The Empire Strikes Back would surpass the beauty, imagination and effects of Star Wars and give birth to an entire saga that continues to expand and grow. The Empire Strikes Back is available to stream, rent or buy.
If Star Wars: A New Hope led to a resurgence of science fiction storytelling in Hollywood, The Empire Strikes Back created an entire universe. The Empire Strikes Back would build upon the imagination and energy of the first Star Wars instalment while injecting the newly born franchise with depth, as it gave birth to the Star Wars universe we now know.
The Empire Strikes Back came with significant risks for the young George Lucas, who would choose to fund the film himself rather than raise money through the studio system. This would give Lucas the complete creative control he felt was missing in Star Wars while allowing him to focus on the world-building effects needed to ensure Empire surpassed the technical wizardry of the 1977 film. But it also meant that the very future of his fledgling Lucasfilm company was placed at significant risk if Empire was to fail.
Following the success of Star Wars in 1977, audience expectations were riding high, as was the potential for further merchandising and the creation of a new studio structure. But to deliver, The Empire Strikes Back would need to push the special effects born in Star Wars even further while also allowing space for Luke, Han, Leia, and Vader to find their own unique stories. This was no easy feat, and something few sequels had achieved — until Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather: Part II. It is, therefore, no wonder that Lucas would opt for a darker tone of empire versus rebellion, one that would see our heroes tested to their limits.
Lucas would pass the directorial responsibilities to Irvin Kershner to achieve this while concentrating on developing Industrial Light and Magic and the film’s financing. It was a smart move from Lucas, as Kershner was a character-driven director whose style was rooted in classical theatre and drama rather than science fiction. In Kershner’s hands, Shakespearean themes of family, betrayal and rebellion would flourish.
However, on its release, The Empire Strikes Back would divide opinion, with universal praise for its special effects and concerns about its dark twist and sombre finale. Exploring the beauty of Empire forty years later, it’s hard to believe there was a critical backlash. When Return of the Jedi hit screens a few years after Empire, many critics praised the return to form. Yet, in the years since, The Empire Strikes Back has risen to the top—becoming a firm favourite among fans and the wider general public. So, why did Empire divide public opinion? And why is it now universally hailed as the best Star Wars film?
The answer lay in the brave decision to focus Empire on tragedy and loss, enabling the characters to grow and build the resilience and hope needed to defeat the Empire in the last instalment. The Empire Strikes Back would give birth to the tragic story of Anakin Skywalker that would define the Star Wars Universe. Look closely, and you will find a Shakespearean tragedy at the heart of The Empire Strikes Back. Like Othello, Luke is tested by the dark side, while the revelation that Vader is his father reflects the family conflict between fathers and sons found in many of Shakespeare’s plays.
At the same time, themes of oppression, nationalism and fear find a clear voice as Empire reflects upon the horrors of Nazism with imagery akin to the photos and videos of the 1936 Nuremberg rally – the rebellion of Star Wars suddenly shifts to become a reflection of the Allied struggle in World War II. Lucas and Kershner knew that for the Star Wars saga to grow, there would need to be loss, defeat and separation before unity, resilience and hope. This use of history as a template for action in Star Wars would continue in the prequels, where the fall of Ancient Rome and the story of Macbeth wove through the tale of ambition, downfall, and prophecy.
However, aside from the theoretical and historical reasons for Empire’s success, this was also the film that created ILM and the template for visual effects for the next twenty-five years. The Empire Strikes Back was visually stunning in 1980 and remains so today. It’s easy now to forget its role in modern filmmaking, but place the films of 1980 alongside Empire, and you quickly realise just how groundbreaking it was.
The Empire Strikes Back built a world and a fan base that continues to grow with each new generation through a cosmic celebration of Shakespeare and deep reflections on the darkest times in our shared human history. It is the sequel that gave birth to a sprawling universe.
Director: Irvin Kershner
Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness
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