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Empire Strikes Back's Perfect Structure
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2024
- Here I explore how Irvin Kirshner, George Lucas and Lawrence Kasden prioritized character and structure in the making of 'the Empire Strikes Back'.
All music is taken from John WIlliams' score for the film
Hot take: The last Jedi is the best Star Wars film since Empire.
Amen brother
TLJ is worth one quarter portion.
I'll pay for it: 60 portions.
Films&Stuff I think all Star Wars films are my top favorite of all time. Empire is my 2nd now. Last Jedi is my number 1 favorite!
i understand.
Is better than The return of the Jedi because in TROTJ the trio manage to defeat the empire, but here the duo manage to destroy the first order, the resistance, the repblic and all the Star Wars universe, present and past.
By "the duo" i mean Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy
One thing about Empire people overlook is how it's backwards compared to most blockbusters these days. The big armies clashing happens at the beginning of the film, not the climax. The universe isn't threatened, the heroes are. It's a complete reversal of the Blockbuster formula.
The blockbuster formula itself is retarded. How many times can people get excited about fake emotions while trying to save the universe yet again?
I agree completely. The climax isn't supposed to be some cliche garbage about "saving the world", it's about testing the heroes, forcing them to face their fears-- their greatest challenge.
Dark Knight is the same. The movie ends with a conversation. So cool.
Dimitri Bitu The Dark Knight is basically the Empire Strikes Back of the Nolan trilogy. It's the darkest of the three films, and it portrays Batman being pushed to his furthest limits. It's also the best film of that series.
It also ends in uncertainty, rather than a happy ending. The story of the individual film is wrapped up nice and neatly, but technically the rebellion, and the main characters are defeated, and there is still a sense of tension
A clever bit of visual foreshadowing that I only noticed after many viewings is part of Luke's training with Yoda involved him climbing up some vines. Sure enough, in his duel with Vader, Luke has to climb the pipes above the carbon freeze chamber to avoid a lightsaber slash. There are other clues as well. The doorway under the tree where Luke has his "fight" with the vision of Vader, is shaped exactly like the hallway in Cloud City. Yoda also has Luke do a flip over some plants, which is then repeated during the Vader duel. It's all there. Yoda's training is actually a run-through of the fight later in the film.
I can't believe I haven't noticed this
Oh my God...you're right
Paul Martin Mind. BLOWN.
Whoa
I love how Luke force leaps to the pipes
The vision Luke has in the cave is VERY often misread. Luke seeing his own face in Vader's helmet wasn't about Anakin being Vader. Lucas has explained this in more than a few commentaries, documentaries and behind the scenes. The point, if you watch Luke's face, is that he strikes Vader down in anger. He's still pissed off that Vader killed Obi-wan and Luke wants revenge. Striking Vader down in anger is the path to the dark side. So it's not saying hey you have a connection to him, it's saying if you continue to act in anger, you will be on the path of BECOMING another Vader.
This is why when Luke is prepping to leave Dagobah, Obi-wan and Yoda are both reminding him not to give in to hate and Yoda says, The cave, remember your failure at the cave. Now, if all Luke had had was a vision saying hey you two are related, that would not be a failure. That would just be an info dump. The point is that Luke chose a violent path. He CHOSE to take his weapons down there when Yoda said he didn't need them. He CHOSE to draw his saber FIRST and he CHOSE to strike Vader down in anger.
This is Luke's meeting with the goddess as Campbell called it. And like most great Midpoints in film, its a reflection of the end. In the climactic battle, Luke makes yet another choice: to reject Vader, to reject anger and allow himself to (he assumes) fall to his death rather than join the Dark Side.
That is the meaning of the cave and it factors heavily into the brilliant structure of the film.
Alan Stowe honestly saying LUKE'S vision is about Anakin really diminishes his character in Return of the Jedi.
Well said. I also disagreed when I heard the summation in this video. While it's certainly open to interpretation - it is the materialisation of Luke's fears and failures, not that Vader is his father.
Excellent commentary, right on point, but it still can be seen as foreshadowing as well. Doesn't have to be limited to a unilateral interpretation.
Well said. It actually amazes me that so many on here are as superficial enough to believe this scene was about "Anakin being Vader". Then again, most posting on here are millenials and post-millenials with the attention spans of gnats whenever there aren't explosions every 5 seconds, and who are incapable of understanding thematic elements at all. So perhaps I shouldn't be amazed....
The best cinema orgasm I’ve ever had
Empire Strikes Back is one of the only action movies I've ever seen in which the romance doesn't feel forced and contrived.
...Not trying to be shady, but... really? Like, maybe as the story goes along their mannerisms are fine, but that first scene where Han basically forces Leia into a kiss... I can never get that out of my head, so I'm always uncomfortable seeing Han and Leia romance stuff.
Anita Sam It just seems to me like something Han Solo would do. He's the type of man that plays by his own rules.
