AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE DUEL BEGINS....

"Luke is a pawn in an interstellar adventure that has been going on longer than he's been alive..." 

George Lucas interview quote - Mediascene Prevue -1980 

Another great selection of now classic posed mages from the start of the duel...

Many hours and moves, over a period of eight weeks, would be choreographed and filmed on the Cloud City sets where the duel was to take place, and documented by the 'making of' team led by Michel Parbot. Later in the schedule, some of the sword fighting was discarded or had to be re-shot after being viewed in the dailies, so that the combatants didn’t clash with only one hand holding their lightsabers. At that time, Lucas stipulated that they stored a great deal of energy and were heavy to use, hence the two-handed style of fighting, and that he also wanted to maintain existing continuity from the Vader/Kenobi duel of the original Star Wars. A few scenes involving one-handed lightsaber fighting did make it into the final film but only because they were too integral to be cut out. 

Recalls Bob Anderson to Starlog magazine: "George Lucas wanted it (the Empire duel) to be two- handed. I liked the idea of swinging it with one, but he told me to use two hands. It’s a bit restrictive when you have a light weapon and you have to use two hands all the time. Also, George told me it looked more powerful when you have two hands on it.”