matril

So enough of this Han/Leia stuff, whatever happened to Luke??

We find him hanging upside-down in a forbidding cavern. It's the first of several times in this film that Luke shows up in this striking position, a visual representation of how his worldview is about to get thoroughly upended.

But meanwhile, we have a tantalizing glimpse of Luke's emerging powers. In the first film we saw that the Force helped old Ben moved with amazing speed and dexterity, as well as providing a kind of inner vision past the ordinary senses. But we didn't quite witness an example of full telekinesis (unless you count Vader's Force choking, I guess). Now we get to see the lightsaber, fully out of Luke's physical reach, fly into his outstretched hand.

First, though, there's an important moment of quiet. It's vital that we recognize the need for inward peace and serenity in order to draw upon the Force, because Luke is really going to struggle with that later on. At least for now he's able to get his weapon in the nick of time, free his frozen feet and escape the monster.

(Did you know that Mark Hamill disliked the idea of Luke maiming the creature? He felt that a Jedi would never harm a life form unnecessarily, who was after all only following its instincts. Better if he had just scared the wampa enough to get away. An interesting perspective.)

Anyway, his powers are exciting, but not quite enough to survive a frozen night on Hoth. Next time, the lonely imagery of an ice planet...

A conversation between two people is not inherently compelling, visually speaking. If they're just standing or sitting there, it can feel a bit boring and static even if the dialogue is sparkling. So it's important to use imaginative staging and blocking. When Han and Leia have their first argument of the movie (there are many more to come), there's a very deliberate framing of the scene that creates a dynamic sense even when the characters are standing still.

First Leia is confronting him, authoritative in spite of the height difference. (She might have a little help from the platform she's standing on.) Switching to a closer shot gives us a sense of intimacy, but also escalation. Note how the camera is slightly lower, looking up at their faces. Again it reduces the sense of difference in their heights.

But Leia's 'high ground' in the argument doesn't last. Just when we might be getting tired of this same location, Han storms off so she has to follow him and resume their argument in a new configuration. Now Han is obviously much taller, bending over just to meet her eyes. When Leia struggles to deny her feelings, Han straightens in veritable triumph. (We also have the humor of an anonymous Rebel walking straight through their confrontation, too busy to apologize to the couple that, by now, must be famous for their emotionally-charged bickering. Just kiss and get it over with, he's probably thinking, so the rest of us can actually get some work done around here.

Finally Han storms off for a second time, but not before shouting You could use a good kiss for the entire hallway to hear him. We get a lingering shot of Leia's reaction, angry and flustered, even turning around as if to check whether that guy in the doorway just heard the whole conversation. If this is a competition, Han definitely won this round.

Next, a little set design appreciation...

Well, that's enough setup, right? Let's get to our heroes! Show them heroically going forth, doing heroic things!

No, it's not going to be that easy. Our first look at Luke is an obscure figure riding a strange beast. He's so bundled up we can't see his face, until he briefly uncovers it to talk to Han. At least that conversation gives us the familiar camaraderie we know from the first film.

But immediately thereafter, Luke is attacked out of nowhere by a terrifying monster. Many assume this sequence was only added to explain the massive damage done to Luke's face because Mark Hamill was in an awful car crash. It's odd that everyone thinks that, when you can easily compare before and after pictures and see...pretty much the same facial features. Just a few little scars. But whatever, this attack wasn't a hasty last-minute insert. It's integral to plot and character development. For one thing, it establishes immediately that things are about to go very hard for our heroes. All the trials they endured last time? That's nothing compared to what's coming.

Next, more troubles and tribulations....

Film is, inherently, trickery. We're watching a bunch of rapid flashing still images or pixels and fooling ourselves into thinking it's three-dimensional motion. So whether it's computer generated or otherwise (I could rant about the misleading nature of the term 'practical' effects, but that's for another time) there's always a bit of sleight-of-hand.

For example, this final scene in the throne room, where our heroes are rewarded and celebrated. Lucas needed to evoke a large crowd of soldiers. He didn't have enough actual people to work with, so some of the crowd are actually cardboard cutouts. The fake ones and real people are blended together so well that it works.

Also notable about this moment is how there's no dialogue. We see the scene unfold wordlessly, so that anyone, from little children to non-English speakers, can tell exactly what's happening. Our heroes enter, they march down the hall to the stage, the princess gives them their medals, and everyone cheers for them. Simple, but very effective, particularly with the triumphant processional music by John Williams. Like Pomp and Circumstance for a galaxy far, far away. And this scene set the precedent for Star Wars to always finish with a dialogue-free scene, something with sweeping music and purely cinematic storytelling.

So that's Episode IV! Next time, we start V...

The Death Star run is a technical marvel in movie-making. Space battle sequences would never be the same. The modeling after fighter pilot footage, the quick cuts between cockpits and exterior shots, the impending doom of the destruction of the Rebel Base -- it all comes together. And if you've heard any of those nonsense claims that Lucas's version of the sequence was a boring mess than needed to be saved by actual competent editors, let's put all of those to rest. Editing has always been where Lucas does the real work of cinema. He's routinely expressed how he loves taking the various pieces and stitching them together into a narrative. The first rough cut of the film was, duh, rough, and he had fully expected that. He then collaborated with a competent team to refine it into a polished finished product (and nothing wrong with wanting to keep polishing it either; as a writer I empathize with this impulse quite fervently).

Anyway, let's look at some specific striking shots. The initial approach. X-foils in attack formation. Entering the trench.

Notice the little tricks of perspective, how we get different angles of cockpits to help us envision which direction the ships are moving.