What is it with Ricks?
Han doesn't force Leia. If she wanted to get out of there, she could - just look at the previous encounters they had in this movie. If Leia wants to be forceful, she's forceful. Hence why Han knows she's actually interested in this scene.
Heck, its the ONLY scene in all three films where Leia is shown scared. Even facing certain death at the hands of Tarkin and Vader, she's resilient and they're impressed by her strength. Forced to confront the feelings she's been trying to bury and she ends up physically trembling.
She's more scared of opening up to Han than she is of dying at the hands of the Empire. Considering her only memory of her mother was that of sadness, it actually makes sense that attachment is the only thing Leia really fears.
Fuck You Rick Berman McCallum, you ruined this too!
I think there is another element not mentioned here: Vader and the Empire. Note how Darth Vader seems driven yet mysterious, not brash and two-dimensional like other movie villains. His character was defined by this movie, and he's not just some guy in a mask. All throughout, he is less concerned with the Rebellion and more focused on Luke.
As for the Empire, it seems vast in this movie. Uniforms everywhere, but you only catch a glimpse of the Emperor. And the Imperials you see aren't really psychopathic stereotypes, they almost seem boring and blase, or even scared of the Empire as well. You get a sense that there is so much more that we as an audience aren't seeing, it's like looking into the ocean. You can't see everything, but you get a sense of how deep it is. It sets the stage very very well, better than any movie I think.
I agree. It's also worth mentioning that this context was kind of missing from the new films. Arguably by intent - but I'm not sure what that intent was.
I read somewhere that good fictional universes are like cubes: even though you can only see some of the sides, you know that the other sides are there.
Chad Stallings exactly what my thoughts we're when I would watch this movie when I was growing up. This movie does world building, you're not on a desert planet like the last one, and ends in a rebel base where everything is extravagant and celebratory at the end.instead it starts out in a frozen world planet where the rebels are still on the run, like a literal cold reminder that all is not finished in the fight, while even when the heroes end up in what looks like a sanctuary in Cloud City, underneath is a dark and cold place where the heroes become tested and weakened. And it's awesome in this movie how it shows the number of resources the empire still has at their disposal, the variations in troops, the vehicles, the large fleet, and an even bigger star destroyer, while the rebels are out matched and out gunned. It displays the vulnerability of the alliance, versus the vastness of the imperial army and their leader . but even then, when they introduce the emperor in mysterious fashion and how the empires menace Darth Vader actually kneels before the emperor and answers to him is a freaking awesome twist. I wasn't born til the 90s, but my dad introduced me to this Trilogy so long ago and Empire Definitely my favorite movie. It doesn't need all the fancy effects. Its a literal story telling where all hell breaks loose
Never thought of that!
Not seeing at ALL how the imperials are "boring" or "blase" at the slightest, the imperial are scared of vader more than anything.
In what way are they "boring" or "blase" what? That doesn't make any sense as that's not there.
"The Empire strikes back" is pure music. The movie ebbs and flows like a Symphony.
Absolutely, one of the most entertaining movies I ever seen
I never quite realized how much the parallel plots are mutually setting each other up; Luke's vision adding tension to Han and Leia's story, Han and Leia's story explaining and informing us on Luke's trap ... that's some inception-level stuff that I never even noticed.
Samuel Wallace Isn't ESB just freakin'' amazing? :D
Little Winter Flower l
BEST.SEQUEL.EVER!
Samuel Wallace I noticed that, but a lot of this did indeed go over my head!
I love the plot so much as in the sense that Vader captures Han Solo and Leia to set a trap for Luke
How so?
"i am your father" is so overexposed you're super lucky to be part of those who saw the twist the way its supposed to be. Im fortunate enough to be one of those people thankfully.
I also was young enough at the time it came out to see it without any previous knowledge. I was actually a little too young to give that moment it’s full weight as well. Haha.
Then again, if someone over the age of 10 hasn't seen Empire, what have they been doing with their lives.
I already knew about the line but when I watched it I was still mesmerized by Mark's acting in the scene
When i saw the film i was 10 and had no idea that vader was Luke's father, and when the twist happened i actually though they copied toystory 2😂
well fuck,I've heard that line before,so I knew the twist was coming
Unlike certain popular video essayists, this essay is all meat and no filler. Appreciate you not stretching your point after you made it- this was a lean and meaningful presentation and I'm glad I watched it.
My favorite movie of all time. So good, man. So good.
GMFreeman 065 It's probably the single best film sequel ever made.
one of, but Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, Aliens, Terminator 2, The Godfather & Godfather Part 2, E.T., all these films were made and then became re-watchable at any moment of the day.
drfunk1986
Empire Strikes Back > Any of those Films you mentioned accept for The Godfather Part 1/Part 2
The Dark Knight...
