

@@Jelperman I'm not seeing a lot of actual evidence in this scattershot opinion piece. Aside from quote from George Lucas, but that's hardly a complete picture, is it?

[@blokey8]

@@Jelperman Some of the actors definitely did. Lucas wanted Threepio to be a "slimy, used-car salesman type" and it took his favoured actor for the role resigning for him to accept Anthony Daniels' take.

[@sparkside217]

I'm so glad to finally see some appreciation for the visual language of TFA. For all its faults, the momentum of the camera feels so well though-out through almost the entire movie. It sits in line with the original trilogy so well, while also being so kinetic and modern, especially the intro and Maz's castle siege.

[@OswinPond]

Shot outside the cockpit already existed in Revenge of the Sith. Slow Motion was already used in A New Hope when Obi-Wan sacrifices himself and in Empire when Luke kills Vader in the cave. And also in The Force Awakens during the Rey/Kylo duel

[@nicobones9608]

Huh... I just noticed, the three main characters in The Force Awakens are Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren, all of whom are characters who wear masks when we first meet them. Clever symbolism, really. They each have their secrets which need to be revealed through the course of the story.

[@ryukagesama]

From Abrams, it's about them having (as of yet undecided upon) secrets. For Johnson, it becomes the characters casting off who they once were and becoming new people, with new identities.

[@lw3646]

That's JJ Abrams and his mystery box. A big complaint though about the force awakens and other products like Lost was just setting up a load of questions and mysteries we don't get real answers to.

[@TheGeorgeD13]

L W, We got answers with Lost. Also, he had nothing to do with Lost beyond the first 6 episodes, anyway.

[@PauLtus_B]

@L W You're right there. It's sort of annoying as it lead to people expecting things that were never set up to be delivered on. I think Rian Johnson dealt with it in an amazing way.

[@Wired4Life2]

@callmecatalyst Well..."HATED EMPIRE" is most likely an exaggerated. The critical and fan reception at the time was respectable, if a bit deflated, because they approached the film as just another sequel. Such reception would turn out to be more appropriate for _ROTJ._

[@battleupsaber462]

Can’t wait to see someone make a 5-hour long response to this video!

[@Drudenfusz]

But better be also prepared for a 10 hour loop of that Frozen scene.

[@raymond-reviews]

BattleUp Saber Honestly it doesn’t matter how long someone’s response so long as they have good arguments So tell me How long should a response be?

[@sena167]

he is a target now. 10 hour part 1of3.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

That sweet, sweet ad revenue from weaponized nerd rage.

[@sb4481]

I am out of the loop. Would you give me some pointers?

[@TTillman3]

Great video. You've outdone yourself again, and I'm digging the longer runtime. I've also been enjoying your activity on Letterboxd. The one point I'm not entirely aligned with you on is the notion that the kinetic style of the VFX shots in the prequels were due to Lucas giving the artists leeway, suggesting a hands-off approach. Really I think the directing of these sequences via storyboards and pre-vis was how Lucas got his rocks off making the prequels, and that's why the pulse jars so much with the more static, live action scenes. I have a feeling the directing of actors, and just about everything else, is where Lucas was less engaged.

[@blokey8]

One thing I think Patrick missed here with the sequels is how the depiction of the Force has become more physical and weighty.

[@olivermisbach2454]

Actually sensible Star Wars discussion? Humanity isn't as bad as I thought.

[@TripleTSingt]

The Rogue One thing is actually pretty great. Its a gritty, chaotic world, because we are not with "the Jedi" or "the heroes of the rebellion", its just some random people doing the right thing. It's not a great space opera, because its a whole other perspective on these events.

[@CarlosRodriguez-dh7mm]

I think it's next to Episodes 4 and 5 as being one of my favorites in the franchise. The beginning is a bit slow, but that finale... damn...

[@donsunwukong127]

"You have a different opinion from mine on a piece of art? Clearly you have no taste."

