matril

A new Star Wars film. Lucas was determined that it would not be simply a rehash of the original, as so many sequels tended to be. And that included the visuals. So almost immediately, after we see the familiar image of a Star Destroyer, we are introduced to the very unfamiliar sight of Hoth. Episode IV had a desert world and a jungle world. This is an ice world.

In further contrast, this opening shows a crash landing of a probe droid. Unlike the escape pod landing on Tatooine, with friendly droids carrying vital plans for the Rebellion, this droid is insectoid, emotionless and hostile, seeking vital information about the Rebellion's location for the benefit of the Empire. Within these very few minutes, we already know we're in for something entirely different than the first film.

Next time, peril lurks around our heroes...

Like all Star Wars films, the final segment tells its story through visuals and music rather than dialogue. But the last exchange of lines is significant to, as a simple but perfect resolution to Han's character arc and his romance with Leia. As they watch the Death Star's destruction overhead, Han tries to reassure Leia that Luke got out safely. She doesn't need reassurance, though, as she can sense her brother and knows he's safe. This shifts the conversation to a different conundrum -- at least, from Han's viewpoint.

He loves Leia. He would give anything to be with her (and for that he's already sacrificed his old life, his mercenary ways) but he would also sacrifice anything for her own happiness. Maybe that means stepping aside so she can be happy with someone else.

"All right, I understand. Fine. When he comes back, I won't get in the way."

Turns out this concern is unnecessary, but that doesn't matter -- the gesture means everything. Han has always been prone to bouts of jealousy and competitiveness. He hasn't been the sort to easily admit that someone else might be better than him. He's the greatest pilot, with the fastest ship, the most irresistible guy...but that has changed. He admitted that Luke owed him one, after the rescue on Tatooine. No more need for one-uppmanship. And now he acknowledges that Leia's happiness is more important than his own. He wants her to be with the one she wants.

As it happens, that selflessness is exactly the thing to make him the man Leia wants.

Next time, one last line....

(But I already know what I'm doing for the next series!)

Gently Luke removes his father's mask. It's not exactly what you'd call a pretty sight underneath...but that doesn't matter. Anakin's eyes look upon his son this one time, and they are filled with pride and love. He is content to let Luke go. Alarmed, Luke insists that Anakin will come with him.

"I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you."
"You already have, Luke."

A simple statement, perhaps, but so meaningful. Save is a word that shows up a lot while Anakin is agonizing over his nightmares of Padmé's powers and how he can prevent a tragedy similar to that which claimed his mother. But now its meaning expands to something more. Teaching the lesson, once again, that there are things more valuable than life. And Luke has helped his father reclaim that precious gift of his soul, his goodness, his old self. Its value is far beyond measure.

Sebastian Shaw has just this brief little appearance, but I love it. The feeble but gentle voice, reassuring Luke, the slight smile on his worn face, the deep gratitude.

Next time, could it be yet another entry for this teensy little scene? I'll give you one guess.....

The Emperor is none too pleased with Luke's decision, to put it lightly. If he's been denied the pleasure of luring another Jedi to the Dark Side, then at least he'll glory in a tortuous kill. He unleashes his nastiest weapon -- lightning summoned from his own fingertips. Not a quick, painless death. He prolongs it with vicious glee, pausing to taunt Luke before another bout of electricity. Luke doesn't respond to any of that. He has only one brief plea.

"Father, please!"

Yes, Luke was ready to die when he surrendered to the Imperials on Endor. But he's hardly a masochist. He cries out in pain, like a child. A child calling for his father.

What is the only thing worse than dying at the Emperor's hand? Dying at the Emperor's hand while his own father watches, unmoved and uncaring. It's not that Luke regrets his decision to spurn Palpatine's invitation and throw away his weapon. He just doesn't want it to end this way.

And it's not the first time his father has witnessed something like this.


Correct me if I'm mis-hearing, as the audio is deliberately muddled, but isn't there an "Anakin, please!" somewhere amid Padmé's cries? Certainly the parallel is there, whatever the specific wording. So the circle is coming round again. A loved one writhes in agony, begging for help. Anakin failed to save his wife because he misunderstood her peril. It wasn't her life he needed to save, it was their relationship. By falling to darkness, he would have lost her whether she died or not. And now Luke calls out to him, not for a physical rescue, but for his father's love. The sort of plea that Vader ignored from Padmé on Mustafar when she told him all I want is your love. Now he has a second chance.

Next time, a glorious resolution to the emotional climax....

Luke continues to resist Vader's taunts, but they're growing harder and harder to ignore. Though he keeps silent at the mention of his friends, his thoughts are deafening. And though he's hiding his physical form, those thoughts are clear as day to Vader.

(Brief aside -- I have to register my thorough dislike of the "interrogation" used by the Darth Vader-wannabe in the Disney Space movies. If you could use the Force to pry through any old person's thoughts like that, why would Vader go through the trouble of the interrogation droid in Episode IV? It's Luke's connection to Vader that makes his thoughts so transparent. But anyway.)

