Few film have undergone as many post - release revisions asStar Wars . George Lucas ’s blockbuster has been altered in means both major and venial over the past half - 100 , obscuring how audiences experienced it when it opened in May of 1977 . If you were n’t there , you still have a chance to see it without the tweaks . The British Film Institute ( BFI ) plans toscreenit with the fullcooperationofStar Warsrights holder Disney as part of their Film on Film Festival on Thursday , June 12 .
“ Film on Film presentsStar Warsexactly as experienced by audiences on its original release , screening from one of the precious fistful of dyestuff carry-over IB Technicolor prints raise for the first British dismissal , bear on in the BFI National Archive , ” a BFI release annunciate .
allot toThe Telegraph , “ dye transfer imbibition ” is a print physical process that helpspreserve graphic colors on filmwithout significant debasement . This particular print has also been salt away at -23 ° F , meaning it should retain much of the epitome character seen during the first viewing of the film .
The print was struck in 1977 before Lucas began tinker with it . For a 1980 re - release , he contribute a caption , Episode IV : A New Hope , that was absent from the initial rollout . According toEmpiremagazine , Lucas also addedsome Modern sound effects and made fragile changes to negotiation .
In the 1990s , Lucas pass a considerable amount of money digitally modifying the film and its continuation to feature novel and adapted scenes , let in a wide deride alternative to have space criminal Greedo shoot at Han Solo first during a face-off in the cantina . The additions feel like a dry run for the CGI Lucas was about to lean on for his prequel trilogy . The consequence was that some view — like Solo ’s awkwardly - staged brush with a newly enclose Jabba the Hutt — have failed to get on well .
With the acquittance of the Special Editions , Lucas largely give up the original versions of the film , relegating them to thrift storage VHS or laserdisc bins . According to Vox , one2006 DVD releasehad the original interpretation but in a broken - calibre transfer .
Fan grievances did n’t appear to bother Lucas , who verbalize often of his dissatisfaction with the original motion-picture show . “ To me , the limited edition ones are the film I wanted to make , ” Lucastoldthe Associated Press in 2004 . “ Anybody that make motion-picture show knows the film is never finished . It ’s abandoned or it ’s ripped out of your hands , and it ’s thrown into the marketplace , never cease . ” The original , he added , “ does n’t really exist anymore . ”
Some buff have attempted to recreate the original cut by curating textile from various sources . A “ despecialized edition ” made the cyberspace round and can still be located , though it ’s obviously wildcat .
If you ’re not in the UK or ca n’t otherwise advert the festival , the 1977 version is not the onlyStar Warsfilm hitting theaters this give . A20th anniversary re - releaseofStar Wars Episode III : retaliation of the Sithis due Friday , April 25 .
