Entertainment

This Side-by-Side Video of 'Rogue One' and 'A New Hope' Is Beautiful

by Monica Hunter-Hart
Photo via Vimeo /  Zackery Ramos-Taylor

If you’ve seen the end of Rogue One, you know that it connects with the beginning of A New Hope; but you might not have noticed other aspects of the film’s cinematography that line up with the original 1977 Star Wars. Luckily for you, a fan noticed and made a video montage to point out all the ties.

Zackery Ramos-Taylor compiled side-by-side shots from Rogue One and A New Hope, and the result is beautiful. There are sweeping shots of planets and spaceships that look similar enough to be from the same movie. And who knew that the filmmakers shot Darth Vader’s iconic entrances from the same distance and perspective?

The montage includes clips comparing Princess Leia, Grand Moff Tarkin, Mon Mothma, Vader, and Admiral Raddus, characters who appeared in both films. Seen side-by-side, the CGI version of Grand Moff Tarkin looks even less convincing. Ah well.

The Rogue One filmmakers were constantly referencing A New Hope, even if we didn’t realize it. They used every tool at their disposal, including cinematography, to engineer your nostalgia. So watch the montage for one more explanation of why you loved Rogue One so goddamn much.

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