Halloween II (1981) The Dark Knight (2008)
There are people who love Empire and then there are people with bad taste in movies.
Yep!
Couldn't have said it better!
Hype for Avatar 2!
Here here!!!
Paul Martin there are people who say the prequels are better. I should know, I went to school with people like that who have a shallow taste in movies
toy story 2 structure is similar to this one
So are a lot of sequels. I was watching Pirates 2 to test out my new tv and realized that it's exactly trying to copy Empire's structure (Will and his Dad bond, Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth flirt) before converging paths at the climax. Johnny Depp even gets temporarily killed by the Kraken which is eerily similar to Han being frozen in carbonite. The big difference is that in Pirates 2, noone changes, Jack remains Jack, Elizabeth remains Elizabeth, Will kinda changes, but his performance doesn't really sell it. If the characters don't change, there is no movie.
I would argue that Jack and Elizabeth do actually change. At the start, when confronted by his mortality ( Davey Jones and the black spot ), Jack is willing to deceive and betray Will, Elizabeth and anyone else who gets in between him and his goal to cheat his inevitable death. He has a literal broken moral compass. Elizabeth expects this dubious behavior from him (he is a pirate, after all), and so feels justified to compromise her own morality to archive her own goals, manipulating Jack and flirting with, ultimately tricking and trapping him on the Black Pearl. This is after Jack has made the selfless and heroic decision to return to the Pearl and help save Will and Elizabeth. He realized in the end that the only way to save himself (in the spiritual sense) was selflessness. After Jack walk into the jaws of death, Elizabeth realizes that she and Jack have switched places and she is now the pirate with the broken moral compass and is the first to join the rescue mission to bring Jack back from Davey Jones Locker. Now whether any of these character changes continue on into At World's End is debatable, but the arcs of Dead Man's Chest, on their own, are pretty solid, once you get past the distractions of the kraken attacks and three-way sword fights.
I shuddered and thought that you were watching the XXX parody
If you watch Avatar the Last Airbender, you could tell they were inspired by Empire Strikes Back in their 2nd season.
yup and thats what makes it so good
Your content is incredibly well done. You deserve a larger audience and I can't imagine you won't get it.
Audrey Marquis lol when I ran into this channel I assumed he probably had 100,000s of subs
Lol, me too! This will become a huge channel though, I am sure of it. The content is too good.
With statements like “TLJ is the best” it’s obvious
I actually never realized how little time the trio is actually in the same scene together
Are we not going to mention Empire Strikes Back featured the greatest film music score ever?
Williams is the composer for the gods. Wore out my New Hope album and ESB is no sophomore slump...! I began trombone in band with NH came out, what a great time to be learning BRASS...Williams simply has no pity on the brass...and it is g..l..o..r..i..u..s.....!
Empire Strikes Back also has the most underrated cinematography ever. When people talk about the most visually stunning Star Wars film, they talk about The Last Jedi and Rogue one which do make sense but i really feel like Empire Strikes Back also deserves a place in that category cuz some of the shots in the movie leave me speechless as to how this movie was made in 1980
I agree. The cinematography in ESB is the best in the whole franchise. ROTJ is a real disappointment and a step-down in comparison. The cinematography in ESB gives it more atmosphere and mood and emotion than all the other films in the series.
ugh John Williams really shone in this movie. God bless him.
John Williams was great in all of the films, in each bringing an awesome new piece. Attack of The Clones might've been the worst movie in the series, but it brought us "Across The Stars".
Albin Pepe definitely, we don't talk about him enough, the score is to me, even better than the Star Wars' one
@@tFighterPilot Phantom Menace is WAY worse than Attack of the Clones, Episode 2 is bad but not AS bad as people say.
He was fantastic in all the movies and especially in Revenge of the Sith's score is phenomenal with the scenes.
One interesting thing that I found out not too long ago is the amazing detail of Obi-wan as Luke goes through his training. At the end of ANH, he is just a voice. On Hoth, he is a cloudy vision that is hard to see. Slowly his image becomes more clear as Luke becomes more powerful with the force. This is especially evident throughout Empire and when you see him in ROTJ, he is fully there, able to walk around, talk and have a perfectly clear image. That’s an awesome detail that I had to point out!
A New Hope made Star Wars a legend. Empire made it a franchise.
Just want to clarify that the video is not available to watch on mobile because the music I used towards the end go the video claimed, and the claimant has made this restriction. I've tried repealing it but it seems they won't budge. Sorry for the inconvenience.
+Films&Stuff Wait you mean like a bullshit claim? Because that's John Williams music, isn't it??
Films&Stuff Where do you get the movie file to edit? I usually try to find the clips on UA-cam but I can never get the whole movie to edit
I have a blu-ray ripper on my computer but more often than not I uh...use other methods. I think the website's called outlaw cove, nah that's not it. marauder gulf maybe?
