Por que Obi-Wan recuou durante a batalha com Darth Maul?

Eu sempre interpretei como finta em vez de um recuo. Obi-Wan e Qui-Gon coordenaram-se entre si para aproveitar ao máximo sua vantagem numérica.

Para referência, aqui está um arquivo .gif da cena em questão (extraído do vídeo vinculado à pergunta):

• A novela de Terry Brooks NÃO oferece nenhuma "vacilação":

  Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi stood alone in the Sith Lord’s path. Together, they removed their capes and ignited their lightsabers. Their horned antagonist stripped away his cloak as well, then lifted the long-handled lightsaber he bore as if offering it for inspection. Gleaming blade fire jutted from both ends of the handle, revealing a deadly, dual-blade weapon. A smile crossed the bearer’s feral face as he swung the weapon before him in an idle, casual gesture, beckoning the Jedi ahead.

  Spreading out to either side, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan slowly advanced to meet him. ...

  Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan closed with the Sith Lord in a clash of lightsabers that produced the shriek of diamond-edged saw blades cutting through metal. ...

  Eu li o resto da novelização e menciona absolutamente nada sobre Obi-Wan estremecendo ou similar , até o momento em que eles são separados pelas paredes.

  Note que o congelamento da sua pergunta está correto antes de se preparar para atacar Maul, mas ele pula de uma ponte para outra:

  They fought their way out of the main hangar through an entry that led into a power station. Catwalks and overhangs crisscrossed a pit in which a tandem of generators that served the starship complex was housed. The room was cavernous and filled with the noise of heavy machinery. Ambient light filtered away in clouds of steam and layers of shadows. The Jedi and the Sith Lord battled onto one of the catwalks suspended above the generators, and the metal frame rang with the thudding of their boots and the clash of their lightsabers.

  Alone in the power station, hidden from the rest of Theed and its occupants, they intensified their struggle.

  The Sith Lord leapt from the bridge on which they fought to the one above

• A novelização de Júnior de Wrede não ajuda muito, condensando toda a luta para:

  Obi-Wan had never been in such a lightsaber battle before. So this is a Sith Lord, he thought fleetingly as he dodged and leaped. It was taking every skill he knew just to stay alive. The Sith Lord seemed to cloud Obi-Wan’s use of the Force, making it hard to sense his opponent’s moves and counter them in time.

  Slowly, the Sith Lord forced Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan back. Out of the hangar and down a long hall they fought, then on into the Theed power generator plant. The Sith Lord leaped from one service catwalk to another, and the two Jedi followed. Qui-Gon was in the lead now, taking the brunt of the attacks. The narrow bridge gave them little room to maneuver. Obi-Wan tried to close in on their opponent, but the Sith Lord twisted and kicked him off the catwalk.

• Eu assisti o DVD e achei o momento em que a captura de tela pertence.

  Encaminhei o filme pelos próximos segundos.

  Para mim, parece

  • Ele montou para atacar com sua espada

  • Ele notou que Maul colocou sua lâmina direita na posição de bloqueio

  • Ele mudou de posição e permitiu que Qui-Gon atacasse primeiro, pois era menos provável que ele fosse bloqueado.

  Mas é assim que parece.