From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!VAF@CMU-CS-C
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Title: The FORCE, or bad editing?
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.248
Posted: Thu Dec 30 13:01:00 1982
Received: Sun Jan  2 00:57:34 1983

From:  Vince Fuller 

Date: Tuesday, 28 December 1982  19:23-EST
    From: Dolata at SUMEX-AIM
    To:   SF-LOVERS at MIT-MC
    Re:   The FORCE, or bad editing?

    I recently saw SW-ANH (IV) in a situation where we could examine the
    film closely.  In the fight between Darth Vader and Obiwan, Obiwan's
    brown cloak starts to collapse 2 frames (at least) before Darth's
    light sabre hits it!!!!!  So, did Darth kill Obiwan, or was he gone
    already?  Or am I picking nits with the editor?

This, I would say, was intentional. Obi-wan's grin (and the music we
hear) just before he turns off his light sabre indicate that he knows
what is going on. I think he decided that he needed to make an impact
and had no real use for his corporeal form any longer. He therefore
fled his body BEFORE Vader "killed" him.