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Star Wars Episode V:
The Empire Strikes Back 1980 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Irvin Kershner
PG, 126 min. (mild violence) |
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Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Alec Guinness, Frank Oz, James Earl Jones (voice)
Producer: Gary Kurtz
Screenplay: Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan
Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Released: 5.21.80 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
Arguments for and against various films in reference to the title of "best film of all time" inevitably comes down to one
person's preference or opinion. There are many truly great masterpieces of film in the last 100 years, and to pinpoint one
film in particular and label it the greatest one ever made is a bit arrogant, albeit, in most cases, justifiable subjectiveness.
I don't believe there will ever be a "consensus" best film or even group of films, but the majority of moviegoers in this country
would agree that classics such as Citizen Kane, Casablanca, or The Godfather are among the best. In the end, it invariably
rests upon a subjective "favorite" film that has special meaning or surreal nature for any given person. My humble entry -
George Lucas' astonishing The Empire Strikes Back.
A mesmerizing visual display of the highest order, the film engrosses the viewer in its every scene - it's almost impossible to
take your eyes off the screen. There's so much going on in front of you that it's almost too much to absorb in one viewing.
Obviously many who saw it in theaters in 1980 agreed, returning to see it two or even three more times. At the time,
although the film was anxiously anticipated, it was thought that for Lucas to even approach, much less surpass, the level of
storytelling in Star Wars
was unattainable. Star Wars had set the bar high, and, incredibly, The Empire Strikes Back set it even higher.
The formula for this appropriately titled "best sequel of all time?" A thought-provoking script, high production value, and
most importantly a darker, more serious picture that asked more questions than it answered. In a wise move, Lucas handed
his baby over to director Irvin Kershner, whom Lucas knew could more adeptly orchestrate the darker tone that he
envisioned for this installment of the trilogy. Lucas realized that his upbeat, light tone of directing didn't mesh well with his
storyline, one that would see our heroes separated, tortured, and nearly killed before its end credits. Kershner has
been credited with lifting the franchise to new heights (at least critically speaking), especially in the areas of taut direction
and character development. Although he deserves much of the credit, Kershner only carried out Lucas' creative vision onto
the screen - obviously Lucas was there every step of the way as producer. Whatever the makeup, the end result
was nothing short of magical.
In yet another wise move, Lucas begins Empire as an almost separate entity from Star Wars. One could easily watch
this film before Star Wars and still understand the basic storyline. Now we are years removed from the battle of
Yavin (the conclusion of Star Wars), with our heroes, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and
Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), in hiding on the desolate ice planet Hoth. Their nemesis, the Empire, led by the infamous
Darth Vader (David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones), has found them and begun an invasion. Luke leads the successful
evacuation from the planet, but surprisingly doesn't rejoin his friends afterwards - he's been ordered, in a vision from Obi Wan
Kenobi (Alec Guiness), to continue Jedi training under another Jedi Master, Yoda (Frank Oz) on the remote planet of Degobah.
While Luke is away, Han and Leia are mercilessly pursued across the galaxy by Vader, who is intent on using them as
bait to entice Luke to confront him. They arrive at a Cloud City, governed by Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), only
to fall into the hands of Vader through his bounty hunter, Bobba Fett. Now Luke must decide between continuing his
all-important training or coming to the aid of his friends, a decision that for him is easy. He will face Vader alone, but at
a high price - the discovery of a dark secret that threatens to destroy him.
This shocking revelation at the film's conclusion marked a turning point in the trilogy, from a clear-cut Luke vs. Vader in Star
Wars to a more thoughtful rivalry in Return of the Jedi,
was a brave step for Lucas, despite the fact it was in his original story all along. Many fans struggled with this realization,
and it stirred a debate about its truth that would only be settled in Return of the Jedi. This moment in the film was also
the apex of a growing wave of depressing moments throughout the film. From the Rebellion's near collapse to Han Solo's
carbonite-frozen body en route to Jabba the Hutt, Empire is relentless in its dark presentation. Only the presence of two
familiar droids, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), offer a glimpse of comic relief in an otherwise
morbid affair.
As aforementioned, the heart of Empire is in its visual presentation. We are treated to numerous locations, sets, and creative
atmospheres that set the standard for imagination in storytelling. The new characters and props include Imperial
Walkers, Star Destroyers, Yoda, a Cloud City, and even an elaborate asteroid field. Lucas pushed special effects to the
edge and then past it with a virtual smorgasbord of newly devised techniques that wowed audiences during its release.
The attention to detail, especially with 1997's Special Edition's touchups, makes Empire so believable that one is easily
lost in the magnitude of its sheer scope. Two scenes in particular are worth mentioning. The first, involving a breathtaking
sequence during which the Millenium Falcon eludes TIE fighters in an asteroid field, is one of the best ever committed to film.
The action and John Williams' rousing music seamlessly blend to form a visually stunning moment of movie perfection.
The second, in which Luke chooses to fall helplessly from dizzying heights out of Vader's reach, is the most harrowing moment
of the trilogy. These masterful strokes of filmmaking add to the underlying richness of Empire, enabling it to stake its claim
as the best the Star Wars franchise has to offer.
Empire is complex and multi-layered. It has important subplots, Solo's growing relationship with Leia and Luke's struggles
with Yoda's instruction, that act as smaller stories that support a larger picture. It's in that larger picture that we learn
to appreciate the meticulous care that Lucas and Kershner have taken to ensure that viewers understand the characters'
motivations and inspiration for their individual actions. This type of filmmaking is difficult to accomplish, as only the great
films can boast. Well, Empire is a great film, nearly perfect, with a sense of amazement at its own handiwork. This is Lucas'
gift to the world of film.
Even the actors are at their best here as they are clearly more in tune with their characters. In Star Wars there are some
obvious jitters for first time actors Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher; in Empire, that indecisiveness is gone. Instead, they give
their best performances of the trilogy in convincing fashion. Ford is also at his best here, trying to hold down the fort
while his partner Luke is in training. He is at his scoundrel best, enticing Leia into various playful diatribes, while eventually
giving himself for the sake of others. Surprisingly, the film's best performance comes from Yoda, the creation of Frank Oz.
He's able to portray geniune emotion despite being a puppet, and he gives invaluable insight into the religion of the Jedi Order.
And finally, of course, James Earl Jones brings an ominous presence to Darth Vader, who demonstrates why he is so feared
throughout the galaxy with various executions of his staff.
John Williams' musical score in Star Wars was one for the ages, but here he stretches his considerable talent to new heights
with a darker theme (The Imperial March) and adds touches of genius to match the visual scenery. It would be hard to imagine
a Star Wars picture without the presence of Williams' stirring music, and with this effort gives one of the best of his
impressive career.
The Empire Strikes Back stunned audiences because of its boldness. Lucas didn't want a carbon copy of Star Wars
and wanted to move his story beyond the lightness of the original and into the realm of serious drama. Lucas knew all along
that his gamble in Empire was unavoidable if there was to be another film (even the recent prequels were dependent upon this
fact) in the series. Once again he found a place that very few filmmakers achieve - a truly original motion picture. The fact
that he did it twice (in this case in succession) is a marvel in itself. He proved that dark-toned pictures could be successful,
which is one reason why this film is many Star Wars fans' favorite. The combination of epic storytelling with
eye-catching cinematography and colorful characters makes The Empire Strikes Back one of the greatest films ever made.
In terms of sheer quality of how a motion picture should be made, this one's hard to beat.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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