So Leia's identity is revealed. What a spectacular moment of silent acting for Mark Hamill. The desperation, shifting to horrified realization and despair. Obi-Wan warned him this might happen. He tried to keep it buried, but he couldn't. Failure. Anguish. Desperation and despair. Vader is leading Luke down a very familiar path. Then he delivers the final crushing blow.

"If you will not turn to the Dark Side, then perhaps she will."

Losing his sister, not just to death, but to darkness. That is the fear that cuts the deepest, and Luke is drawn out of hiding at last. Driven by fear, anger, hatred. Filled with an awful power. Yes, the Dark Side empowers Luke, insofar as physical dominion is concerned. Vader lies defeated at his feet. His son towers over him in grim triumph.

This part is necessary, though it makes me cringe in anguish no matter how many times I see it. We have to see Luke teetering at the very edge, in true danger of being consumed by evil. Otherwise, the glorious reversal that's coming would not be nearly as joyful and miraculous.

Next, Luke reclaims his soul while affirming his belief in another....

What a contrast this duel has to the first encounter between Luke and Darth Vader. In Episode V, Luke was a brash, callow acolyte in the Jedi arts, determined to prove himself and avenge the deaths of Obi-Wan and (he supposes) his father. He is the aggressor, refusing to back down even when it's obvious he is terribly outmatched. Vader goads him, tests him, encourages his anger, and calls him to the Dark Side. It's only when all other hope is gone that Luke learns to let go and fall to his apparent doom rather than embracing aggression and despair.

Now, having learned some very hard lessons, he has become a true disciple of Jedi pacifism and compassion. In a striking reversal, he is the one urging Vader to change sides. Calling him back to the light. Insisting that he still senses good in his father. Continually lowering his weapon and refusing to fight. Not that he's entirely passive. He did briefly succumb to anger in his attempted attack on the Emperor, and it's probably survival instinct that has him reigniting his saber to defend himself whenever Vader aggresses. But there's no question that Vader is the primary aggressor.

He does not, however, urge Luke to join him this time. That is purely the Emperor's realm now. The power play has shifted considerably since Vader schemed to make Luke his apprentice and overthrow Palpatine. Vader might have recognized, on some level, that he has little chance of becoming a master with Luke as his apprentice. His words and his tone are deeply fatalistic and grim. The Emperor is gleeful, confident of his impending victory. Vader has no such pleasure. He fulfills his duty as a Sith apprentice with dreary inevitability.

But Luke seeks a role beyond serving as a pawn in Sithly power plays. His soul is not the only one that matters. He seeks to reclaim his father's.

"I feel the good in you, the conflict."
"There is no conflict."
"You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before, and I don't believe you'll destroy me now."
"You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny."


Followed by a rare, and effective, case of using a lightsaber as a projectile. Luke tumbles from the catwalk and goes into hiding. But this was hardly a victory for Vader. His son continues to resist the power of aggression and hate. After twenty years serving the Dark Side, Vader might have come to believe such a thing was impossible. That everyone must eventually succumb to the superior, all-encompassing power of darkness.

Imagine audiences on a first viewing of these films. Just as we might have doubted the notion that Luke could fall to the Dark Side when it was first introduced, now we might believe him straight-up delusional for believing there is good left in Darth Vader. Luke claims to sense the good in him, but we have no way of knowing if it's a genuine insight or simply wishful thinking. We're left guessing till the very end, even through a moment when Luke's own soul will teeter on the brink.

Next time, the battle of souls continues...

We visit each of the battle zones, watching each one become bleaker. Just when Artoo is about to open the bunker door, he's blasted into non-functionality, while Threepio laments his bravery. In the space battle, Lando suggests what can only be a suicidal tactic of engaging the star destroyers at point blank range. Yes, the starfighters are unlikely to survive, but at least they have a chance of taking down Imperials with them, which is more than they could manage against the indomitable might of the Death Star.

Meanwhile, aboard that station, the Emperor continues his relentless attack against Luke's will. He has engineered this desperate situation for the express purpose of bringing Luke down into despair. Amid such a crushing defeat, what other course remains but to unleash his wrath upon the Emperor?

"Strike me down with all of your hatred, and your journey toward the Dark Side will be complete."

It's like some kind of twisted reverse-reverse psychology. Alas, in this moment, it works. Luke cannot hold back his fury another moment. Of course the instant he goes to attack Palpatine, Vader is there to engage him. What a chilling image, to see the Emperor laughing wildly as two sabers cross right before his face. This is precisely what he wanted. Pitting father against son, setting up one fallen Jedi to manipulate another fall. It's infuriating, but that only empowers Palpatine further. The more unfair, the more cruel his plots, the more he enflames Luke's hatred of him. The more he taunts him with his impending fall to the Dark Side, the more he encourages it.