I'm watching it mobile right now so I think it's fixed yo
"Repeal" or "appeal"?
After rewatching the trilogy, Empire is my favorite Star Wars film. So solid.
Error at 6:18min - Empire is not 'one of the greatest films of all time'... It is THE GREATEST!!! Wonderful review. Thank you
To aspiring screenwriters: pompous, long-winded speeches more often than not seem hollow. One of the best "I'm a badass" lines in cinema has two words: "I know".
zlinedavid yes!
And they were improvised! The script called for Han to say "I love you too.", but when after take after take of it wasn't working, Irvin Kershner told Harrison Ford to say the first thing to come to mind, and, "Action!" One of the best lines in 20th Century cinema came right of the hip spontaneously. Beautiful.
In The Dark Knight the long speeches added a lot, though. Long speeches aren't good or bad, they're just a tool that can be used or misused.
Long speeches aren't inherently bad, only when done badly. There are plenty of examples of long speeches which are fantastic!
ALL of this is true. I've always felt that the music score was john williams' greatest work. the cue for the' imperial march' was legendary, the love theme was lovely and strangely haunting. the cue for 'battle in the snow' and 'asteroid field' is THE best action music ever for film.
don't forget "the departure of boba fett" which really builds the tension more, when luke's entering the trap
Kasden noted that the middle act of a trilogy is (potentially) the best because we already got character introductions in the first act and we can put them through hell without having to resolve everything until the third act.
There's also the incredible score and the exotic beauty of Cloud City juxtaposed with two of the saga's most traumatic moments (Han frozen and Vader's revelation).
That's one of the reason's why I admire Return of the Jedi so much, often considered the weak link of the original trilogy. It did such a great job despite all the disadvantages it had; right at the beginning you get to see Luke finally become a heroic Jedi master and Han and Leia reunited (a lesser movie would have put those things at the end to avoid showing them), and you get a genuine feeling at the end that the Empire is truly dead and that Darth Vader is truly redeemed which is no small feat (in a lesser movie those things could easily ring hollow), I believe this was itself a great disadvantage to The Force Awakens which tried to convince the audience that the Empire didn't completely fall despite how well Return of the Jedi convinced the audience otherwise. A good example of a lesser movie that failed in every way that Return of the Jedi succeeded is Revenge of the Sith.
@@handsomebrick LMAO Piss off with that stupid notion you fool. Revenge of the Sith is NOT a "lesser movie" that "fAILED In EveRY Way ThaT RetuRN Of the jeDI" NOR is it a "good example" of it at all you narrow minded fool. Get the heck out of here with that stupid statement as no one is buying that crap.
Well that's a load of horse-shit. Lmao not even close. Revenge of the Sith is still amazing and awesome to this day even with the scattered flaws in the movie like romance and dialogue.
The film is outstanding from creating art direction, character/costume design, atmosphere/tone, fight scenes, music that fits the scenes, outstanding visual shots, and even plotting even with scattered flaws like dialogue and romance still unfortunately sucks.
It’s an amazing dark tragedy of a film that’s well-made.
It SUCCEEDS in connecting the prequel era into the original to showcase everything came to be.
Shut up with your nonsense that you're spewing out and piss off.
Time and time again I have heard that Empire is one of the best movies ever and while I have always enjoyed it, I never really fully understood why until I watched this video. The way you broke it down is on point and why I really love this franchise so much
I first saw Empire as a 9 year old Star Wars fan. Waiting to see what was next for our heroes, I was not at all ready for what Lucas gave me.
The beauty of this movie is how it takes the overall story nowhere while deepening and carrying the story further than the audience had ever expected. It remains the prime example of how a "2nd part" should be done.
bprn on 1970, i had the wonderful fortune of watching the ESB over and over again imon the big screen as a 10/11 yr old. Seems nerdy but it was a highlight of my life! what a movie!
Empire is the Citizen Kane of SCI FI movies. This movie is full of genius.
agreed
Ok, I have to say: that was a really good summary with thinking that makes good sense. Especially concerning the narrative arc crossing between the main characters. Well put.
Another reason Empire is great is because Lando is an ol’ smoothie.
Lando was a perfect addition to the trio. Everything about this movie was perfect.
I have probably watched ESB more than any other film
It’s one of my most viewed as well..... and never gets old
Same
The Empire Strikes Back is by far my favorite movie and it manages that while not really having a plot in the traditional sense.
When I was young I had no understanding of Luke’s vision in The Cave on Dagobah from The Empire Strikes Back & no one to explain it to me. When I grew older I had gained the Wisdom to interpret the meaning of that scene & what it foreshadowed.
Near the end of TRoTJ, during the scene on The New Death Star where Luke faces The Emperor & Darth Vader both, Luke has a Critical moment of reflection.
