When most people think Star Wars, some names may come to mind immediately. It could be George Lucas, the original author of the series, or any of the major stars involved in the film, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher. It could be someone who played a key behind-the-scenes role, like John Williams, with his brilliant music, or Lawrence Kasdan, with his prodigious writing ability.
But anyway, it’s doubtful that the first name that comes to mind is 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope’s unsung hero, Gilbert Taylor.
An influential creative mind who has worked on several classic films over the years, Taylor’s artistic sensibilities have greatly influenced George Lucas’ original work. Star Warsfeaturing some of the most iconic shots from the entire series.
Who is Gilbert Taylor?
Born in Hertfordshire, England in 1914, Gilbert Taylor’s career began when he accepted a job as a camera assistant when he was just 15 years old. He worked on several silent films in the late 20’s and early 30’s, and Taylor’s first big break came in 1932’s Young Alfred, who directed Hitchcock’s comedy thriller film Number. It was Seventeen. Although Taylor was only a junior member of the staff, he later helped provide the future suspense maestro with the special effects shots used in the film, heralding his continued rise in the film industry at the time. I made sure.
After six years in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during World War II, Taylor returned to the medium of film by the late 1940s, eventually working as a cinematographer. Over the next two decades, Taylor worked on dozens of films with world-renowned directors, including Stanley Kubrick. Doctor Strangelove Richard Lester’s story continues (hard days night) and Roman Polanski (backlash, dead end, macbeth).
In the mid-’70s, the now-acclaimed Taylor was signed by indie director George Lucas to work on a little-known sci-fi project. Like most aspects of the film, Taylor’s commitment to the film played a major role in Star Wars’ success and helped differentiate it from other sci-fi films of its time.
Taylor’s work on Star Wars
Taylor himself was well aware of his unconventional approach to shot composition, as well as his plans. Star Wars As ambitious as Lucas’ own creative vision. “I wanted to give Star Wars It has a unique visual style that sets it apart from other films in the sci-fi genre,” Taylor later said in an interview. jedi news. “I wanted Star Wars I think the space is out of focus and needs sharpening. ”
Hands-on with nearly every aspect of the film’s setting and special effects, Taylor helped create some of the most famous shots in the entire series. For example, Taylor personally directed the opening shot, which focuses on the Imperial Star Destroyer chasing Princess Leia’s ship over the barren desert planet of Tatooine.
More notably, Taylor envisioned the now-iconic image of Luke Skywalker pondering his future in the binary sunset in front of him, gazing at the twin suns of Tatooine. It means that you are the original.
Nearly 50 years later and 10 sequels later, these shots remain some of the most iconic shots in cinematic history, with the latter scene recreated in numerous films. Star Wars Subsequent films and parodies.
Relationship between Taylor and George Lucas
A role as important as Taylor’s shot contributed to its near-instantaneous success. Star Wars, His time in the film has had its fair share of problems. Most impressively, his working relationship with George Lucas was tumultuous at its best, with long periods when the director was unable to meet with Taylor to discuss how the film would be shot. This required Taylor to study the script to interpret his own creative take on the film.
“George avoided all contact and contact with me from day one, so I read the very long script over and over and made my own decisions about how to shoot,” Taylor said. american photographer. “Before moving on to location work for two weeks in Tunisia, we experimented with filming lightsabers and other things on stage.”
The chaotic weather in the Tunisian desert was equally difficult to deal with, and the entire production of the film wrestled with rain and other weather irregularities, further hampering Taylor’s shot composition. “We didn’t really know where the land started and the sky started,” says Taylor. “Everything was a gray mess and the robot was just a blur.”
Lucas had the opportunity to speak with Taylor a few times, and it became increasingly clear that the two had differing views on what they wanted the film to look like. Taylor wanted the cinematography to be crisp and clear, while Lucas wanted the camera to have advanced filters through diffusion, the process of reducing the resolution of an image.
A rift between the two quickly escalated, with 20th Century Fox executives intervening. Replaying individual shots of both Lucas and Taylor in the film, company executives were more favorable to Taylor’s footage, considering Taylor’s past body of work as well. Taylor’s wife Dee said in an interview: slate“George went to Twentieth Century Fox with it, and Gil had just finished it.” omen for them. So they said, ‘Follow Gil Taylor, he knows what he’s talking about.’ ”
As a result of artistic differences, Lucas and Taylor seemingly split the work evenly later in the film. During the Death Star scene, which occupies most of the film’s second act, Taylor focused more on the Death Star itself, while Lucas sought to work more closely with the cast. “George was focused on being an actor, and I was at the end of my life,” Taylor recalled. “But he still wouldn’t talk to me, really. He was so crazy.”
No matter how strained their relationship was at times, Lucas’ films had a big thank you to Taylor and his enduring influence. Star Wars. Years later, when Taylor died in 2013 at the age of 99, he seemed to have paid tribute to the former cinematographer and acknowledged Taylor’s innate creative talent.
“Gilbert’s work really stands the test of time,” said George Lucas. “I have long admired his work in films such as: hard days night and Doctor StrangeloveAnd I had the privilege of working with him. Star Wars. He was a true expert in his craft. Gilbert’s inspired work will live on in the many films he contributed throughout his long career. ”
Taylor’s Enduring Legacy
There are many reasons for the success and popularity of Star Wars in 1977 and in the decades that followed. The captivating setting, creative use of special effects, talented cast, and great music by John Williams all helped propel this film to pop culture record. But without Gilbert Taylor’s skillful shot composition, Star Wars It simply wouldn’t have been the same, and it wouldn’t have held the audience’s attention and imagination as well as it did in the summer of ’77.
Due to his strained relationship with Lucas, Taylor himself was never invited again to participate in subsequent Star Wars films, but his seminal work Star Wars Every gorgeous shot with Taylor’s signature says it all. His time in the film later helped Taylor win the Saturn Award for Best Cinematography, and almost certainly contributed to Taylor’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Society of Cinematographers.
rear Star Wars, Taylor went on to work as a respected cinematographer in the film industry, working on 12 more films. Following its release in 1994, Don’t Get Me StartTaylor effectively retired from the medium of film, but continued to work (mainly in commercials and other advertising) for several years.
Taylor died peacefully at his home on the Isle of Wight on 23 August 2013.In recognition of his achievements in cinema and the world Star Wars especially, Star Wars.com In a loving tribute to the late cinematographer, Taylor wrote, “From the iconic opening shot of the giant Imperial Star Destroyer chasing the Rebel Tantive IV to the twin suns setting on Tatooine, Taylor played a major role in establishing the film’s visual identity.” the entire series. ”
As a true testament to his character, Taylor remained deeply connected to him Star Wars‘s fan community has looked upon his time in the movies with reverence and pride throughout his life. “It was a great experience,” Taylor said. “My career is coming to an end, but we still communicate.” Star Wars Fans around the world with autographs and photos. ”
Richard Chakowski is a freelance writer based in New Jersey. He loves reading, his dog Tootsie, and almost every movie that ever exists (especially Star Wars).
