Review 19: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Set three years after the events of A New Hope, The Empire has chased the Rebels away from their hidden base and are chasing them across the galaxy eventually leading them to establishing a new base on the ice world of Hoth. The Empire finds out their location via the use of a probe droid and after an epic battle on Hoth the Rebels escape. While Vader chases a small band of Luke's friends - Han Solo, Princess Leia, Cewbacca and C-3PO Organa, and others-across the galaxy, Luke goes to the swap planet of Dagobah and studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz). Han and Leia meanwhile go to the gas giant of Bespin an seek help from Hans old friend, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) to repair Hans ship the Millennium Falcon, but Lando betrays them to Darth Vader and Luke senses their in danger and must decide whether to complete his training and become a full Jedi Knight or to confront Vader and save his comrades.
The plot is another work of genius. When you break it down, The Empire Strikes Back is essentially two parallel storylines: The A story is Luke travelling to Dagobah to train as a Jedi under the eye of Master Yoda. The B story is Han & Leia being pursued across the Galaxy by Darth Vader and his Imperial Forces.
What sets The Empire Strikes Back apart from A New Hope is that it's more character driven than plot driven. It focuses more on the characters emotional arcs and individual personalities and really takes our hero's to new emotional levels by splitting them apart and taking them out of their comfort zones and putting them into these new, exciting and at times scary and perilous situations. Both Luke, Han & Leia narratives become separate entities and tonally distinct but at the same time are narratively and thematically linked to enhance and compliment each other.
The way these two storyline compliment each other is not through their similarities but through their differences: Han & Leia are pursued across the Galaxy by the Empire jumping from one set piece to another while Luke goes on a more spiritual journey exploring the nature of the force under Yoda.
These two storylines have completely separate tones and the film uses this to heighten the emotions of both these storylines. Han & Leia move from set piece to set piece always in motion with the Empire constantly hot on their tale whilst Luke is stuck in one place and is forced to face his inner demons.
What makes Luke's storyline, in particular, work so well is the sharp contrast it has with Han & Leia's: The film will take us from these rousing and exciting moments of chase and then plug us back on Dagobah with Luke. We, as an audience, feel exactly the same frustration he's feeling. Knowing the peril that Han & Leia are in, we want Luke to finish his training ASAP so he can join the fight despite the fact that that's exactly what Vader wants.
As well as elevate Luke's storyline, Han & Leia storyline also brings out the romance between these two characters. They're put into one life and death situation after another so they quickly form a bond with each other depending on one another to survive which makes the attraction to each other completely natural.
Luke's training on Dagobah can be broken into segments with their own lessons, tests and failures and touches on some very weighty themes such as self doubt, discipline, discovery, trust, persistence and belief.
Self doubt & belief: Luke's primary flaw in training with Yoda on Dagobah is his self doubt, he very clearly feels the force yet he cannot control it. He doesn't believe in the force which is what holds him back throughout his training with Yoda.
Director Irvin Kershner's direction isn't particularly flashy but he's clearly comfortable with directing quieter moments with our characters and crafting errie and suspenseful scenes lending the film a great sense of pacing and atmosphere. The cinematography is brilliant and captures the , the score by John William is ominous, the special effects are just as great as the first film, the creature design is immaculate, the production design is even more epic, the costumes are impressive-most impressive, the make up is authentic, the actions scenes/space battles are gripping and the effect of the closing scene is
The acting is stronger, way stronger than the first movie, Mark Hamill is just fantastic here and portrays the more emotionaly complex side of Luke really well
Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are fabulous here and play their romantic scenes together brilliantly,
Anthony Daniels is just hilarious here,
Peter Mayhew is great again
Billy Dee Williams is a stupendous addition to the Saga playing Lando Calrissian, when we first meet him, he's a self-made man in charge of an important mining colony on the gas planet Bespin. He and Han have a history together due to both of them being smugglers.
Brining back Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan Kenobi in spirit form to supervise Luke on his journey was a simply inspired move on George Lucas' part as not only is not overused but it fits neatly into what was pre-established by A New Hope and, as expected, Guinness delivers.
Frank Oz is wonderful as Yoda He's also a very mysterious character as many details about him and his species are shrowded in mystery. in his range of wisdom and emotion
Brining back Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan Kenobi in spirit form to supervise Luke on his journey was a simply inspired move on George Lucas' part as not only is not overused but it fits neatly into what was pre-established by A New Hope and, as expected, Guinness delivers.
Frank Oz is wonderful as Yoda He's also a very mysterious character as many details about him and his species are shrowded in mystery. in his range of wisdom and emotion
James Earl Jones is just as chilling here as he was in a New Hope.
The Empire Strikes Back is a marvelous achivement in filmmaking, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic
The Empire Strikes Back is a marvelous achivement in filmmaking, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic
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