More than the Dark Side, A Great Movie

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2005)

When talking about The Empire Strikes Back many people have commented on how dark it is in comparison to the other two films from the original trilogy. However as was expected by Star Wars fans, Revenge of the Sith without a doubt took the title of Darkest Star Wars movie from Empire's mantle. Given the galactic scale of tragedy in the final prequel, Empire's personal tragedy reveals itself to be a little self-absorbed. In the post-prequel Star Wars paradigm, we should be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the final revelations of Empire.
With the issue of darkness settled, the Star Wars audience and the movie-going public should now be able to see The Empire Strikes Back for what it is. The best Star Wars movie. And not only is it a great Star Wars movie, but it is a great movie. The direction, the writing, and even the performances come together to make it a complete movie.
Watching the movies that George Lucas has directed, specifically Star Wars: Episodes I-IV, you can tell he is not a student of the craft of acting. The result is that actors are left developing the emotional life of the characters on their own. Some actors are able to survive and even thrive in this environment. Harrison Ford and Alec Guinness give inspired performances in the original Star Wars that make some of the other performances in the movie appear worse than they actually were.
George Lucas responsibly tapped his professor from film school, Irvin Kershner, to direct The Empire Strikes Back, and the difference is palpable. Star Wars is without a doubt the most revolutionary in terms of Special Effects of the original trilogy. But in terms of quality movie-making, editing, cinematography, etc., Emipire takes the cake. And all the while putting together great shot after great shot, he managed to pull good performances out of most the cast. Not a single one of the primaries are flat or perform an unbelievable moment. Hamill's performance is so good you actually believe for at least a few minutes that he might stand a chance against Darth Vader.
But the quality of film-making and the emotional life of the characters would not have mattered, nor could they have possibly existed without brilliant writing. In Empire Lucas is at his myth-making best (Han's metaphoric descent into hell and Luke's journey into the Dark Cave are brilliant), and the screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasden is sharp, well-paced, and energetic. As a result of this three-part collaboration, you have the rough and romantic flirtations of Han Solo and Princess Leia (in which you can hear the voice of both Brackett's earlier work, The Big Sleep and El Dorado, and Kasden's later work, The Big Chill and The Accidental Tourist). Also you have Yoda-speech when it was genuinely profound in a Confucian way, before it devolved into the gimmicky and painful form it takes in the prequels.
On the whole there is no denying that Star Wars: A New Hope is the most influential movie of the series, quite possibly of the last quarter of the twentieth century (although it would have to fight with Jaws for that title). And with the fall of Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith, it no longer can be called the darkest of the Star Wars saga. But it is, with little doubt the best movie of the series.