[Despondent]

I found my book. a Christmas present from 1981 I believe. It's called The Art of Star Wars, and has production paintings, drawings, photos, poster art and inspired art from the "first" movie. It also has the script. that section begins with:


(title page, all text caps and centered)

Star Wars
Episode
IV
A New Hope
From the
Journal of the Whills
by
George Lucas

Revised Fourth Draft
January 15, 1976
Lucasfilm Ltd.

and intersperses the script with the artwork. I believe it's been redesigned and renamed. don't know if the scene in question has been tampered with.


I'll pick up in the middle of the scene:

Han: Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?

(Han Solo slowly reaches for his gun under the table.)

Greedo: You can tell that to Jabba. He may only take your ship.

Han: Over my dead body

Greedo: That's the idea. I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time

Han: Yes, I'll bet you have

(Suddenly the slimy alien disappears in a blinding flash of light. Han pulls his smoking gun from beneath the table as the other patrons look on in bemused amazement. Han gets up and starts out of the cantinal, flipping the bartender som coins as he leaves.)

Han: Sorry about the mess.

[Chefelf]

Precisely. People who kill in self defense don't often say: "Sorry about the mess."

[srmoore]

Ya know.. they keep saying that the changes were to allow lucas to make tthe movie he wanted to make... I think this is proof that he made it the movie that he didn't want to make. If the script had Han shooting first.... then that is what lucas wanted.

IN YOUR FACE LUCASFILM!

[Paladin]

Precisely. People who kill in self defense don't often say: "Sorry about the mess."

To me, the whole thing was just another 'crook-on-crook' affair. Han Solo didn't really want to give up his life of crime until the end of the movie.

[barend]

when greedo shot first he failed to take hans life but managed to take hans journey as a character away from him!!!

[Chefelf]

Point 1: Exactly, it simply downgraded Han Solo to being a stock character rather than the ruthless rogue who is changed by love. Pretty weak.

Point 2: Lucas made the film he always wanted to make. They didn't have the technology in '76 to control what character shot first? Was that something that was only developed by ILM in the late nineties? Was laser fire just random and uncontrollable before that? It's pretty thin to say, "Oops. We had meant to have Greedo shoot first."

Point 3: No one. NO ONE could have missed Han Solo from across a table. The tip of his blaster was less than two feet away from Han. Not only would Greedo not miss but Han would have been an idiot to allow Greedo to shoot first.

Point 4: JABBA WANTED HAN ALIVE! Bobba Fett, in the second film, makes it clear to Darth Vader that he needs Han alive. This would not have been different in Episode IV considering that Han Solo even talks to Solo and lets him go! People don't want people dead and then later want them alive... it works the other way around even in a galaxy far, far away.

[srmoore]

err Han Solo talks to Jaba I think you mean

[Despondent]

Here's a little more from the script, which actually straddles the fence...

Han: I'm not the type to run.

Jabba: (fatherly-smooth) Han, my boy, there are times you disappoint me...why haven't you paid me? And why did you have to fry poor Greedo like that...after all we've been through together.

Han: You sent Greedo to blast me.

Jabba: (mock surprise) Han, why you're the best smuggler in the business. You're too valuable to fry. He was only relaying my concern at your delays. He wasn't going to blast you.

Han: I think he thought he was. Next time don't send me one of those twerps. If you've got something to say to me, come see me for yourself.


I'll stop there. this script does not include Han's lame "you're a terrific human being" line.