My Star Wars Story - told through The Empire Strikes Back and SOLO + those pesky "special" additions!
"The Empire Strikes Back" was one of the first films I ever saw. Since I decided to revisit my favorite(?) films of all time, I've been very much looking forward to this one. The timing of "Solo: A Star Wars Story"'s opening night was an added bonus! I watched both yesterday (followed by "Return of the Jedi" this afternoon!)
I think I will start with "Solo." First off, let me say this. Alden Ehrenreich is fantastic as Han Solo. It is by no means an impersonation of Harrison Ford's Han (thank goodness!). It is his own creation. It is funny, touching and real.
Back in June of last year, the Hollywood Reporter published a piece shortly after directors Lord and Miller were fired that insinuated that someone, somewhere, wasn't happy with Alden's performance, which began the onslaught of report after report of a troubled set, hoping to be saved by an acting coach for Ehrenreich and new director Ron Howard.
"Solo" opens a bit weak, at least in terms of some on the nose exposition as well as clunky dialogue, but rather quickly becomes engaging. The visual effects are great! The pacing is good and the costumes by David Crossman and Glyn Dillon are simply stunning. All in all "Solo" is a really fun summer film.
We are introduced to an incredible new droid, "L3-37" played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, a companion of Lando Calrissian, played with great panache (and cape acting!) by Donald Glover. We also have Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany and Emila Clarke. Clarke in particular is great as a very layered Qi'ra.
We've heard about the Kessel Run since "Star Wars: A New Hope," but it's the events that occur midway through the film on planet Kessel itself, events I will not spoil here, that elevate "Solo" to the heights of other recent "Star Wars" films.
When the film began I wondered if I would even want to see "Solo" again, but by the time it was over, I was hoping for more in a standalone series. After a Leia backstory, of course. Instead it looks like we are getting more male stories by more male filmmakers, if the Boba Fett film directed by James Mangold is to be believed.
A few years ago, I was given the original trilogy on blu ray as a Christmas gift. I hadn't yet watched any of them until yesterday. I haven't actually watched a good quality version of these films since the Special Editions were released in theaters. Since then I would often watch the 3 originals and 3 prequel films in a nasty hangover, having downloaded them from file sharing sites. Not my most shining moments to say the least.
"The Empire Strikes Back," as far as I can recall is the very first film I ever saw in a movie theater. I did see "Raiders of the Lost Ark" at the Skylark Drive Inn in Corinth, MS in June of 1981, but it was a month later, when "The Empire Strikes Back" was re released that a Star Wars geek was truly born.
I can't remember the first time I saw "Star Wars," but I can only assume it was on VHS when it was released in 1982. AFTER I saw "Empire" for the first time. Now, THAT'S a revelation I wasn't expecting to come out of this piece. Thank you google!
I, of course loved "Empire Strikes Back" the first time I saw it. I've told this story before, but when it was released on VHS (after seeing "Return of the Jedi" in theaters) I watched the film over and over until I could literally quote the entire film. Which I did once at one of Dad's holiday work functions, to anyone and everyone who would listen. Insufferable, I was.
As with "The Godfather Part II" I considered "Empire," the middle film of the trilogy, to be the best. On my most recent viewings of both, I stand by those declarations.
This go around, I immediately noticed how much better the space effects appeared, and then, a few minutes in we are at Hoth, and I am incredibly jarred by Han, in wide shot, riding the Tauntan. I don't know a great deal about this sort of visual effect/animation, but I'm quite sure it's stop motion.
The closeups with the Tauntan were great, so why the need for these fake looking wide shots? Another thing that bothered me was the use of slow motion--when Luke kills the Wampa and later when Luke is in the cave at Dagobah with "Darth Vader."
I had to tell myself that if I didn't let this go, and remember when this film was made, I wouldn't be able to assess it properly. The effects were so top of the line in 1980 that the Academy gave "Empire" a special Oscar!
And the slow mo? Well...I guess a mood needed to be set, and that's what director Irvin Kershner and cinematographer Peter Suschitzky had at their disposal.
I'm not going to go into a step by step critique of this film because that truly takes away from so much that I enjoyed. Suschitzky's camera work is beyond impeccable. Particularly when it involves Han and Leia. The scene when Han is frozen into Carbonite is one of the most beautifully shot scenes in film history. Helped along by the incredible set decoration by Michael Ford (who lost the Oscar for Empire, but had previously won for "Raiders" and won again for "Titanic") and costumes by John Mollo. Mollo must have considered Carrie Fisher quite the muse, because each of Leia's costumes are simply impeccable. Mollo won for designing "Star Wars," but wasn't even nominated for "Empire."
Even with this!!!
Growing up, I remember dreading the Dagobah scenes, wanting to get back to Han and Leia's courtship, but watching the film yesterday, with a bit more appreciation for the binding power of the Force, I found myself equally drawn to all aspects of this story. A testament to Irvin Kershner's direction along with Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan's screenplay.
It was also a hoot to watch Vader's diminishing command (yay, Admiral Piett lives to see "Jedi") as well as the entrance of the Bounty Hunters and the "this is no cave" monster. So many great moments in "Empire."
Then you have the final act. A film that is already mostly perfect becomes something else altogether. As Luke leaves Dagobah, Yoda, in the film's first cliffhanger, tells Ben that "there is another," setting the stage for a later reveal in "Return of the Jedi" (or is it possibly Rey from the newest trilogy?!)
Once Luke arrives in Besphin, the film--with Vader and Luke's lightsaber battle along with the rebels' attempts to escape with Han, paces itself to one of the best reveals in cinematic history.
Darth Vader is Luke's father.
Luke loses his hand. Han is taken to Jabba the Hutt aboard Slave I by Boba Fett. And all seems lost.
Then suddenly-- Leia, via mind message from Luke, knows where he is...saves him, and our beaten rebels hyperdrive (barely) back to safety.
In the films last minutes, the Empire seems to have won, for now. Lando and Chewie are off to find Han while Leia and Luke stay behind.
It's quite the cliffhanger. One that is truly daring, even by today's standard of sequels and prequels and Marvel. I can't recall what it felt like as a 5 year old to experience that ending, but it began an obsession with Star Wars that continues today, 36 years later.
BUT...
There are those pesky additions that Lucas added, that are sadly on my blu ray and everyone's blu rays.
I love that we get to see Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor (sorry Clive Revill and Marjorie Eaton), but the added dialogue in the scene is absolutely terrible.
Emperor: We have a new enemy: the young Rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker.
Vader: How is that possible?
Emperor: Search your feelings, Lord Vader...You will know it to be true. He could destroy us.
Compared to this:
Emperor: We have a new enemy: Luke Skywalker.
Vader: Yes, my Master.
Emperor: He could destroy us.
Vader: He's just a boy. Obi Wan can no longer help him.
Emperor: The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi.
Watch the comparison here:
It doesn't mesh with the remainder of the film. The Darth Vader who tells Luke that he is his father has known that information for a long time. Not the mere minutes before when the Emperor tells him.
ALSO...the fact that Vader hasn't already discussed this with The Emperor (at least that's how the original plays) makes his turn back to the Light in "Return of the Jedi" make more sense. UGH!
Those changes are such a waste. Will we ever get the originals? Doubtful. I read today that it's possible the original negatives were destroyed in the conversion to the Special Edition. Now that's a loss.
That all being said, "The Empire Strikes Back" is a masterpiece. A true masterpiece.
Which leads me to the future. I'm quite looking forward to seeing how some of the other films on my rewatch list, particularly some of the more recent ones, compare.