More than two decades after the release of “The Phantom Menace,” Ewan McGregor has shared a surprising filming detail: the iconic duel against Darth Maul was intentionally slowed down because it was too fast to be believable. This technical secret only adds to the legend of this unforgettable scene in the Star Wars saga.
An Iconic Duel in The Phantom Menace
Twenty-six years after “The Phantom Menace” premiered, Ewan McGregor has finally confirmed what some fans long suspected: the lightsaber duel against Darth Maul wasn’t just visually stunning; it was also purposefully slowed down. Contrary to what some might think, this wasn’t due to the actors’ lack of stamina. Speaking at the Fan Expo Boston, the Scottish actor, renowned for his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi, reflected on the filming of this legendary scene. Alongside Ray Park, who played Darth Maul, McGregor executed the choreography of the fight with such speed that even George Lucas began to worry.
“When Ray and I shot this fight… George – if I understood him correctly – used a technique called overcranking,” McGregor revealed. This method involves running the film at a faster speed in the camera, so that during projection, the action appears in slow motion. “I remember him saying, ‘They’re going too fast. Speed the camera up slightly.’ So they sped up the camera to slow it down a bit, because Ray and I were very fast in that scene. He was concerned that audiences wouldn’t believe it.”
This duel, choreographed to the iconic music “Duel of the Fates” by John Williams, remains one of the most memorable moments in the saga. It provided audiences with a first look at Jedi and Sith fully harnessing their powers, a stark contrast to the more rigid battles of the original trilogy. For many fans, it remains the pinnacle of lightsaber action in Star Wars.
A Less Enthusiastic View from Liam Neeson
Not everyone cherishes the memory of the duel. Liam Neeson, who played Qui-Gon Jinn, recently expressed his dismay at how quickly his character was eliminated. “Qui-Gon wasn’t much of a Jedi master if he could fall for such a simple trap set by Maul,” Neeson noted, although he did mention that he had a thoroughly enjoyable experience on set.
McGregor’s anecdote highlights the dedication of the prequel actors to their carefully crafted fight scenes, down to the smallest movement. The fights were so fast that Lucas deemed it necessary to slow them down to allow audiences to appreciate the choreography.
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