[@iPyroNigma]

Rogue One starts too slow (with little to drag you in), then up until they try to save her father the film is doing quite well. The father sequence shoulnd't be in the film in my opinion, it makes no sense since the knowledge they tried to gain by saving the father was already in their posession. The final act is gorgeous and well done. I'd put it after The Force Awakens in my ranking.

[@420speedweed]

it makes it feel like not everyone needs to be a Solo or Skywalker to be a hero

[@blokey8]

I find it interesting that my favourite new Star Wars films are the two which go furthest towards Realism and Formalism, respectively. And both do it to fit their stories - Rogue One is, like you said, telling the tale of the Rebel footsoldiers and spies, while TLJ leans into the mythic scope of the setting and then some.

[@Falxifer95]

Much like TLJ this is a video I never knew I wanted.

[@lawrencecalablaster568]

I loved Jake's singing and that odd product integration.

[@peterpan1886]

The Force Awakens also introduced the Dutch angle to Star Wars. Kylo is constantly framed this way, almost to a point that it becomes funny.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

Does it make sense to suppose that the classical, mostly objective visual language of _A New Hope_ helped establish the mythic (as opposed to personal) nature of the story?

[@fragwagon]

I think so. Also, Kurosawa's "immaculate reality" surely had an influence. Young Lucas had ambitions of a documentary filmmaker, and you can see that documentarian style applied to a galaxy far far away.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

Interesting. I didn't know that about Lucas; but, now that you mention it, it makes sense. Thanks!

[@Wired4Life2]

@@Dorian_sapiens A bit of a stretch to principally characterize Ford, Lean, or Kurosawa as documentarian-like, but their old-school filmmaking emphasizing epic scale lent well to Lucas’ documentarian/objective inclinations. That then transitioned organically into getting more personal/intimate/subjective in _Empire._ Decades removed from that immediate influence resulted in the stiff and stagy dialogue scenes of the prequel trilogy, starkly contrasted with the liberated yet impersonal, FX-driven action scenes.

[@mykilahsenwilliamsdorsey1495]

Thank you for your objectivity!!!!! Finally a fan who is more than a fanboy! Movie craft is what makes these films work or not works well. Your breakdown of the craft helps those of us who are not film pros to understand why we feel the way we do when a change in styles has occurred from film to film. I noticed some of these changes right away but others passed me by completely. This is one of the reasons I loved the Last Jedi so much! I couldn't put my finger on it before. I kept focusing on the character development arcs but this brings a whole new light. It felt like Star Wars had grown up and I couldn't verbalize why other than the legacy characters being older and reflecting what life might actually be like living in a war torn environment for decades in stead of simply going on exciting Adventures then coming back home to creature comforts and grand stories to the next generation. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings does that very well and I personally feel that many Star Wars fans wanted that type of story telling. The fact that that is not the approach taken by Rian Johnson caused a lot of blow back but I honestly believe it is what this franchise desperately needed if it is to grow to it's potential. Without this I believe Star Wars would become nothing more than "Star Adventures" with no real character growth and showing nothing that could possibly justify being called any type of actual war be it the stars or planets or whatever. It would become nothing more than what Lucas originally wanted: a flash Gordon knock off with modern special effects.

[@kylebookout1789]

Couldn't agree with you more. Its the first star wars film to live up to a certain degree the values it preaches. Its not about royal bloodlines or flashy spectacle but choice, failure, and personal growth. The cinematography communicates that in a visceral and exciting new way. Its almost a deconstructionist take on the saga and in a meta sense fandom at large. Predicting and subverting fan expectation everywhere and not just for the sake of but in service to the story. I mean rian johnson took one shot from empire and built a whole film around it. I could go on. Great comment. In short I agree. Lol.

[@BoleDaPole]

But it is about royal bloodlines, Rey is a Palpatine and Kylo Ren is a literal prince 🤴 . One of the last things Rey says in the films is that she is a Skywalker, as if that defines who she is.

[@TripleTSingt]

And can we please talk about the "ramming at light speed" scene. Looks fucking awesome, is new not only to Star Wars, but Blockbuster movies and I have never seen anything like it. The shift to monochrome, dropping out of ALL sound and extreme slow-motion. I sat in the cinema and when it happened, my mouth stood open and after about 5 seconds, I heard a single, quite silent "wow" from somewhere left of me. Masterful visionary filmmaking from Rian Johnson.

