Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
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| Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back | |
| Image:Empire20strikes20back old.jpg | |
| Directed by | Irvin Kershner |
| Written by | George Lucas Leigh Brackett Lawrence Kasdan |
| Starring | Mark Hamill Harrison Ford Carrie Fisher Billy Dee Williams James Earl Jones |
| Produced by | Gary Kurtz George Lucas Rick McCallum |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date | May 21, 1980 (USA) |
| Runtime | 124 min. (original version); 127 min. (special edition) |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18,000,000 |
| IMDb page | |
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (often abbreviated TESB or ESB by fans) is the fifth chapter (but the second to be released) in the popular six-part Star Wars film series by George Lucas. Originally released on May 21, 1980, the film initially received mixed reviews, but over time, has proved to be one of the most popular films in the series among many fans and critics. It was re-released with changes in 1997. A 3-D release is planned for 2007. A radio adaptation was broadcast on National Public Radio in the United States.
The film concerns the continuing struggles of the Rebel Alliance to resist and fight the Galactic Empire. In it, Luke begins his major Jedi training with Yoda, after a suggestion from Obi-Wan's spirit. In an emotional confrontation with Darth Vader, Luke must face his destiny.
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Plot summary
The opening crawl reveals that the Galactic Empire has pursued the Rebel forces across the galaxy, forcing them to establish their base on the ice planet Hoth. Darth Vader has sent probes into space in search of Luke Skywalker.
On Hoth, Luke is partroling the area when he is knocked unconscious by a Wampa. When Luke regains consciousness, he finds himself held captive in the Wampa's icy cave. Using the Force, he draws upon his lightsaber and uses it to free himself. He escapes the Wampa cave, but is overcome by the cold. While lying in the snow, a vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi tells him to go to Dagobah for further training by the Jedi Master Yoda. As the vision fades, Han Solo finds Luke barely conscious. Han builds a night shelter to keep them safe until morning.
Rebel ships discover and rescue Han and Luke the next morning. They are brought to the Rebel Base where Luke recovers. When unusual signals are picked up by sensors, Han Solo and Chewbacca investigate, and discover an Imperial Probe Droid. The Empire has found the Rebel Base. An evacuation of the base begins.
Rebels who have chosen to fight on the ground depart the Hoth base for a battle against Imperial forces, which is armed with agile AT-STs and monstrous AT-ATs. Led by Luke, the group commences the attack. Realizing the armor is too strong for blasters, they instead destroy one AT-AT using a tow cable. Luke's fighter is shot down by the Imperials, and crash-lands in the snow. Luke manages to destroy another AT-AT by using his cable and lightsaber to put an explosive charge into the belly of the transport.
The Rebel base is now under attack and Imperial Snowtroopers have entered the base, forcing Han, Leia, Chewie, and C-3P0 to flee. They reach the Millennium Falcon in time to escape. However, they are pursued by Imperial fighters. Flipping the switch to take them to lightspeed, Han realizes that the hyperdrive has been damaged. While trying to fix the hyperdrive system, they approach an asteroid field. Desperate to elude the Imperials, he enters the field with the Empire in pursuit. After a dangerous chase, Solo evades his pursuers long enough to land inside one of the larger asteroids to hide, rest and find a way to fix the ship.
Meanwhile, Luke heads for Dagobah to search for Yoda. On Dagobah, he discovers a strange creature who offers to help him. The creature invites Luke to his home. Luke becomes impatient and irritable. The creature then reveals himself to be Yoda, who was only testing Luke's patience. Luke is suddenly apologetic and insists he is willing and unafraid to undergo training as a Jedi.
In his private quarters, Vader receives a message from Emperor Palpatine, who alerts of a new enemy who could destroy the Empire: Luke Skywalker. Vader suggests that if Luke could be turned, he would become a powerful ally. He declares that Luke will join the Empire or die.
The Millennium Falcon escapes what turns out to be the mouth of a space slug that resided in the asteroid the Falcon landed in. An Imperial commander spots the Falcon, leading to another pursuit. The Falcon escapes by attaching itself to the Star Destroyer, making it invisible to the Star Destroyer's sensors. When the Star Destroyer preforms its regular release of waste, the Falcon detaches to float away with it. They set course for Cloud City, a colony run by Lando Calrissian, an old friend of Solo's. However, they are followed by Boba Fett, a bounty hunter hired by Vader.
Luke undergoes rigorous training with Yoda, including lessons about the dangers of the Dark Side of the Force. Yoda reminds Luke of the things the young Jedi will see in his mind. This causes Luke to break concentration, as he has a vision of his friends in danger. He wants to leave Dagobah to rescue them, but Yoda warns of the dangers of leaving before completing his training. Luke decides he cannot leave his friends to die, and chooses to leave Dagobah.
Upon arrival at Cloud City, Han's party is welcomed by Lando. However, they later find themselves betrayed by Calrissian, who was approached by the Empire before the Rebels' arrival and forced to cooperate. They become captives of Darth Vader. A carbon-freezing chamber is prepared intending to freeze Luke once he arrives, and Vader uses the opportunity to test the device on Han Solo. Han is entombed in carbonite and handed over to Boba Fett.
While escorting the rebel prisoners, the Imperials are overpowered by Lando's security, who set Lando and company free. They attempt to rescue Han, but arrive just in time to see Fett's ship take off. They then engage in a fierce battle with Stormtroopers. As the gunfight continues, Lando orders an evacuation of Cloud City, then the they find the Millennium Falcon and escape.