*Luke disarms Vader in the most aggressive & extremely violent manner the audience has yet seen betraying his emotions to The Emperor.*
Emperor Palpatine: “Good! Your hate has made you powerful. Now fulfill your destiny & take your father’s place at my side.”
Luke: *Flexes his robotic hand & in one brief moment recognizes the literal & symbolic parallels between his Father’s robotic state & his own. Deactivates his lightsaber.*
“Never.”
*Tosses away his Lightsaber.*
“I’ll never turn to The Dark Side. You’ve failed your highness. I am a Jedi like my father before me.”
Emperor Palpatine: “So be it... Jedi.”
This brief moment of Introspection proves that Luke has finally understood Yoda’s lesson from The Empire Strikes Back. The path to The Dark Side of The Force is “Only what you take with you.” Luke entered The Cave on Dagobah full of Arrogant Pride in his abilities (“Your weapons, you will not need them.”), Frustration with Obi-Wan & Yoda, Fear for himself & his friends, Hatred of Vader, & Vengeance for his father. Yet after dueling & defeating The Shadow Vader he found only his own face, revealed inside Vader’s shattered helmet.
This scene serves as the most ominous & harrowing example of foreshadowing I have ever seen in film.
Fast forward to Luke’s confrontation with Vader on Bespin Cloud City. Luke ignores The Wisdom of his mentors giving in to his frustration & leaving Dagobah prematurely, he overestimates his own abilities ignoring Leia’s explicit warning that he is walking into a trap, he is afraid of Vader but more afraid to lose his friends to torture & death, & he is Hell-bent on killing Vader to enact vengeance for his father.
All of these character traits &/or flaws are paths that lead selfless Jedi to the brink of The Dark Side of The Force & the Hunger for Power. Luke is facing only that which he takes with him. Though he carries his weapons with him he “will not need them” as we soon see that his abilities pale in comparison to Darth Vader’s. Nay, Luke’s true struggle is one of virtue, integrity, & character.
Vader disarms him by severing his right hand (Cho Mai). After having cornered Luke Vader attempts to undermine & weaken Luke’s commitment to The Light Side of The Force by revealing The Truth that Obi-Wan lied to him & Yoda omitted the fact that Vader is Luke’s Father. This revelation strips away all of Luke’s advantages & nearly all vestiges of his world-view. Luke is on a precipice & must choose between The Dark Side (The Power to overthrow The Emperor & Rule The Galaxy as Father & Son) & The Light Side (Lies, Weakness, & Death).
This is Luke’s 1st True test of conviction. One that a true Jedi must make. Selflessness. He rejects Fear, he rejects Pride, he rejects Revenge, he rejects Life, he embraces a Selfless Death rather than Powerful Evil. He faces everything that he brought with him & in the moment of uttermost despair still chooses to Trust-Fall to The Light Side of The Force.
“In my experience there’s no such thing as luck.”
Luke throws away his lightsaber because he realizes that he is only facing that which he brought with him. For every hateful strike he unleashes upon his father he grows closer to becoming him (seeing his father’s severed robotic right hand & his own). He rejects the thing that all Jedi must, Selfish Power & embraces Selfless Death instead.
This Hope that Jedi embody is truly the thing that makes Luke Skywalker a Hero. He isn’t powerful enough to win. He never has been. Alone he can only do so much but when utter desperation occurs he always chooses to sacrifice himself for Hope rather than trade in his goodness for a way out of hopelessness. Jedi are beacons of Hope & strong-will in a universe of overwhelming odds. But it is because of Luke’s unwavering Faith in Anakin Skywalker that Darth Vader returns to The Light Side of The Force.
Wow. Well put my friend
One thing that's neat about Darth Vader's mask is that it makes him harder to read. In RotJ in particular I'm always looking closely at Vader's face, trying in vain to see if he's torn about what he's doing, carefully reading his gestures for any clue. And when you do see his actual face under the mask, it's a scarred but also overjoyed face, the perfect visual representation of that moment. It also works perfectly for the twist in Empire, the emotional whiplash of seeing this dark and unstoppable figure suddenly reveal his true nature as a proud father.
your content is on par or even equal/better than nerd writer and some may think thats an insult but seriously your shit is well made, well thought-out and you know what your talking about. How you have so little subs actually amazes me.
Couldnt agree more, Empire is the highlight of the star wars saga.
The cinematography and lighting is spot on.
Great video! Keep it up my man!
Oh man... I love this movie. Just hearing the musical themes wells up tears in my eyes. It is so amazing.
With apologies to Godfather, Part 2, this is the greatest sequel ever made.
one of the greatest? This is the best movie ever made.