[@alanarmstrong6099]

I had not consciously realized what made so many of the 'special edition' edits so 'wrong'. But they do insert a vastly different style of cinematography. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@lw3646]

From what I read Lucas had to work with a very old school DOP and British crew who didn't really respect him when making a New Hope. Lucas came from a younger lower budget perspective and the two clashed quite a lot about how to shoot the film.

[@RBrown803]

7:31 - That's probably one of my favorite shots in the Star Wars Saga. Glad you called that one out.

[@lawrencecalablaster568]

This is well worth the massive amount of research, Mr. Willems.

[@MtnDewGuy100]

I like Patrick’s comment sections, everyone seems so elegant and calm

[@streetlawyer]

Hold on a second . . . ."FUCK. YOU." There we go. You're welcome ;)

[@kylebookout1789]

Like roger ebert famously said. "Movies aren't about what there about. There how there about." Or something like that. Great analysis pat. The craft and approach of making these movies gets severely undeserved attention. Big and small you hit all the points that keep me going to a galaxy far far away. Oh and lightsabers are just fucking cool.

[@tricaurelie]

Rey's voice over was a first too, and so intriguing! Loved the Rashomon effect as well....

[@DecafKauffee]

New sub here! I’m shocked you didn’t include the Force montage from TLJ, when Luke is teaching Rey about the Force. It’s incredibly brief, but so radically different! Contrary to when you said, there was a voiceover (of sorts). There was also a time lapse and techniques I don’t have the vocabulary for.

[@DecafKauffee]

We also got that long zoom in the opening shot of TLJ

[@TheDirectorJLynch]

I have to admit, I've been putting off watching this one because it's a little longer. But it was totally worth the wait! Thanks, Patric for breaking up the monotony of fan videos on youtube that just want to talk about why a film sucked or create fan theories out of thin air. This was refreshing and enlightening.

[@thomasmcgill6918]

Your KZbin channel is a must for future film makers.

[@MasterJediDuck]

Really great video, lots of good analysis. Not to be a jerk, but I found it weird that neither Irvin Kershner nor Richard Marquand got mentioned by name despite their respective careers providing evidence for why their movies turned out the way they did

[@blokey8]

I think it's also interesting that Spielberg was meant to be the director for VI - and of course he's a famously subjective filmmaker, so it's likely that the trilogy would've grown more so over its course had that happened.

[@errantrazor]

LOVE your Prince/Gemini picture on your wall during the ad.

[@crosseightyeight]

For me, the exact visual style doesn't matter, as long as it's good. No film should be limited to one storytelling style, even Star Wars.

[@wmichaelbooth]

You mean film series? A single film is probably best served by establishing its storytelling language and then sticking to it. This actually gives the storyteller more freedom, in a sense, because it opens up the possibility of breaking from the expected for effect.

[@Quirderph]

I think he meant "No film should HAVE to copy the visual language of an earlier film, even if it is a sequel to a highly regarded movie." I don't entirely agree, personally. I think you have to strike a balance. It's fine to try new things, but if you change too much then it won't feel like the same series anymore, for better or worse.

[@TheJiminatorHS]

The skywalker saga is a series of films that are intended to feel connected with one another, even more so than how they look, or thier narrative themes, with how the cinematography is handled. This is one reason why I despise what JJ and Rian (but really Disney) did to the saga. They try to go "Spielberg-lite" rather than actually try to handle the story from George's cinematic, narrative or artistic framework. Its like you're given someone's sandbox and you bulldoze it to put your own sandbox in place, but pretend its the old sandbox. They made thematic reboots, not actual sequels. And this is why i am more ok with Solo and Rogue One, because they actually understand that they aren't part of the mainline saga and because of that they can do more.