Luke arrives at Cloud City and engages Darth Vader in a lightsaber duel. The battle brings them to a narrow platform in the middle of a seemingly endless shaft. Vader manages to cut off Luke's right hand. With Luke defenseless, Vader reveals that he is Luke's father. Luke screams in denial. Vader attempts to persuade Luke to join him and embrace the Dark Side. Luke, however, jumps off the platform into the abyss of the shaft. Luke is sucked into an air vent, exits the underbelly of the city and lands on an antenna complex beneath Cloud City.
Leia, sensing Luke's distress, orders Lando to bring them back to Cloud City. They rescue Luke, and again are pursued by Imperial fighters. The ship's hyperdrive system again fails, as it was deactivated by the Imperials to prevent escape. However, R2-D2 manages to fix the ship in time, allowing the crew to escape.
On a medical ship, Luke is given a prosthetic hand. Lando and Chewie head for Tatooine to rescue Han Solo. Luke, Leia, and the droids look on as the Falcon departs.
Cast
Filming
Filming lasted from March 5 until September 24, 1979. Some of the Hoth sequence was filmed in Norway, in the area from the railway station Finse to the Hardangerjøkelen glacier. The scenes on Dagobah, Cloud City and inside the Hoth base were shot at Elstree Studios in London.
Reaction
Since the release of its sequel, Return of the Jedi, many consider this installment to be the best of the entire saga.
The acting is arguably much stronger than in any of the Star Wars films. The direction is arguably the most operatic and confident, and is not over-reliant on editing.
According to the actors, Irvin Kershner would encourage group discussions and improvisations from the actors, and would do many takes of each scene, in contrast to Lucas, who would always stick to the script, usually do about three takes, and offer little direction to the actors.
It is believed to be the most morally ambiguous and darkest of the original Trilogy; it is also the only one of the six Star Wars films in which no major character dies.
The Empire Strikes Back initially only received mixed reviews. Many critics had problems with the story, but said the film was a technical achievement. Only in later years was the film considered the greatest in the Saga by many of the fans.
Critics had various reactions to changes introduced in re-releases of this film.
Novelization
A book version of the movie was written by Donald F. Glut.
Radio drama
A radio drama of the film was written by Brian Daley and produced for and broadcast on the National Public Radio in 1983.
Trivia
- According to the documentary Empire of Dreams, the movie originally had a budget of $25 million, which was considered big-budget at the time. However, certain production problems (especially while filming the Hoth scenes in snow-stricken Norway) caused the budget to rise to $33 million, making it one of the most expensive movies of its day.
- Many people believe that Darth Vader's famous line is "Luke, I am your father". In actuality, Vader says: "No, I am your father". However, in the NPR radio adaptation, Vader's actual line was, "No, Luke, I am your father".
- Great secrecy surrounded the fact that Darth Vader was Luke's father. David Prowse, who spoke all of Vader's lines during filming, was told to say, "Obi-Wan killed your father", and, until the film premiered, only George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Mark Hamill and James Earl Jones knew what would really be said. Jones later reported that his reaction to the line was, "Oh, he's lying!"
- The Imperial March is heard for the first time in the Trilogy in this movie. It is heard after the Rebel base is discovered on Hoth and the Imperial fleet prepares to attack. The ominous and menacing musical theme soon becomes associated with Darth Vader and becomes his leitmotif.
- During the Falklands War which took place in 1982, two years after the film was released, when the British task force sailed from Britain, a number of newspapers and magazines carried the headline The Empire Strikes Back!.
- When the first TIE Fighter explodes in the asteroid chase, a small black object can be seen flying out and breaking apart. If someone looks closely, it almost looks like the pilot of the fighter.
- The famous 80’s Swedish rock group Imperiet took their name from this movie. Imperiet means “the empire”.
- Clive Revill (Voice of Emperor) is the only actor to be involved in an episode of Star Trek and a Star Wars film: he played Sir Guy of Gisburne in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "QPid". However, in the DVD version, Revill is replaced by Ian McDiarmid.
- The platform the Millennium Falcon lands on at Cloud City is numbered 327, the same number as the bay the Falcon lands in on the Death Star in A New Hope. In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn identifies Queen Amidala's ship as a "J-type 327 Nubian."
- Boba Fett was the first character whose first appearance in a Star Wars film was predated by an appearance in some other medium, in this case an appearance in an animated short included in the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.
- The new version of the scene between Darth Vader and The Emperor (on the DVD) was filmed during principal photography of Episode III.
- Just before Han decides to get close to one of the larger asteroids, C-3PO appears to say "Oh, Christ".
- The Empire Strikes Back is the only Star Wars film in which the teaser trailer features conceptual artwork by Ralph McQuarrie.
DVD release
Image:Episode V DVD.jpg The Empire Strikes Back was released on DVD in September 2004. It was bundled with A New Hope and Return of the Jedi along with a bonus disc in a boxed set. It was digitally restored and remastered, with more changes made by George Lucas, detailed in List of changes in Star Wars re-releases.
External links
- The official Episode V site
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back at the Internet Movie Database
| Star Wars |
| I: The Phantom Menace | II: Attack of the Clones | III: Revenge of the Sith IV: A New Hope | V: The Empire Strikes Back | VI: Return of the Jedi |
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