If anyone suspected that the success of George Lucas’s Star Wars was a fluke, then the 1980s Irvin Kershner-directed The Empire Strikes Back smothered these allegations. It maintains the imagination and splendour of the original while adding narrative twists and new character dimensions to the mix. But while it is, on the whole, much darker than its predecessor, that quintessential charm that drew so many to Star Wars remains as infectious as ever. To many, this film is even better than the original.
Set three years after the destruction of the Death Star, Luke Skywalker has risen through the ranks to become a respected leader in the Rebel Alliance, who continue to fight against the Galactic Empire. He is summoned to the Dagobah system so that he may continue his Jedi training with Yoda (Frank Oz), a small but powerful creature tasked with broadening Luke’s horizons regarding the Force. All the while, Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) and his Empire forces continue to hunt for Luke and the Rebel Alliance. When Vader’s efforts put Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in danger, Luke is torn between completing his Jedi training or risk abandoning it to save them, a choice which brings him face to face with the dark side of the Force, and the sinister truth it conceals.
The core thesis of the original trilogy is hope, with Star Wars successfully championing the sentiment through hokey thrills and revolutionary spectacle. The Empire Strikes Back puts hope to the test through its darker tone, unrelenting story and narrative twists that are still as jaw-dropping now as they were in 1980. While the film always clings on to hope, just like its predecessor, it ups the stakes by adding personal drama amongst the characters and showcasing the potential sacrifice that can come with keeping hope alive. Sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes the bad guys win, but, as the film ultimately argues, this is not a reason to let go or give up.
Although, with how much the film throws at its heroes, the temptation to give in is always lurking. Luke’s training with Yoda goes against the grain of traditional Chosen One stories. He’s proven not to be all-powerful or special. Instead, his training shows just how ignorant he is in the ways of the Force, despite his ability to swing a lightsaber about. Yoda’s lifting of Luke’s X-wing out of the Dagobah swamps is visually stunning but it’s a precise demonstration on why Luke is not as ready as he thinks he is. If anything, Luke risks being corrupted as his innocence and ego is gradually chipped away by cold, hard facts. The parent-child twist regarding the connection between Luke and Darth Vader is the coldest, hardest reality of them all – a reveal so shocking it has become synonymous with the concept of movie twists.
The rest of the heroes don’t have it much better: Han and Leia’s budding, if somewhat problematic, romance is muddied by their differing levels of allegiance to the Rebels, while the Empire pursues them under Vader’s direction. Their attempts to flee the Empire are complicated by a broken hyperdrive on the Millenium Falcon and the shady dealings of apparent ally Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). This new character is an opportunist who serves as a compelling foil to Han, with Lando’s personality and initial actions representing what Han could’ve been had he chosen not to part with his selfish ways in the previous film. Kershner’s directorial style focuses on character actions and development, informing the tone of the story. The best demonstration of this is when Chewbacca, unable to help his friends – who are being tortured by the Empire – decides to put a broken C-3PO back together. The lingering shot on Chewbacca as he looks at C-3PO’s head is a small but heartbreaking moment of silence that basks in the dark tone and potential cost of hope the film is exploring.
One thing Kershner preserves from the original however is the sense of scale. The Empire Strikes Back takes place on entirely new worlds from its predecessor, adding to the saga’s unparalleled worldbuilding. Whether it’s the ice world of Hoth, the misty swamps of Dagobah or the cloud cities of Bespin, all utilise timeless practical effects; the use of stop-motion and miniature models for the Empire’s AT-AT walkers during the first act’s Battle of Hoth is a choice that tangibly adds to the desired effect of huge, immersive action.
John Williams’ epic score – which includes the first appearance of the iconic Imperial March track – and Peter Suschitzky’s cinematography drip with intimacy and dread alike, perhaps best displayed in the close-ups during Han Solo’s imprisonment in carbonite. The climactic lightsaber showdown between Luke and Vader is tinged with a chilling intensity as their difference in skill becomes apparent despite the hero’s best efforts. It is choreographically epic but also thematically devastating, particularly if one reads the fight as the final destruction of Luke’s innocence, Darth Vader’s true identity being the horrific culmination of this destruction. There is a case to be made for this being the franchise’s greatest lightsaber duel.
Where the original film was about people from different walks of life coming together to fight against tyranny, The Empire Strikes Back is about the cost of coming into your own, with Luke losing his innocence, Leia having her faith in people challenged and Han losing almost everything. But hope persists. Even as the film threatens to become a miserable endeavour, Kershner imbues the story with the idea of hope – that hardship renews and even strengthens its resolve. The film’s final image is a seemingly dire one; Luke and Leia watching a swirling galaxy from a medical ship, one of the final remnants of a broken Rebellion. With Luke injured and Han missing, their prospects have never looked worse. But when one hits rock bottom, up is the only way to go and, as Williams’ soothing score and Kershner’s direction highlights, this setback will only be temporary. No matter how great a force the Empire is, hope will prevail in the end.
Interestingly, The Empire Strikes Back was initially met with divisive, even angry reactions upon release. Some chastised the darker tone for being too different to the original, while others found the twist of Darth Vader being Luke’s father unbelievable. Putting aside the irony of this – as it shows that the entitled, overblown venom directed at contemporary Star Wars properties like The Last Jedi or The Acolyte are nothing new – it’s particularly intriguing as The Empire Strikes Back, and its eventual re-evaluation as one of if not the best Star Wars film, was a defining entry into the continuation of ‘New Hollywood,’ which began with Bonnie and Clyde in 1967.
If ‘classical Hollywood’ can be defined by the fantastical narratives or neat endings of American pictures like The Wizard of Oz or Casablanca, then ‘New Hollywood’ was more focused on realism and perhaps, to an extent, cynicism. While Lucas adopted the framework of Kurosawa with Star Wars, Kershner (with Lucas as producer) would embody the notions of the ‘movie brats’ of Scorsese and Spielberg: The Empire Strikes Back has an open ending that reflects on the loss that the heroes have experienced, rejecting the more classical narrative forming of Lucas’ Star Wars. It’s certainly a departure, and perhaps explains the reactions at the time, but, in retrospect, it has allowed the film to maintain its own significance within the saga, as well as pave the way for many darker blockbuster sequels, seen as recently as Avengers: Infinity War.
The Empire Strikes Back carries the torch of its predecessor’s success and emotional resonance, while also adding a few strengths of its own. Darker, more mature and more character focused than its predecessor, it furthers the original’s themes and maintains the spectacle and excitement that we have come to love from these films. With iconic narrative developments, dazzling action and resonant sentiments that break through the darkness of its story, it only solidified Star Wars as the powerhouse franchise that it is today. It’s about as ideal of a sequel as there ever was.
5 stars
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is now streaming in Disney+.
Learn more about the film, including how to watch, on the Disney+ site.
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