[@thu6muff1n]

This is very well done man. TFA actually got me into filmmaking, and I couldn't quite understand why it stood out so much to me until now. I think I did subconsciously, but now I see it. Thanks for that 👍🏿

[@abdelali9279]

Lucas in 77: making breathtaking scenes one after the other Kershner: Let's make the best Star Wars that is Lucas in 99: video game camera goes brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[@pamelaglickman9221]

I would've preferred it had you talked about the film-making style in the prequels without implying that it's bad. If objective camera shots are fine in New Hope and Return of the Jedi, why are they suddenly bad in the prequels? Like New Hope, the prequel use other visual cues such as lighting (particularly in Revenge of the Sith, with Anakin being shown in contrasting light to highlight his struggle between the light side and the dark side) and settings (with Mustafar symbolising Anakin's emotional turmoil and the sleak, modern look of Kamino, contrasting with the traditional romantic setting of Naboo). You could have stated that the prequels use more traditional camera angles and then discussed some of these other aspect instead of assuming that they weren't there, because how could the prequels possible do anything good, right? I think sticking to traditional styles made the prequels feel more like Star Wars to me, whereas the Last Jedi was so much of a sudden departure that it feels like Rian Johnson should have just made his own film, instead of trying to make a Star Wars film. It's not like he was doing something truly innovative. We've seen flashbacks and weird post-modern stuff in other films. The Last Jedi stripped Star Wars of its unique identity and made it more like other modern films. Star Wars should be it's own thing. This doesn't mean it shouldn't ever change, but it should change in a way that is consistent with it's essence, which is traditional, straight-forward (not to mention, generally optimistic) story-telling (not deliberately messing with the audience to prove how subversive one is and promoting distrust and cynicism, save that approach for other films). The Last Jedi felt very post-modern and cynical, leaving those who prefer traditional styles (and films that don't lie to us and try to convince us that we can't really know anything) feeling like we didn't have anywhere to turn film-wise. What feels like progress to some feels like a loss to others. The creator of the video isn't objectively wrong and I appreciate his knowledge of film, but I would prefer it if he had discussed the differences between the films without implying that one style is inherently better than another (innovation doesn't always equal improvement) or that the prequels had no style to them (which simply isn't true).

[@karlkarlos3545]

the film-making style in the prequels are bad. Period.

[@bebo2629]

I know I am late but there is much more to say about Return of the Jedi. The usage of light in the Throneroom scene is very effective and shows Lukes inner conflict and the POV shots out of the cockpit of the Falcon with the Tie-fighters flying directly beside it is also unique. The action scenes feel also the most exciting and well choreographed out of all in the OT. Oh, and I think there is a force conversation in the movie (forcetime) when Luke and his friends travel to Endor and Luke and Vader feeling each others present through space.

[@tanguygautier5371]

Okay, this is your most amazing video essay to date Patrick. Thank you.

[@wolfishxwillow]

Great video! I love looking into the style of how these are filmed. I remember a bunch of Star Wars fans (reviewers I enjoy and respect the opinions of, even if I don't always agree) talking about the flashbacks/visions in the newer movies. They weren't sure they liked them much. Mainly the flashback, because it had never been done before in a Star Wars movie, like maybe it should be avoided since it hadn't been used before. I find it all pretty fascinating!

[@Redli697]

I think this might be the most insightful video you've ever created. That's not to say your previous videos aren't; it's just this one gave me a totally new way to look at film. Fantastic work.

[@moosemooseson]

This is great! I don't consciously pick up on shot choices but I know they hugely impact how a movie affects me. I want to learn more!

[@Toxici-Ty]

As someone who despised your plot hole video and wondered what people seen in you I have to say bravo. This was a great piece of film analysis. One thing I always say I can applaud more than anything is someone whose arguments can help me refine my own views even if we might disagree on the details. You really have done that here. You have taken something that I had felt about in the past and put it into an objective filmmaking vocabulary. I think going forward this video will change the way I look at camera work and. The way scenes are crafted. I really appreciate this video. Amazing work.

[@karlkarlos3545]

The "plot hole video" wasn't about to ignore plot holes or to shut your brain off (as it is falsely brandet) but that most of the so called plot holes in many movie reviews aren't actually plot holes.

