EXT. TATOOINE – LARS HOMESTEAD
The giant twin suns of Tatooine slowly disappear behind a distant dune range. Luke stands watching them for a few moments, then reluctantly enters the domed entrance to the homestead.
It’s with full credit to George Lucas, Mark Hamill, John Williams, and the magic of ILM that a few short lines of screenplay could become one of the most iconic moments in cinema.
In story terms, it’s an important beat for understanding Luke and his place in the galaxy.
Castigated by his overprotective uncle, his plans to leave Tatooine thwarted once more, Luke’s gaze on the twin sunset is more than just frustrated teenage impotence. It’s the symbol of yet another opportunity disappearing in the haze.
Yet this is Star Wars, the film that moves purposefully forward with every frame. In the Blu-ray commentary, Lucas tells us:
“It’s very clear here that Luke’s fate, even when his aunt and uncle are talking, is not to stay on the farm. That’s just not in him, his destiny lies in the grander scheme of things.”
“His instinct is to be loyal and faithful to his aunt and uncle but in the end that doesn’t work because the enemy has made that decision for him. He doesn’t have much of a choice but to help right the wrongs of the universe.”
As the audience, we don’t yet know that this is Luke’s last binary sunset. Even so, the inevitability of his destiny is tangible.
The scene encapsulates so much of what made the original Star Wars trilogy so amazing.
Understated world-building, timeless VFX, and the majesty of one of John Williams’ greatest scores all combine for a scene in which, as scripted, not much happens.
Yet with compelling cinematic clarity, the binary sunset tells us so much. All you need to know about Luke Skywalker’s ordinary world in three short lines of script.
