The Burden of Dreams: Regarding The Empire Strikes Back
The unfortunate truth is that after every effervescent moment, every jubilant victory, reality has to set in; the check is always due to be paid in full. The Galactic Empire was never going to throw in the towel after the destruction of the Death Star. Was it a huge setback? Sure, that was a planetoid-sized installation staffed by thousands, if not millions, of Imperial personnel that went down with two well-placed proton torpedoes. But whereas the first movie only teased at the might of the Empire, its sequel shows Darth Vader, et al. fucking PISSED.
That distinction kind of confused me as a kid. At the end of Star Wars, everybody is happy in their jungle pyramid. They handed out medals. Luke Skywalker got a cool yellow jacket (that he never wears again). When I first saw The Empire Strikes Back 25 years ago or so, it never dawned on me that the point of the Battle of Hoth wasn't to win by conventional means. The Rebels aren't going to stop the Imperial walkers and the Empire isn't going to throw up their hands and go "well, I guess we should just leave them alone". It's a holding action against a immensely superior force. A bandaid for a bullet wound as the Alliance scrambles to evacuate as many as they can to parts unknown while Luke launches his Last Charge of the Light Brigade.
What I'm trying to say here is that there is all sorts of nuance in the second Star Wars movie that never occurred to me when I was a kid. More than just being the "dark", "gritty" film that fans just kind of jump to when describing it, The Empire Strikes Back is really about its heroes facing uncomfortable truths with the lives they've chosen. Star Wars was about Luke finally getting the chance to live out his fantasies when he leaves home for the first time. His arc in Empire sees him largely impatient: He can see what he has to do but he has to realize that he's just not ready yet. That's a frustrating thing to know where you need to go next but being told you're still not quite up for it. It informs a lot of his anger and even when he sees a vision warning him that he's running the risk of going the same path as his father, he brashly rushes out before completing his training to save his friends; it costs him a hand (which fucked me up as a kid) and serves up a huge slice of humble pie.
Leia's arc ties to Han Solo's. She's kept her head down fighting this civil war because she's in a position where a lot of people need her leadership but also, I would presume, to work past the grief of losing her planet in the last film. With that in mind, she's probably lost a lot and been hurt a lot so she's scared of admitting how much Han means to her in anything but a professional capacity; Han says as much when the two argue before learning Luke needs to be rescued in the film's icy opening. Han has already had his rude awakening before the events of the film; in a sharp contrast to the first Star Wars, he's an active freedom fighter rather than mercenary scoundrel but has to make amends with his past. He does this too late, of course, and winds up frozen in a big block of carbonite. Even Lando has his own uncomfortable truths to deal with in regards of trying to responsible for an entire city and what lengths he's willing to go for its protection.
It's a movie about growing pains, really, at the end of the day. I think the big thing that holds the entire narrative back for me is that there's no real ending. That took a minute for me to realize because as long as I've been alive, there's been at least three Star Wars movies. I never had to wait for three years to see Return of the Jedi; if you go back and watch the end of Empire, it's very abrupt. Whenever I watch The Empire Strikes Back, I need to immediately chase it with Return of the Jedi otherwise it all feels like unfinished business. Conversely, I can watch Return of the Jedi without having immediately preceded it with The Empire Strikes Back.
Having said all that, I love the film and it's the one Lucas wisely tinkered with the least when he did the Special Editions. While I prefer not seeing the full Wampa that attacks Luke in the opening as it adds an aura of mystique, I don't mind it being there. And I like the less claustrophobic Cloud City and redone conversation with the Emperor, those are both benefits that the Special Edition provides. I will say, there was never a time that I can remember when I didn't know Darth Vader was Luke's father; I'm pretty sure my father spoiled that for me before going in. I was more surprised that there was a human under all that black armor which is exactly why the filmmakers included that scene.
All in all, The Empire Strikes Back is the most intense, gorgeously shot Star Wars film from the original trilogy with probably my favorite set design but it was always in service towards setting up what would come next.
That distinction kind of confused me as a kid. At the end of Star Wars, everybody is happy in their jungle pyramid. They handed out medals. Luke Skywalker got a cool yellow jacket (that he never wears again). When I first saw The Empire Strikes Back 25 years ago or so, it never dawned on me that the point of the Battle of Hoth wasn't to win by conventional means. The Rebels aren't going to stop the Imperial walkers and the Empire isn't going to throw up their hands and go "well, I guess we should just leave them alone". It's a holding action against a immensely superior force. A bandaid for a bullet wound as the Alliance scrambles to evacuate as many as they can to parts unknown while Luke launches his Last Charge of the Light Brigade.
What I'm trying to say here is that there is all sorts of nuance in the second Star Wars movie that never occurred to me when I was a kid. More than just being the "dark", "gritty" film that fans just kind of jump to when describing it, The Empire Strikes Back is really about its heroes facing uncomfortable truths with the lives they've chosen. Star Wars was about Luke finally getting the chance to live out his fantasies when he leaves home for the first time. His arc in Empire sees him largely impatient: He can see what he has to do but he has to realize that he's just not ready yet. That's a frustrating thing to know where you need to go next but being told you're still not quite up for it. It informs a lot of his anger and even when he sees a vision warning him that he's running the risk of going the same path as his father, he brashly rushes out before completing his training to save his friends; it costs him a hand (which fucked me up as a kid) and serves up a huge slice of humble pie.
Leia's arc ties to Han Solo's. She's kept her head down fighting this civil war because she's in a position where a lot of people need her leadership but also, I would presume, to work past the grief of losing her planet in the last film. With that in mind, she's probably lost a lot and been hurt a lot so she's scared of admitting how much Han means to her in anything but a professional capacity; Han says as much when the two argue before learning Luke needs to be rescued in the film's icy opening. Han has already had his rude awakening before the events of the film; in a sharp contrast to the first Star Wars, he's an active freedom fighter rather than mercenary scoundrel but has to make amends with his past. He does this too late, of course, and winds up frozen in a big block of carbonite. Even Lando has his own uncomfortable truths to deal with in regards of trying to responsible for an entire city and what lengths he's willing to go for its protection.
It's a movie about growing pains, really, at the end of the day. I think the big thing that holds the entire narrative back for me is that there's no real ending. That took a minute for me to realize because as long as I've been alive, there's been at least three Star Wars movies. I never had to wait for three years to see Return of the Jedi; if you go back and watch the end of Empire, it's very abrupt. Whenever I watch The Empire Strikes Back, I need to immediately chase it with Return of the Jedi otherwise it all feels like unfinished business. Conversely, I can watch Return of the Jedi without having immediately preceded it with The Empire Strikes Back.
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| I know. |
All in all, The Empire Strikes Back is the most intense, gorgeously shot Star Wars film from the original trilogy with probably my favorite set design but it was always in service towards setting up what would come next.