[@liamshanley4920]

17:10 I love these types of takes on Star Wars. Thank you for making these!

[@Christian_from_Copenhagen]

I hate the apparent need to constantly add disclaimers about treating the new trilogy with the same eye as everything else. Star Wars has become such a toxic fandom.

[@faxpaladin]

Talking about this would have likely meant an hourlong video instead of 20 minutes minus the Dollar Shave Club ad, but I was a bit surprised you didn't mention Irvin Kershner's role as director of ESB, and just how significant it is that the least directorially conservative of the first six films is the one Lucas had the least control over (since he stayed in California overseeing construction of the vast Lucasfilm infrastructure-ILM, Skywalker Sound, etc.-while filming took place in Europe), and how the snapback from RotJ on is Lucas reasserting control.

[@AnnoyingMoose]

Thank you for being a weird nerd with a unique perspective! This is the best kind of analysis: one that does not simply reinforce the ideas that I already hold but rather makes me go back to the source material and see it through new eyes.

[@connornyhan]

I completely agree. Not getting into divisive storytelling choices in the sequel trilogy, their technical filmmaking has been MASTERFUL!

[@jakeunderwood9]

So the thing about the three perspectives in TLJ being bad to some people makes me laugh because it's directly influenced by the godfather of Star Wars, Akira Kurosawa.

[@SonofSethoitae]

I have no idea why anyone got pissy about that. It's not like Luke didn't try to kill his dad with a laser sword in a fit of rage, why not Kylo? Besides, he only entertained the thought for a few seconds before abandoning it in shame. God forbid the man make mistakes for which he feels regret.

[@kendawooda]

The music choice in this video was fantastic. One of the very few times I actually noticed it. Great video as always!

[@losalfajoresok]

Nothing better than watch a Star Wars essay on a sunday morning!! you gave me a new perspective of moves I whatched so many times!!

[@crawdadnc479]

I love looking at how stories are told. Great video!

[@swivelmaster]

Your videos have improved like 10x in the last year. This is so good. Keep it up!

[@poloMpolo]

Yes! Great vid, this was so interesting to watch. No subjective interpretations, no edgy opinions, just plain observing and digging in the visuals. I really liked it and I can image more of this about other films or even about SW films in more detail can be done. This was very informative and also interesting to watch. Thanks. Videoesseys now days are mostly just "here Im gonna shove my opinion down your throat" this was such a nice change.

[@landonfilm474]

Great video. I absolutely love Star Wars, and videos like this just make me love it even more

[@southamvids]

Absolutely Wonderful. Noticing the Wings quote in the Last Jedi on my first viewing is still my proudest movie nerd moment to date. Keep up the great work Patrick!

[@Yora21]

Even back in the 70s, Star Wars was meant to feel retro. Using oldschool camera placement helps with that.

[@MehodofMadness]

I love this new analysis of Star Wars. The more analytical videos that cover the technical side of movies is vastly underdone. Thank you.

[@MrEwanRoy]

This is probably one of the best videos ever made about Star Wars. Kudos, Mr. Willems.

[@MrBomasBalloons]

AT 17:25 you say there is not voice-over being dropped in. But there is voiceover in The Last Jedi. First, those flashback scenes all have voiceovers. It is done in a way that seems natural, with the characters starting their story and then transitioning into the flashback with the character continuing to speak. Where it really stands out is at the end of the weird cave vision where Rian Johnson trolled the audience about who Rey's parents are. We hear Rey's voiceover describing her disappointment before it cuts and we see she is talking to Kylo Ren and not directly to the audience. The voiceover at the end of the cave scene especially threw me, because it had not been previously established that she was talking to someone and we were viewing a memory, as with the flashbacks. In fact, the scene starts off with us viewing her in real time entering the cave. Then at some point it became a story she was relating to Kylo Ren. It was a jarring transition for me and very un-Star Wars like.

[@novalenedailey-payne4151]

This is amazing, Patrick + Crew. Patrick, I think your attention to detail, intellect, and passion come together in the most spectacular way. Keep up the great work.

