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Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

By Michael Schilf · October 28, 2010

Screenplay Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Sci-Fi

Movie Time: 121 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT

On the planet Tatooine, the Jawas sell two stolen droids, C-3PO and R2-D2, to Owen Lars, a moisture farmer, who instructs his nephew, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to clean them up and put them to work, but while cleaning up R2, Luke stumbles across a short clip of a message of Princess Leia: "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." (00:20:58)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

After declining to learn the ways of the Force and help Obi-Wan in his mission to Alderaan, Luke agrees to take the old man as far as Anchorhead, but on the way, they come across the Jawa transport, completely destroyed. Obi-Wan explains the Jawas were killed by Imperial troops, so Luke races home to warn Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, but upon arrival all he finds is their two burnt corpses. Luke returns to Obi-Wan, now wishing to learn the ways of the Force and go with him to Alderaan. (00:40:06)

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

Now aboard the Millenium Falcon with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his first mate, Chewbacca, the Falcon comes out of hyperspace in the Alderaan system, but ends up in an asteroid field instead of Alderaan's orbit. Obi-Wan concludes that the planet has been destroyed, but Solo insists it's not possible. Moments later, they get caught in a tractor beam from what looks like a small moon but turns out to be the Death Star. Helpless to resist, they are pulled into a docking bay of the space station. (1:04:20)

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

A lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan distracts the troops guarding the Falcon, allowing Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids to run to the ship. When Obi-Wan sees that our heroes are safely within boarding the Falcon, he withdraws his saber, allowing Vader to slice through him: his body instantly disappears. Seeing this, Luke screams out in horror, and another firefight erupts, but they all manage to board the Falcon and fly through the station's defense range. (1:32:03)

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

During the attack on the Death Star, Luke flies his X-Wing solo down the trench toward the exhaust port, with Vader and two Imperial wingmen in hot pursuit. As Luke gets closer to his target, he hears the voice of Obi-Wan, telling him to "Use the Force", so Luke switches off his targeting computer to rely on his instincts. But Vader has Luke in his sights, yet before Vader can blow Luke out of the sky, the Millenium Falcon appears out of nowhere and takes out Vader's wingman, causing the other wingman to bump Vader's ship, spinning it out into space. (1:55:26)