This might seem like the kind of extravagantly bizarre situation only found in the over-the-top melodrama of a space opera...and yet I can easily imagine real world equivalents. How many bullies taunt their victims with the express intention of wanting to start to fight? Even if the victim gets in a good solid punch, the bully has still won a metaphysical victory by stirring up the contention. Some people thrive on anger, hatred, nastiness. They don't care if people despise them, as long as they can get them riled up. We tend to think of refraining from fights as cowardly, but sometimes it's the bravest, and the hardest, thing you could ever do.

Next time, a marvelous callback...

With the Ewok ambush our heroes have a chance again, however slight. Leia and Han quickly make their way back to the bunker, but the door's code has changed. Who else to call but the ever-helpful Artoo?

Threepio, however, is horrified when his counterpart begins trundling straight into the thick of the battle. He demand to know where he's going, pleads with him to come back, and offers a particularly ridiculous protest.

"Oh, this is no time for heroics!"

If not now, then when? A desperate fight that will either end with the destruction of the Empire or the permanent defeat of the Rebellion -- you can't really come up with a better time for heroics. But Threepio has never exactly been the personification of bravery. His programming must contain a very strong self-preservation function.

Still, he does follow Artoo rather than hanging back at the edge of the fray. There might be a particle of courage in him after all. And let's not forget, there are traits other than battle-courage that can be helpful. Like resembling an Ewok god, and speaking their language just well enough to forge an alliance. Everyone has a role to play, whatever their definition of heroics.

Next, a devastating blow....

Back in the throne room, the Emperor continues to taunt Luke. His ploy is a very curious one. Not only does he acknowledge that Luke wants to destroy him, he fully encourages it. This is the pernicious nature of the Dark Side. Anger and hatred, even directed toward an agent of evil, will serve the Dark Side's purpose. The Emperor delights in Luke's hate, and urges him to take up his weapon.

"Take your Jedi weapon. Use it! I am unarmed."

Unarmed. A cruelly ironic phrase. Palpatine doesn't bear a physical weapon (oh, we could mention his zappy powers, but that's not the point here) yet he is anything but helpless. He wields the full might of the Dark Side in all its nasty power. Could he kill Luke? Probably. Through Vader's arm if nothing else. But much more importantly, he carries a power that threatens Luke's soul. His spiritual assaults are more horrifying than any physical prowess. He needs no lightsaber or electricity to attack his foes. Only the words of despair and devastation.

For the moment, Luke resists. The Emperor is confident that he will inevitably succumb. It's important that we see this as a valid, genuine possibility. The near-inevitability is what makes the glorious reversal so euphoric. We must experience the agonizing tension almost to the breaking point.

Next time, more irony....

At last the Emperor lays out his devious plan in all its details. Everything that seemed such a fortuitous circumstance for the Rebels was, in fact, part of his trap. He deliberately leaked the location of the shield generator. He fully expected the Rebellion to launch an assault, both on the moon and against the Death Star, and he's ready and waiting for it.

"Oh...I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive."

The cruel relish with which he delivers this line -- the snide sarcasm of I'm afraid when he's actually delighted -- ooo, it's pure hammy evil. I had so much fun playing Palpatine in these scenes for my One-Woman video. Try speaking any ordinary words spoken with this intonation. Fun times!

And this, for me, fully explains why Lucas brought back a Death Star for the third movie. People blather about it being a rehash, uncreative, blah blah blah, but it works perfectly as far as I can see. Palpatine deliberately re-created the circumstances of the first film, knowing the Rebels couldn't resist. Nothing would draw them out more effectively than a superweapon projected to be more powerful than the first -- but much, much, more vulnerable because it's still under construction, not yet operational. He dropped tantalizing crumbs: the location of the Death Star and its shield, the old Imperial shuttle and its code, the fact that he was personally overseeing construction. And sure enough, the Rebels came.

Why? To destroy the Rebellion once and for all, sure. But more importantly to the Emperor, to put Luke in such a perfect situation of devastation and despair that he must inevitably succumb to the Dark Side. That is his aim, first and foremost. That is what flips the familiar tropes on their head, so that we as an audience are required to shift our perspective completely. This is no longer just about blowing up a Death Star and flying home to a glorious hero's welcome. This is about Luke's soul.

This is the difference between a lazy rehash and a transformative reimagining. We want new stories, but we also crave the familiar, the resonant. So what we really need is something that takes the familiar and does something new and revelatory with it, granting us an astonishing new view. The ancient battle between good and evil, but with altered stakes. We still need to defeat the dragon, but what if the dragon is inside yourself? What if the only way to defeat the dragon is by reclaiming it as your father? What if, at the moment of greatest despair and hopelessness, the most courageous action is to throw away your weapon?

Next, the trap begins to spring....