[@blokey8]

Having heard people complaining about the filming styles of the recent films breaking from the prequels, I'd be curious to see a counterpart video about the visual storytelling in the tv shows.

[@seancollett6]

Good observations! I also applaud your ability to sit through this franchise.

[@Evan-nx9ng]

Patrick grew up with Star Wars

[@ryanjosephdp]

Evan I know what you’re referencing

[@Evan-nx9ng]

@@ryanjosephdp Tell that to Zod's snapped neck

[@MtnDewGuy100]

I UNDERSTOOD THAT REFERENCE !

[@tomstonemale]

@@MtnDewGuy100 I don't T_T

[@GamerDadTV]

I love your perspective from a view of the Craft and story telling elements. :) Well done as always.

[@janm20]

Just when you think you've seen every possible Star Wars video on KZbin, this shows up. Congrats on an original and insightful video!

[@vvclife]

Amazing work!! This is my second video. I'm loving every minute!!

[@ethanrichmond3992]

I know you don’t take suggestions, but I think it would also be interesting to do something on how Star Wars frames time. If you put aside the nitpicking stuff, I feel like the timelines of Empire and TLJ are filmed in a very interesting way that imply time passes differently in certain areas.

[@PhillipRottingham]

I remember in a novelisation of ESB they imply time passes more slowly on Dagobah because it's strong with the Force.

[@ethanrichmond3992]

Oh cool. Thanks for telling me, that makes me view the movie in a different way.

[@blokey8]

I'd honestly assumed that Rey's arc started a few days before the Crait timeline, and we just had a chronologically loose film (nothing as heightened as Dunkirk, of course)

[@trilltron2885]

Awesome! Helped solidify the reasons WHY I love ESB, FA, and TLJ so damn much.

[@andrewvanhorne4359]

Honestly, being aware of a few of these inconsistencies/evolution kind of made it worse for me in the theaters. Abrams' camera work moved around way more than I was used to, and the flashback sequence on TLJ made me internally 'nope.' Take away: If someone switches out all the beige in your room for eggshell, it'll be easier if you don't know the difference. Or, to put it another way - media.giphy.com/media/FFUOouOEv3rKo/giphy.gif

[@ricktimus73]

Your videos are consistently my favorite and I appreciate the work and style that goes into them.

[@bradpalmer6287]

Loved the video. As someone who is a huge Star Wars fan, I love seeing all these films I love from a different perspective. I think it is the first time I have really seen them looked at for their film making and not the story being told. Even though I can tell I don't agree on opinions of which Star Wars movies are good or not, and would rather not get into that, I totally agree on the quality of film making craft put into each film.

[@rekindle7602]

I think in any artistic medium its worth talking about how the story is told, be it film, games, literature, or anything else. And I'm glad I can watch these videos where Patrick talks about film making, because i know nothing about it, and appreciate the insight.

[@Kishan_Baijnath]

As always, gorgeous work. Thank you for existing.

[@nooranik21]

This was facinating. I didn't really know a lot about film prior to watching your channel and a few others. This was awesome and educational.

[@TheDukeOfTumwater]

Good video. I really like how you gave each film its due and weren’t too biased towards one or the other.

[@jackcoleman1222]

Your video on the Arri Alexa and contrast in the Marvel movies has driven me to tweak the light settings in my fanedits of Rogue One and TLJ, both shot on the Alexa. They look so much better now and it allows me to appreciate more fully the actual camerawork without being distracted by grey areas that should be inky black!

[@Playhouse76]

One of the things that has always bugged me about the prequels is the use of the digital pans, zooms, and pushes on the CG backgrounds that felt so disconnected and independent of the live action elements occurring on screen. It definitely adds to that impersonal, detached quality you're talking about.

[@lucainvernizzi9715]

How much do I like Patrick videos? I watched the commercial at the end. All of it.

[@LOTWStudios]

I love your videos. You make some fantastic videos and I admire your focus on the filmmaking aspect of movies. People often seem to forget to focus on that. Keep up the great work man!

