A Timeless Classic, Hands Down The Best Film Of The 80s

Rating: 10/10 (17 August 2016)

Guys...What can I say about "Empire" that hasn't already been said by countless fans, critics and film professors around the world? This is the movie that turned "Star Wars" from what was at the time little more than a soap opera in space into one of the greatest sagas in all of fiction. Its characters are diverse and well developed, its storytelling is magical, its effects are groundbreaking, its world-building is perfection, its allegories to classical literature and world mythology are brilliant. It is to science fantasy (And American cinema in general) what "The Odyssey" was to literature.
"Empire" does an excellent job maintaining a dark, suspenseful tone throughout its run-time; from Luke's narrow escape from the cave of the vicious Wampa to the Millennium Falcon navigating through a perilous asteroid field (And a space slug) to escape certain doom at the hands of Imperial TIE fighters, to Han suffering a devastating betrayal at the hands of a close friend, "Empire" is a movie that constantly has you on the edge of your seat. Of course, the most suspenseful, intense scene of the movie has to be the lightsaber duel on Bespin between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. The eerie lack of music, the dark, atmospheric lighting (The fact that we are mostly seeing the combatants lightsabers and not their actual motions only adds to the suspense) and the emotion driven, "brute force" fighting style of the combatants make the duel almost impossible to take your eyes off of. Without spoiling anything the shocking, powerful conclusion to the duel is what seals it as one of the best fights in film history. Its conclusion, while tragic, is oddly sentimental; Vader's vicious dismemberment of Luke is what oddly brings them closer together from a perspective of empathy and understanding.
This is a film that takes countless risks, something that I have nothing but respect for. Nothing is sugarcoated. True, the film is not without its fair share of comedic moments (A good thing, as they're quite charming and always elicit at the very least wide smiles if not full on laughs), but this is a very different movie than the lighthearted, cheesefest that "A New Hope" was. If anything, "Episode V" was the movie that proved that the Star Wars saga was indeed capable of true tonal diversity. "Empire" is a movie about the destruction of hope, about fear clouding the judgment of good people with devastating and tragic consequences. These themes are excellently conveyed through the development of Luke, Han and even Darth Vader, whose arc simultaneously concludes in both total victory and crushing, emotional loss. Vader is proof that you don't need an endless supply of dialogue to make your mark as a complex, fascinating character.
The acting is (For the most part) really impressive. Mark Hamill's performance as Luke Skywalker is vastly improved from his fairly uninspired showing in A New Hope. True, he has his whiny and petty moments (And not all of them are justified), but this is actually quite important in making Luke flawed, human and relatable. If Luke started out as a morally flawless superman liked by everyone who makes all the right decisions, he would lose his humanity and relatability as a character. How tragic it is that his ethic and ambition are rewarded by the world-shattering revelation of his greatest hero's corruption?
Frank Oz does phenomenal voice work as Yoda, bringing depth and complexity to a character that could have very easily been a cheap "Merlin" ripoff. Not only does he bring a nuanced wisdom to the role of Yoda, Oz also has fantastic comedic timing that never feels out of character. Yoda is a somewhat insignificant and pathetic looking creature in both physical appearance and mannerisms, but he uses this meekness in appearance and voice to test Luke's compassion and patience. What makes him such a great mentor and wise master is that he does not train his students bodies (Which he refers to as "crude matter.) He trains their will power. Their minds. Their morality. Also, that green Henson puppet looks just as real today as it did 36 years ago when it first waddled across Dagobah.
Hands down, the best performance in the movie, and perhaps the entire original trilogy, has to go to James Earl Jones as Darth Vader. Vader is blessed with more screen time here than he was given in "A New Hope", as well as better writing. This is a blessing Jones makes the absolute most of. Not only did he send chills down my spine with the passion and cold intensity of his ruthlessness, his nuance in showing Vader's repressed humanity and depression is done with the skill and subtlety of, for lack of a better term, a master. Earl Jones's phenomenal voice acting commands complete attention every time Vader appears on screen.
Even decades after its initial release, "Empire Strikes Back" has easily the best special effects in the franchise. Not only were the animatronics, costume, makeup and set design and digital effects revolutionary for the time, not only are they made with unmatched detail, they still look shockingly realistic to this very day. Even ignoring the effects, the visual storytelling as a whole is exceptional. The warmer and more airy aesthetic of A New Hope is replaced with a darker and filthier visual style. The film frequently plays up the paradoxical interplay of organic and industrial imagery, almost like a "Tetsuo" Lite at times. The harsh reds, deep blues and swamp greens of the color scheme subconsciously tell us that we have left the safeness, comfort and familiarity of A New Hope for a world far more hostile, demanding, gritty, expansive and violent.
I could go on and on about everything "Empire" does perfectly. Not only is it a phenomenal film, it's a revolution of Sci-Fantasy filmmaking and, in my opinion, the best movie of the 1980s. It is our generations equivalent to what ancient Greeks must have felt reading the classical works of Homer. A masterpiece in countless ways.