Director: Irvin Kershner
Studio: 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm
Release Year: 1980
retrospect/screening by Paul Taglianetti
After the worldwide success of Star Wars, George Lucas began his exodus out of Hollywood and independence from the studio system. In the midst of starting what was to become Lucasfilm and the Skywalker Ranch, he was also planning his follow up to what was at the time the most successful film in history. There was considerable pressure for him to top himself and the stakes were high, as Lucas was funding the production himself with his profits from the previous film, thus guaranteeing himself true creative freedom. Lucas brought on a young screenwriter from Chicago, Lawrence Kasdan after the previous veteran scribe Leigh Brackett (best known for the Howard Hawks western classic Rio Bravo) passed away. Lucas intended to darken the tone of the first film and bring it closer to the feeling of ancient mythology as opposed to the breezy saturday afternoon serial tone of the. In addition, Lucas expanded his private effects firm, Industrial, Light and Magic with new equipment and staff and set up his operation in Northern California, far from the prying eyes of curious studio executives and over zealous fans.
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| The battle of Hoth from Empire Strikes Back |
The result was the most mythic, dark and layered of the Star Wars films, eventually becoming the de-facto favorite of critics and fans alike. EMPIRE picks up where Star Wars ends with the Rebels on the run after having destroyed the Death Star. Darth Vader obsessively pursues Luke Skywalker on the Ice Planet of Hoth and sends his troop of steel tanks called AT-AT's to destroy the rebel's base of operation. Eventually Luke finds his way to a remote jungle planet to seek Yoda to expand his Jedi training. Yoda, reluctant at first his instruct such a brash undisciplined pupil, relents and begins guiding Luke in way the ways of the Force. It is here that much of the series deep philosophy on self and the power of spirit is formed and it takes the Star Wars mythos to a new level beyond traditional escapism.
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| Effects artist Phil Tippet with the Wampa snow creature puppet |
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| Animating the stop Motion AT -AT walkers |
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| Stop Motion At-AT walker |
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| Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, Producer George Lucas and actor Mark Hamil on Empire Shepperton studio set |
Technical stand outs in the film include a terrific chase of the Millennium Falcon through a dense asteroid belt and the Battle on the planet surface of Hoth. The film famously ends on a cliffhanger and sets up the events for the following chapter RETURN OF THE JEDI. Despite the incomplete feel of the overall film, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK still stands out as the series' strongest example of modern mythology told on film.
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