Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Written by: Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), George Lucas (story)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones and Frank Oz
Back in 1977,
Star Wars became a crucial part to the New Hollywood movement. Beyond being a commercial and critical success spawning a popular brand name that's still just as popular today, it helped shape the nature of the modern blockbuster. While films like
Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Ten Commandments and
The Sound of Music were giant successes with monstrous budgets, it wasn't until
Jaws where the term 'blockbuster' could be defined beyond just the income a movie generates. Moving into the 1980s, this new cinematic trend was in full acceleration, with summer releases in North America drawing more people to the movie theater than any other time of the year.
Star Wars' popularity was unprecedented and it was inevitable that a sequel would join the ranks of the new blockbusters.
1980 was a wonderful year in film, complimented by releases like
Raging Bull, The Shining, Caddyshack, Airplane!, The Elephant Man, The Fog and many others. While some of these fit this new category quite wonderfully, they barely compete with the impact of the second Star Wars movie,
The Empire Strikes Back. I almost feel as though thinking of this movie as a 'sequel' treats it as subordinate. Along with the original and
Return of the Jedi,
The Empire Strikes Back is part of a wonderful triptych. However, that doesn't mean it can't be looked at as a great film independent of this. Like many others, I consider it to be the best of the entire series and through my review I aim to explain why I hold it in such high esteem.
When I was watching this movie as a kid, I never was able to point out what led it to being so revered. At a young age, I was more attracted to its world-building than anything else. The film's first act set on the ice planet of Hoth always had me transfixed with wonder. Growing up, my appreciation for it grew exponentially. Compared with
Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back might have been my biggest lesson in how to think about films that are dark in their mood against those that aren't.
The Empire Strikes Back clearly didn't just benefit from its bigger budget and George Lucas' more executive position. Its storytelling was more ambitious, bigger in scope, expanded on the imaginative framework established in the original, but above all it wasn't afraid of putting its heroes into the more desperate of situations.
Despite the destruction of the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance is still engaged in an intense struggle against the Galactic Empire. The Rebels have set up base on the ice planet of Hoth and preparing for the arrival of a large Imperial fleet. The ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi instructs Luke to seek out Master Yoda on the Dagobah system and begin his training as a Jedi. Before his departure, the Empire attacks the base. Han escapes with Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO, but are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader in an attempt to lure Luke in and have him seduced by the Dark Side. The events that follow will determine the future of the Rebellion and Luke's transformation from a rebel soldier to a Jedi hero.
I absolutely adore the much greater scope of the story that this movie has when compared to its predecessor. It's not just the mere obvious fact that it's broken down into smaller units focusing on Luke Skywalker in one branch of story, while the rest of our heroes are on the other. It's more about the actual benefits from doing so. This expansion doesn't just heighten stakes and raise Star Wars' epic quality, but it also allows for an expanded way of exploring this universe and the way characters grow within it. I could go on forever about the imagination in the new planets Hoth, Dagobah and Bespin and how they represent the all the other possibilities of this galaxy, but what I really care about is how this structure serves its characters. The growth of characters is provided far more equally across
The Empire Strikes Back and it owes it to its widespread focus. Luke's beginnings of his spiritual journey, learning of the ways of the Force, growing sense of responsibility to his friends and cause, and notably the lessons learned from his mistakes form an excellent character arc. It's almost matched by the developing romance between Han and Leia, and the ways in which both characters open up and learn about themselves as a result.
One of the beloved moments of
The Empire Strikes Back is the iconic battle scene on Hoth that sends the film into its second act. While it's not my overall favourite scene in a Star Wars movie, it's by far my favourite of its many battles. I'm impressed by how well both the suspense and the special effects of this scene hold up so well. I'm never going to get tired of watching the stop motion animation of the Imperial Walkers. They serve as a testament to the power film has in turning seemingly little and simplistic things into an enormous success. It's but one example of how much I wish both the prequel trilogy and modern cinema utilised these kinds practical effects before using CGI as a crutch to creativity. This amazing scene is but one of many through
The Empire Strikes Back that can be enjoyed independently from the rest of the movie.
Two features of this movie that need to be discussed are the film's dark tones and its use of mystery. Beginning on the latter,
The Empire Strikes Back answers some of the questions audiences are left with about the force following
Star Wars but it never resorts to giving away all its answers and demystifying itself. The wonders we have about Yoda's knowledge and power, Luke's potential and Darth Vader's place in the film's backstory all linger as dramatic questions.
This all is only secondary to its darkness. Where the original
Star Wars is energetic, awe-inspiring and leaves its characters in a great spot,
The Empire Strikes Back isn't afraid to challenge this for the greater good. This manifests in images that are visually bleak and unsettling and some of the most tragic ends for two of its characters. Han Solo is encased in carbonite and sent back to Jabba the Hutt for a fate we can only speculate at, and Luke fails in his first real test as a Jedi, loses his hand and learns that his father, believed to be dead is Darth Vader. It's a fascinating case of the villains winning and a brilliant way of setting up the third movie.
A sequel being equal or superior to the original is rare thing, and I celebrate it whenever it happens. Films like
The Godfather Part II, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Desperado, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and
Aliens have all made their distinctive impacts on the way we view follow-ups to great movies. I don't think any can compare to the lasting impact that
The Empire Strikes Back has. It builds on the original's foundation points in a way that's rarely done so well. Not only does it exhibit creative genius, pay tribute to movies of the distant past and also inspire its viewers, but it makes it better in a lot of ways and has a few tricks of its own. It raises stakes, expands on characters, builds more worlds, introduces new ideas and experiments with new styles of writing and putting stories to the screen. I hold no reservation when I say that
The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie, and also among the best and most cherished movies ever made.
My Rating: 10/10
No comments:
Post a Comment