. . . Is this the part where I tell you Vader never kills any of his own men in my cut. . . š
Well thatās certainly anā¦ interesting choice. I disagree with it (a lot) but Iām not gonna be rude about it, since I have respect for you as an editor, you know what youāre talking about and you have an admirable goal.
I KNEW SOMEONE WOULD CATCH THAT SHOT SWITCHEROO!!! The basic logic is this. I want that scene to focus on the Empireās unpreparedness to face the Rebel Fleet, and the coming showdown with the Emperor, which means that Vaderās inherent awesomeness needs to take a back seat for that specific scene. In other scenes like the scene where the shuttle Tyderium āsneaksā past the Imperial Fleet, I recut that sequence entirely from Vaderās perspective, to focus on how perceptive he is in the Force, and in all of the fights scenes I made Vader infinitely more lethal, because the original fight choreography was. . . well. . . lacking in that department.
So the basic answer to your question is that in all my scene cuts I try to realign the āfocusā to the primary point of that scene, which sometimes means cutting one of the greatest Vader shots of all time, and switching it with a lamer shot of him rushing down the gangway to emphasis the Empireās growing weakness. (Essentially itās visually showing the dramatic power shift thatās happened since Vader blasted his way onto the Blockade Runner in IV. The Rebels are no longer a couple X-Wings and a lucky torpedo, that Fleet massing near Sullust is now a force to be reckoned with.) Itās okay I know the sin I committed is unforgivable. š
Personally, I think that ROTJ is still supposed to make you feel very threatened by the Empire, so I never felt any sort of incongruity. The idea is that, because the DSII lacks the weaknesses of the first one, if itās completed, the Rebellion is doomed. The Battle of Endor will decide their fate, and theyāre still the underdogs. Throughout the battle itās very clear that theyāre outmatched, and itās only due to the courageousness and tenacity of our heroes that they make it out alive. At the same time, I understand the perspective of wanting to emphasize the growth of the Rebels.
Iām interested in seeing your reedit of the ROTJ duel.
On a completely different note, is your YouTube name āLord Vader Tyrannusā? If so, I stumbled on your āOrnithocheirus ASMRā video and laughed sooooo hard! I miss Walking with Dinosaurs sooooo much!!! The newer series just didnāt hit the same way.
It is. I like to have my username consistent on every site, but unfortunately I canāt change my username here.
Iām glad you enjoyed that, itās a funny little video I made, I love chaotic absurdism. I love Walking with Dinosaurs so much, itās my favorite piece of media after the Original Star Wars Trilogy.
I made a two part video essay about WWD. And a video essay about ROTJ (also had to be split in two). If youāre interested.