One of the more iconic scenes in the Star Wars franchise would have to be when Luke Skywalker was training with Yoda on Dagobah to be a Jedi. Part of what made his Jedi training so impactful was how anxious he was, explaining that his friends were in trouble, hounded by Darth Vader, whom deep down inside he gravely feared. While Yoda did his best to temper the expectations of his young pupil and to keep him grounded, focused on his training, Luke was impatient.
That’s part of what made the original trilogy so beloved; while it took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, it still featured relatable characters and motivations. When Luke went into the cave to confront his fears he couldn’t do it without a weapon, much to Yoda’s dismay, which led to an imaginary confrontation with Darth Vader and Luke severing his head from his body only to find his own face staring up at him.
The Star Wars films are known best for their use of practical effects during a time when digital effects were still years away. So how exactly did they get such a lifelike model of his head? They didn’t. Hamill gave the lowdown on Twitter when a fan asked him about the scene.
It was my head protruding through an opening in the set floor as I stood below-My prop head was tested but rejected. https://t.co/10mUunERWB
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) May 22, 2016
Honestly, it makes a ton of sense. Why wouldn’t you do something like that? It looks more authentic and such a simple trick allows for it to look realistic while it was just movie magic.
(Via Polygon)
