The Best Sequel Ever

The Empire Strikes Back is not just one of the best sci-fi films of the 1980s or one of the best sequels ever made, it is the best Star Wars film. That is not a bold take. It is many people’s favorite and has been my favorite Star Wars film (and favorite movie) for a long time. It has grown with me as I have gotten older. What was once just a movie full of fun visuals, interesting scenes, and great fights is now a multilayered and nuanced film about failure, faith, and maturity.

Following the culturally shifting hit that was Star Wars is no small feat. If you were a fan, you had to have expectations about the follow-up. Watching the original trailer, you can get a sense of what audiences must have thought they were getting: another adventure full of danger and action, a final showdown, and another Rebel victory. I am not trying to make the fans of the time seem like simple straw men for my argument, but nothing in the marketing hinted at the emotional and narrative depth that was waiting for them.

The main cast is back and at their best, and the newcomers add depth to both the movie and the world. Billy Dee Williams, then known for his work on stage, in blaxploitation films, and in Brian’s Song, plays Lando Calrissian, an old friend of Han Solo who has gone from smuggling to being the administrator of a gas mining operation on the gas giant Bespin. He has easy chemistry with Harrison Ford, and together they hint at a long and competitive friendship. Frank Oz does a lot of heavy lifting as the voice of Yoda, the Jedi Master with whom Luke spends most of his time. Though Yoda is immediately silly on the surface, what Frank and the puppeteering team accomplish is amazing. Yoda instructs Luke in the ways of the Force and gives him insight into his destiny and abilities. More than Kenobi, Yoda frames how the Force works in this universe and why it is important.

We also spend time with Imperial naval officers as they aid Vader in his search for Luke and in the prosecution of the war. We meet the Emperor, played by Ian McDiarmid. You could be forgiven for forgetting the Imperial officers’ names, but you get a clear sense of Vader’s power as they interact with him, often terrified, since any mistake can mean a painful and quick death.

Industrial Light and Magic, Peter Suschitzky the cinematographer, art directors and too many to name help to bring this world to life. The quality of the work could easily overshadow a lesser film, but here the effects support the story. Thanks to extensive use of practical effects, what is shown has real weight and tangibility. Each new location feels fresh, original, and further reinforces the story. Take for instance the Imperial equipment and spaces. Each location, each ship and vehicle, illustrates the dispassionate and mechanical world of the Empire.

John Williams’s work on this score surpasses the original, if only because of one piece: “The Imperial March.” I think “The Imperial March” is the best piece of music that John Williams has ever written.

When I first saw the Star Wars trilogy I was very young, and it took years for me to realize just how dark this film is. In the story, the Rebel Alliance is defeated, almost broken, and the main cast is split up. Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 go to find Yoda. Han Solo and Chewie are forced to bring C-3PO and Leia along as Han tries to pay off his debts. Vader, orchestrating an eventual showdown with Luke, uses the captured Han, Leia, C-3PO, and Chewie to lure Luke in. Vader’s plan works, and Luke chooses to ignore his mentors, leaving his training early in a half-baked attempt to save his friends. Han is captured and sold off to a bounty hunter. Luke fights Vader but is quickly overmatched. Luke’s world is shattered and the viewer’s entire perspective is shifted in a way that cannot be undone.

By separating the main characters, the screenwriting team of Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan gives viewers a sense of anticipation. Surely Luke will fight Vader, defeat him, meet up with his friends, and live to fight another day. Luke does all the right things narratively and should prevail. He makes the superficially noble choice to rush into battle unprepared, to fight a man so evil and so powerful that he has been killing his admirals with reckless disregard. Instead, Luke is brought low, physically and emotionally, and is left very unsure of himself. Han, quickly recognized as a fan favorite, is tortured and his future is uncertain. All the main characters are beaten in one way or another. I think that is bold, and what might feel cliché now was much fresher 46 years ago.

 I love The Empire Strikes Back. I can gush about the Battle of Hoth, Han and Leia’s flirtation, the introduction of the city in the clouds, Yoda and his wisdom, John Williams, Irvin Kershner, and anyone else involved in the movie. The Empire Strikes Back is awesome, and it only gets better with each year.