Star Wars Epsiode V – The Empire Strikes Back

One of my all time favorite movies, this 1980 science fiction thriller released by Lucas Arts changed the way that movies have been made ever since. The Empire Strikes Back (Directed by Irvin Kershner) is the second installment of the “then” 3 part series entitled Star Wars including “A New Hope”, “The Empire Strikes Back”, and “Return of the Jedi”. I fell in love with Star Wars and the whole plot and background along with it when I first watched these movies back in elementary and middle school for the first time. Since then I’ve even been so keen as to follow the release of the updated versions, The Phantom Menace, The Attack of the Clones, and The Revenge of the Sith. The movie start’s with the young and talented Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), hero of the first film, trudging through the Arctic Tundra on his animal when all of a sudden he Is blindsided by another creature. Back at the allied command center, many people begin to worry over Luke, especially Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Han eventually goes out and rescues him, bringing him back to the Ally base in the morning. This particular opening featured many different key literary and dramatic aspects that stuck to the film as it progressed, eventually enunciating and emphasizing them more and more as the plot continued to unfold. From there the Empire attacks the Ally base on the planet Hoth, so Luke and his squad are forced into a defense position against the AT Walkers. Upon their return to the base, the ally’s realize they have to leave before the Empire destroys the planet. Luke, remembering what Obi Wan had told him, took a fighter jet and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) to the Dagobah system to begin his Jedi training with the Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz). On the Millennium Falcon, Princess Leia is accompanied by Han Solo, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). After a long and arduous escape from the Empire, cunningly using their own garbage as a means of cloaking, the Millenium Falcon and its passengers head towards Cloud City in hopes of finding Han Solo’s friend Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), so they may have a safe port to dock from. However Lando has fallen corrupt as well and after landing, Han, Leia, Chewie, and the droids are taken into custody by Darth Vader (David Prowse) and the Empire. Here comes the most exciting and climactic moments of the film, however they are also best kept a secret. What I will include is that Luke, upon completion of his training from the Dagobah system and Master Yoda, ventures with R2-D2 to meet with Vader and rescue his friends. Luke and Vader’s “Face Off” is by far my favorite part of the film to watch, over and over even, due to the intense action as well as the masterful portrayal from both actors. Mark Hamill “really is” Luke Skywalker in every clip, and when he learns the news of his family from Darth Vader, he could not have done a better job of portraying how you might feel. Arguably the most convincing part of the whole series, let alone Episode V of Star Wars is the setting’s associated. Actually being on the Planet Hoth is one thing, but by filming in the snowy mountains and actual frozen tundra, it really makes the scenes feel real. The visual and special effects that go along with the settings, to enhance on screen essentials, are amazing. Such ridiculous feats include space travel through the Millennium Falcon and the Imperial Star Destroyer, flying on ground in a speeder or walker, Jedi lightsaber battles, Lukes training, Cloud City’s awesome visual effects, and all the different creatures throughout the movie made to look as if from another planet. The Cinematography wasn’t anything that necessarily “stood out” to me, however, I will say that during certain key moments, such as Han’s last words to Leia or Luke and Vader’s final meeting, the use of close-ups mixed with movements and angles, creates a truly profound shot that really makes you a part of the movie. In the end, I came to like this movie even more so than I did before upon analyzing it and studying all the different aspects that cumulated into making such masterpiece that, all though was created in 1980, is still just as good 30 years later.

-Towey