I honestly think it's badly paced honestly. I honestly think that Empire Strikes Back has great moments, but ironically, I thought the pacing and storytelling efficiency, or even suffiency was bad. The Hoth part takes for ever, the Millenium Falcon fools around, and the escape from Cloud City takes forever. I reallly appreciate scenes of Yoda and Vader, even other scenes, but I thought this movie was badly told and paced. I don't get why people consider it great. Here's an article that makes good arguments. www.simplysyndicated.com/why-empire-strikes-back-sucks-gundark-poodoo/
Androo Gnoix Agreed it’s an overrated pos
As a 10-year old sitting in a dark theater with my family, I was enthralled from start to finish. Probe droid, wampa, AT-ATs, Yoda telling Luke he will be afraid, there is another, Vader casually sitting at a dinner table and Han instantly pulling out his blaster, I am your father. No other film has been as surprising or meaningful since. I was looking forward to many such experiences over the course of my life, but that dream was crushed in 1999 with The Phantom Menace.
Honestly, honestly, honestly. Try lyin' a lil - your writing may improve.
I was promised a good movie. I got a confused directionless mess. But Yoda’s cool.
Empire 100% succeeded where most movies fail these days. We cared deeply for the characters, and so were invested in seeing them try to overcome their plight. My brother yelled and lost his mind for a moment when Luke lost his hand.
Keep making great videos like this. Love to see where this channel's headed
Thanks for the video. This film was a true masterpiece. Even attempting to compare this to the heap of trash Disney released a few weeks ago is a laughable insult.
Book 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender uses this same structure beautifully
Ethan Truitt
Your right. Avatar The last Airbender in better than Star Wars for me. Sorry, is better than Star wars for me.
I love your videos. You really capture the beauty of the things that go into filmmaking and film presentation.
Watched the entire movie in a symphony hall, music performed by SF symphony orchestra. Never thought I could like this movie more. If you have a chance, it's a must.You realize how brilliant the score is. Fantastic job, Kershner/Williams
Very good an insightful commentary on what I consider my favourite film of all time... Kind of. Empire is perfect in essentially every aspect there is. It is the definitive telling of an Act 2 story ever made. Empire only has one "flaw", but also it's strongest strength: In it's commitment to being an Act 2 it lacks a beginning and an end. Now of course the film does have that - but it doesn't introduce us at all to the world around us, excepting our knowledge from the first to do that and most importantly not at all having an end - it's ending is not a cliffhanger, but it simply lacks any resolution. At the end it introduces us with new conflicts and revelations - who will be resolved in the next film. Therefore it completely follows the structure of the second act of the story which is the function on the grander narrative that it is.
It is this adherence to daring to remain that Act 2 that allows it to keep this structure - it has no pretence of it's part of the grander narrative of introducing or wrapping up the story - but only to deepen it. Which is what it truly does. Everything in it adds depth to our characters and to the conflict at large. But this is also why I call it it's biggest "flaw" in a sense: It is the least watchable standalone Star Wars film. What I mean by that is that due to the nature of it's plot of lacking a satisfying beginning or end I need those other acts to wrap up the story. A New Hope or Return of the Jedi are much easier to watch standalone by themselves, as they wrap up the plots they have. Empire does not and it truly needs those other two films to get a good structure. Which is why it's brilliant - it's goal was to add depth to the universe, conflict and characters and it dared to that without compromise.
"Padme, I hate sand"
"I know"
Not perfect, but definitely an improvement.
But this just sucks all of the personality out of this line 🤷🏿♂️
I think this is even worse
I braved the UA-cam comments to say how much I love this video. I'm subscribing to this channel. Little touches like writing "Structure" in the iconic Star Wars font are the sort of embellishments that make me smile. Great voice work and editing--it all seems really thoughtfully made.
hey man I'm loving your video essays, great work!
Definitely one the greatest films of all time.
The best movie ever!!!! It's not just the structure. Irvin Kershner was a painter, musician and documentarist. He was not just some kid with no back ground that got to make the movie. Nowadays that what happened to Hollywood. No one risk to make something deep. They just want to make money..... Even the Return of Jedi falled into this. The original screenplay were more darker. But George lucas wanted to bring back the Death Star to make a Happy end just so he could sell more FUCKING puppets!!! PUPPETS!!!!! Hollywood should stop doubting the intelligence of the audiences. The Force Wakens is a joke..... It is possible to make a great movie and have action to it. But it requires people that are not there just to shine or make millions but instead make art. Irvin Kershner is the main reason why this movie were great.
Actualy I find Robocop 2 one the best sequel ever done
Yes, Irvin Kershner should get credit for this film, others - like Gary Kurtz - also deserve credit. It is a strange irony that while Lucas created Star Wars it was necessary for others to realize the films' potential. When Lucas gets full control you end up with prequel trilogy. If Lucas had stuck to the original plan for Return of the Jedi it would have resulted in a flawless trilogy of films.
The flaw with the original ROTJ draft was that Luke, the hero of the Star Wars Trilogy, falls down the same path as his father and the bad guys win in the end. Luke is supposed to be the King Arthur of Star Wars and Arthur was a hero through and through.
