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The empire strikes back what was your reaction
Sadley i wasnt even thought off when Empire first came to cinama.I really wish i was just to see that huge twist at the end when Vader told Luke who he really was, Plus i think its the best star wars film out of all 6. But i would like to know your reaction when you first saw it and saw that massive twist. Even if it wasnt at the cinama.
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I was in tears though because I thought my hero Han Solo was dead. That carbonite coffin scared me.
Primarily because it was the one movie that George Lucas had the least amount of influence over.
I never went to see either of the sequels, though. I don't think I had any interest in them at the time. I didn't get to see Empire or Return until the mid-'90s when a work colleague loaned me them on VHS. Can't remember if I had much reaction to that twist.
So I didn't actually see the moment for some years afterwards, videos being what they were back then and my father vowing never to take either of to the cinema again.
It's the most human of the saga, I hope JJ Abrams studies it hard.
When the Vader/Luke duel finally got started I nearly fainted with the sheer drama of it all - I was so scared I could barely watch during the first scene of the duel with that awesome lighting and Vader's high ground, and was cheering Luke on loudly throughout. And laughing my head off at Threepio during the Bespin escape sequences which were a nice interlude from all the excitement. But when Vader said the line... wow. Can't really describe how that felt. You have to remember that I had actually seen little Anakin in TPM, who I saw myself in, before watching the OT, not knowing about this, and the reveal just felt like someone had died. I was lost for words, but within a few minutes I began to realise that this was the most amazing twist I had ever known in a film - and I have to say, to this day no plot twist has ever rendered me speechless in the way that one did.
And then the film ended and I was left yelling for more, and as I went with my dad to buy the ROTJ VHS, I kept going on about how amazing ESB was and that Star Wars was now my favourite thing in the world. Ah, memories. I love Star Wars so much.
I do think that demonstrates, as well, just how important the Vader reveal is to Star Wars as a whole. It changes absolutely everything for every fan and turns the saga from fun action films into incredibly high-drama epic destiny sagas, and the fact that the reveal suddenly makes the whole saga about the same one family means that you invest yourself in the characters so much more as you learn more about them. It also demonstrated really clearly to the viewer that every character had a story to tell and had a back story that was probably involved with other characters' back stories, in ways we probably couldn't even think of. Therefore I think the Vader reveal basically breathed the first life into the EU and secured the saga as more than a series of films.
I meant not to the extent that every detail is up for grabs the way it is today, that's all.
The set designs for that carbon freezing chamber and the room looking out onto the central Bespin shaft are beautiful, utterly brilliant. The bit when the hatch closes behind Luke, the lights come on, and you hear it...
"The Force is with you young Skywalker....but you are not a Jedi yet"
Ace.
It's an amazing moment. It does exactly what that kind of scene does, by making you think "oh my god... this is going to be awesome". The fact it manages to do that, and does it without any music, just with one line and some amazing cinematography, is pretty impressive. And the fact that the rest of the film actually delivers on that promise is even more impressive.
Honestly I could've given a half decent synopsis of each of the films before having seen them.
Hardly a fair viewpoint of the film though. There are films I've seen where I've known the big twist and still really engaged with the way it played out and got chills when it happened.
Consequently, I missed out on all the twists. In my mind, I'd always known Vader was Luke's father. I always knew Vader would turn on the Emperor and save Luke. I always knew what Jabba the Hutt looked like. I always knew "its a trap!"
I'd liked to have known what it was like to experience the story without knowing the plot like it was pre-written in my brain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA
I watched New Hope and Empire a few years back (I always struggled with Jedi, too stupid and poorly writen, you can tell Lucas had a lot more involvement (FRICKEN EWOKS?!?! Oh that was a sign of things to come wasnt it just)) and to be honest, I turned Empire off. I watched it on Blu Ray, but its the remix of the remaster of the editors and 1992 cut, you get my point. George Lucas is a hack.
And then to be hit by THAT line at the lowest point - my mind was blown.
...sorry, I was just having a Wonder Years moment there.