And the occasional cut to the Rebel base or the Death Star, to remind us of the stakes, the ticking clock. No shot lasts for very long, because we need a sense of movement and urgency.

It's incredible. I've seen a lot (a lot) of old cheap space movies, lots of chintzy effects. By the 70s the technology had improved enough to produce impressive visuals like in 2001: A Space Odyssey, but that was mostly slow, ponderous stuff. Nothing like this. Star Wars changed everything.

Next time, victory!

Back in 1977, we were only on the cusp of the era of computer-aided effects. So the images of the virtual Death Star run might not seem very exciting to our jaded, 21st century eyes. It was cutting-edge for its time, a very exciting new use of computers to generate moving images that appeared three-dimensional.

I think it's charming. Even if come across as low-tech for us nowadays, it fits pretty well with the notion that the Rebellion is barely scraping by, having to rely on cheap scavenged equipment and tech. Look at the adorable blippy explosion. We can appreciate all the more the contrast between this bare bones rendition and the actual battle, where real explosions will cause mortal peril for real people.

Next time, emotions run high...

As our heroes approach their ship, the moment of truth comes for Obi-Wan. He meets Luke's startled gaze unflinchingly. Ben seemed at least somewhat aware of his fate before, when telling Luke that their destinies lay among different paths. Now he is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good.

His expression is calm and wise. He's been dueling one of the most feared beings in the entire galaxy, but his demeanor is completely peaceful. And as he prepares to deactivate his saber, he seems for all the world like someone about to fall asleep.

It's a simple but highly effective visual in this shot, making it look like Vader cuts through Obi-Wan's robe only for the clothing to collapse, entirely empty. This eerie not-death is our first intimation that Obi-Wan really wasn't bluffing when he intoned More powerful than you can possibly imagine. But it is still shocking, and Luke is the avatar for all of us as he cries out in horror.

No dialogue except Luke's anguished "No!" A quiet rendition of the Force theme, sweeping up into almost melodramatic tragedy. And then we spring into an action scene, a daring escape...but still we ponder the mystery of Obi-Wan's transformation. His voice echoes, apparently in Luke's mind. What has he become?

Next time, high-flying heroics...

Someday Thursday came and went without a post, but here we are just a day late.

This is a bit ironic coming from someone who obsessively analyzes these movies, but I believe that Star Wars offers up continual reminders not to take anything too seriously. That's part of why I love it. Great Big Important Cinema that serves up Deep Themes and Serious Messages -- that's okay in small doses, I guess, but if I'm going to return to a movie over and over again, it's got to have FUN amid all the meaningful stuff.

So we have Han charging blaster-first into a room full of stormtroopers -- and just as quickly running away when he realizes he's in way over his head. We hear the frantic command "Close the blast doors! Close the blast doors!" hastily switched to "Open the blast doors! Open the blast doors!" as Han just barely escapes through the closing door. And we have a swooping, over-the-top moment with Luke and Leia worthy of any classic Errol Flynn movie: swinging over a chasm to safety.

Is it realistic? Nah. Is it integral to the plot or deeper themes? Eh, not really. Is it delightful? Absolutely. It's a nod to the over-the-top heroics of the aforementioned Flynn movies and of the old serials, and of fairy tales and of every kind of wildly fantastic, imaginative story that humans have told from time immemorial. We love this stuff. It's fun, plain and simple.

Next, old friends...

Much of the fun content in the prison break sequence is the dialogue, snappy quips between Leia and Han that were doubtless influenced by Carrie Fisher's gift for polishing up screenplays. But there's some great use of camera work as well, to convey the sheer chaos and mayhem as the princess takes command of a very clumsy escape attempt.

Here's the trio caught in a tight space, with Leia and Han sniping at each in between literal snipes from laser blasts. We get a reverse shot of the enemy with plenty of smoke and eerie red light to emphasize the danger, but also the comedy of Leia and Han's argument that continues even while they're fighting for their lives. By the time Han moves to the other side of the hallway and Leia lifts a blaster, you're almost wondering if she's about to shoot him. Han is certainly alarmed enough. But of course, Leia has something more resourceful in mind. One by one our heroes, even the reluctant Han, drop into the garbage compactor.

Next time, peril in alternating shots...

It's worth noting how much of the original film involves our heroes blundering through a series of plans gone wrong. They never intended to breach the Death Star and rescue Leia; they were supposed to get to Alderaan and deliver the secret plans and connect with the Rebellion. It was only Tarkin's heavy-handed attempts at coercion and ruthless disdain for the sanctity of life, that brought the Falcon and the Death Star together.

But going by Obi-Wan's wisdom that "there's no such thing as luck," this was ultimately the best scenario. (Even if it did involve bringing R2 and the precious plans directly back into enemy territory.) Because Leia is quick-thinking enough to formulate a new strategy, once she's freed, and hence lures the Empire into chasing them to their hidden base, the only sure way to keep the Death Star in-system long enough for the Rebels to have a chance at destroying it.

And yet people think these movies are simplistic. Huh.

Anyway, this unexpected detour on the Death Star leads to one of the most poignant moments of the film, Obi-Wan and Vader's reunion. Their connection is established with rather subtle shots such as this. Even without a visible expression, Vader's introspected sense is clearly established. His underlings probably wonder if he's a little unbalanced, what with his sudden pauses and oddly trailing-off sentences, hah. But as the audience we are intrigued.

Obi-Wan has his own premonitions, and though he does not mention Vader to Luke, I suspect he's well-aware of him from the moment they arrive at the Death Star. His heartfelt goodbye to his would-be apprentice is full of meaning that Luke might not now understand. But someday he will.

Next, varying levels of competence...