Trilha Vital fuck off...force awakens has depth...while empire is overvalued trash
Steven Irizarry How about we just value both movies for their depth? I think the reason why so many people, albeit the minority, think that way about TFA is because it's the first chapter in a three part story and I think it honestly expected too much of its audience to pick up on the subtle symbolism and themes. Empire may be overrated and overly talked about, but that doesn't mean it isn't quality. Maybe it's just not your cup of tea?
ive watched 2 videos on this channel and have fallen in love with it already. Subbed
The thing about TESB is that the soundtrack is absolutely legendary. The orchestration is insanely detailed, focused, and hyper-energized for each moment. Comparing the original trilogy to any other Star Wars movie simply will let you down.
I'm glad i watched this. I've seen the OT so many times that i forget to notice this stuff and just quote all the lines.
I never thought about how the han and leia story is bookeded by goodbyes. Very interesting. Similarly, the Luke story is bookended by a Defeated Luke hanging up side down and reaching out with the force to save him
While most films that fray into too many separate plot lines, Empire Strikes Back was able to keep theirs enthralling and complimentary to one another. Think of all the movies that have failed in this regard, where disjointed or uninteresting story lines slows a film down to a grinding halt, or simply cuts the good stuff into chunks we're waiting to get back to. Not here. This is a near flawless movie with strong character development and excellent direction. This is the movie that turned Star Wars from a solitary blockbuster into the worlds biggest entertainment franchise spanning 40+ years. Thank Irvin Kershner and Gary Kurtz.
You just got yourself another subscriber. Great content man!
Excellent work. You're one of my favorite content creators.
When you want to like the video and see OP's comment stating TLJ is a great movie
Honestly when I began watching your videos for the first time yesterday,
the quality, editing, overall production was so impressive I just
assumed he had millions of views and subscribers. Amazing videos! You just got another subscriber.
Excellent use of music and editing in your videos man, i just love your content.
Wonderful.
All the while I'm watching this, I'm just like... Dang. I need to watch the originals again. The Disney sequels can make you forget what real Star Wars feels like.
Great content! I can't wait to see your channel grow!
Beautiful video. Love your editing in all your work.
Hey +Films&Stuff! I read your 'hot take' on TLJ in relation to Empire and read your reply stating that "[y]ou can't rise as a phoenix unless you burn the house down." While it sounds profound, I strongly disagree with that sentiment, and would really like to share my thoughts on why this is not the case here - or at least, not in the way you say it is.
One aspect of that sentiment that troubles me is that TLJ was a “much needed departure from the status quo”. With the restructuring of the canon that came with TFA, the status quo consists of the content of the originals, the prequels, Rebels and the Clone Wars, and a few other novels, notably including the recent Ahsoka and Thrawn. If so, then the departure consists of (on the large scale) ignoring/making futile the military history of Star Wars during and prior to the reign of the empire and (on the small scale) ignoring/making futile the character arcs and plot threads of the movies that came before. How was such a departure from the rich and detailed history of Star Wars ever much needed?
The prequels honored the originals by following the plot threads referenced by Ben and Vader, but backwards, describing the Clone Wars, the transfer of power from the Jedi to the Sith, and the rise and fall of Luke’s father. But the originals did not establish any plot threads leading to the future, and thus I feel that it was a mistake in the first place to even consider creating a sequel trilogy. Instead, there were many other paths to follow for a modern series of movies (Chiss, Mandalore, Geonosis; piracy, genocide, the inquisitorius, and more). If Disney were to truly diverge from the ‘Jedi vs. Monolithic Evil in three movies’ algorithm, those settings should have been how they would explore it. But I digress.
With TFA setting the scene for Disney’s trilogy, the best TLJ could have done was to follow the plot lines that TFA established: uncovering/continuing the mysteries of Snoke and the Knights of Ren, showing the training of Rey, and so on. But, favoring visual spectacle and maximized content over a healthy franchise, TLJ, like its predecessor, tossed aside what the previous movie had built up to favoring the individual movie over the series as a whole. By investing themselves in the story of a franchise, the audience trusts the producers to follow the basic rules and precedents previously set. TLJ breaks that trust and makes the canon inconsistent, forcing the audience to either forget most of what already exists in canon to continue to invest themselves in future installments, or remove TLJ (and possibly even TFA) from their headcanon. This is why TLJ is so divisive.
New installments in the series have a duty to honor the established history. The last Jedi sets a precedent for future movies to ‘retcon as they please’. If a phoenix is to rise from these ashes, it would be Disney subverting our expectations and sticking to the rules, precedents, and character arcs of the Star Wars universe instead of neglecting it for the third time in a row (aside from Rogue One, which although just an okay/average movie, was a fantastic Star Wars movie).
6:24 - 6:30 gave me so many chills 😆😆😆
My favourite film and I've seen it umpteen times, but you've actually given me a lot of new stuff to think about. Cheers!