[@lunamax1214]

Here's the thing...people SHOULD care more about this aspect of films, because film is a visual medium. Same goes for television, theatre, and video games. They are all different in how they work and are made on a practice level, but are identical in a singular way: One does not have to rely solely on words to tell the story. This is what makes reading a script different from watching something; the story is told through many senses instead of just one.

[@calvinsidle6509]

Videos like this are why I subscribe to this channel. Thank you!

[@AxRd25]

No comment on the hyperspace crash scene in TLJ? Still gives me chills. Great video as usual!

[@blokey8]

Side note: Steven Spielberg was actually lined up to direct Episode VI before Lucas fell out with a film union or guild. So had that happened, we'd have actually had a progression of the cinematic language throughout the trilogy. We'd go from Spielbergesque blocking to Spielberg's own cinematography.

[@karlkarlos3545]

I seriously doubt Spielberg had any interest of getting involved in this franchise.

[@blokey8]

@@karlkarlos3545 From what I've heard, he was all set. Sadly, when it came to the Prequels and Lucas could've used some collaborators, Spielberg, Ron Howard and Zemeckis were all unwilling to handle George's baby.

[@johnleone6193]

Thanks for all you do. Your videos are amazing!

[@Tombobreaker]

I wonder if that ending is a subtle hint that the next video will talk about song pacing and how Frozen is vastly different from all the other Disney movies by having almost all their songs in the first 30 minutes.

[@ilyas1702]

You say that Abrams' use of movement is a push forward, but isn't it just his style? E.g. the first Star Trek movie has many unmotivated camera movement and quick cuts going on just to keep shots interesting. I feel that his style, while visually stimulating and therefor good at keeping the viewers' attention fails to deliver on emotional moments because there is little space to breathe between the rush of images that allows those moments to hit hard.

[@evolvedturtleproductions7600]

ilyas1702 I think it’s toned down a bit in The Force Awakens, but Star Trek was almost nauseating with its camera work.

[@henryglennon3864]

Well put. Which is why the only part of his Star Wars film that I connected with was the largely dialog free, calmly-paced, day in th ed life of Rey sequence set to some pleasant John Williams music.

[@BenjaminWhitley]

Absolutely. I'm really surprised that Patrick went so easy on Abrams. He's constantly moving the camera for no reason. He's adding in fake zooms, fake telephoto shots, fake camera shake, fake lens flairs, etc... All to give the illusion of energy, when he could so easily be putting more thought into all his shot choices. His floaty camera makes me nauseous. Compare that to Rian Johnson's use of smooth and steady dolly and tracking shots. This is one of the reasons why I love The Last Jedi so much, the filmmaking craft on display is absolutely top-notch and easily the highest ever for a Star Wars film.

[@Xelpherpolis]

+iLyas1702 I kind of agree, but I think it was used to good effect. Star Trek '09 is so frenetic for most of the film, but then for the real emotional or dramatic moments it feels like the movie just STOPS. The camera gets real static, and things get really, really *quiet.* And the whiplash hits you hard. In a good way.

[@wmichaelbooth]

I think by moving forward, he just means expanding on the visual language, though he does pick out examples of where Abrams' style compliments the action in the scene.

[@collinsmith7078]

This video is fascinating, and something I’ve never really considered while watching Star Wars. Thanks Patrick.

[@2TallAnimation]

Really nice work man. Loved watching this!

[@gabrielledebourg2487]

Wonderful, in every way! Star Wars and it’s visual language is something I’ve often considered and I’ve long seen Empire as one of my favorite films in regards to visual storytelling of all time. I watched the original trilogy back to back a few times and every time jumping to Empire, there’s just a punch in the way it works. Back in the day when I was a cinematographer I would use it often for reference. But I also consider your comment regarding Rogue One. When I saw it, I loved the way it told the story like a war movie. There’s a shot showing the citizens on Jeddha shot very much like news footage from a war zone. That right there made me see Star Wars in a new way.

[@ItsTheFizz]

Isn't that the Alan Moore wig?