Awesome. Possibly the best video essay ever.
And well-worthy of the great Empire Strikes Back.
the best movie ever made
Oh man... he had to use my favorite star wars score piece right there...
6:24
I just discovered your channel and I'm in love with it. Hope you're not planning on stopping :)
How did I just find this channel? The craftsmanship is incredible
At Bespin Luke lost a hand, but won a dad. I think that evens things up
5 fingers comes to an odd number... unacceptable!
I don´t want to nitpick the movie, but the 2 story lines always felt not in synch from a time perspective. I know it´s fiction, but for me as a viewer it always feels off. Luke´s training is presented as if it took weeks or even months, but Leia & Han´s chase felt like hours or maybe a few days.
Their Hyperdrive was not working so they had to fly with Not-FTL to Bespin. Also the empire was there before. It's never explained in the movie, so therefore a bit of a flaw, but their journey could took at least a month or more.
Broken lightspeed generator they probably were only getting it to work at less then a quarter of it's max speed
You think that's weird, have you ever noticed that in A New Hope Luke destroys the Death Star in like 2 hours?
Hey, your stuff is really well done. I found it on some reddit list of video essay creators I was scrolling through, and yours are some of the more informative I've seen. Keep up the good work.
I recently bought the Original Trilogy on VHS for just $5! Great Find!
Holy shit! I need to rewatch Empire, I saw A New Hope yesterday but I haven't seen Empire that much, might be my least viewed SW film without counting Force Awakens and Rogue One
Doctor JP the way the sequel trilogy is going, they are my least favorite. Especially for Luke portrayal
This is a perfect movie, so was Star Wars IV, Fargo, Shawshank, Jaws...
and the godfather
Happy Star Wars Day everyone!! :)
Good job. This is a really interesting and well thought out video. You have earned a subscriber.
Definitely the best Star Wars film.
One of the most badly written, horrendously acted and pathetic excuse for a sequel. But enough about Batman and Robin.
you filthy piece of shit
you got me in the first half
not gonna lie, you had us in the first part
You had me for a second
I love the thumbnail used on this video and enjoyed the review . Thank you for sharing .
I just find out your channel. Nothing to say but: wonderful! Beautiful and smart videos! You have a new subscriber from Italy :)
WOW SPOILERS!
Amen
Ramen.
And this? This is one of the greatest fan review videos of all time.
return will always be my favorite, but I could understand why empire is soo favored, great job btw, keep em coming 👌
Someone send this to rian johnson, holy shit.
And timestamp the bit at 5:17.
"The core of Star Wars has been damaged, but not destroyed." Yeah, I can except Han dying, especially in a way that concludes his character and helps move that of Kylo Ren's forward, but the way Luke and his final moments were handled was unacceptable. And with Carrie Fisher gone, I can only imagine how they'll handle Leia's inevitable death.
If only JJ Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, or Rian Johnson had watched this video...
A perfect storm of great direction, writing, structure, cinematography, acting, character development, pacing, special effects and, let's not forget, a fantastic musical score -- John Williams' best of the entire series.
Once again, I'm amazed at how well this movie LOOKED. Real film. Real sets. Beautiful lighting.
Thanks for the reminder of how bad the current Star Wars movies are.
Empire Strikes Back might be a little too perfect. As the high mark of the series, all of the movies that come after it must be compared to it. The only thing that has ever come close to Empire's quality are the throneroom scenes in Return of the Jedi. In this way, I... Actually kinda believe that Empire is retroactively hurting the Star Wars franchise.
I have no trouble at all with it as it only is what it is because of the movie immediately in front of it and the one right after it. By itself it's a movie that couldn't possibly be made because it has no proper start or ending. It gains it's weight because of the context and that we know that Vader is Anakin which in the movie by itself might not be true anymore than destroying the Death Star ended the Empire though ANH told us just that.
So it's importance is matched by the other 5 movies around it as they all tell a different part of the 6 episode story.
That is an interesting theory. It is also the lowest grossing SW film ... weird.
Jade Dinosaur mark lol
Aka Lucas sorta knew it was too good for a sequel but what can he do, I think that's why phantam menace was setting up Darth jarjar, so film one and two would be weak, then once you get the jarjar reveal the prequal has it's empire twist to how you view the whole trillogy, and he was building alota similar Sparks to combine, but he was too worried and then overcompensated with clones so it's too serious yet the jarjar reveal isn't setup so it's all sorta fucked Abit but you still see the hints and Sparks to it which is why jarjar bothers everyone, we can see the hints but it's like trying to sneeze without sneezing and we're all just pissed
The Throne room scenes in jedi crush Empire's whole runtime.
Your videos are amazing and so informative , LOVE LOVE LOVE
niiiice ending bro that gave me chills and nostalgic pleasure haha thanks man awesome job