no wonder star wars never got any better than this
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- Опубліковано 29 лип 2022
- #StarWars #TheEmpireStrikesBack #videoessay
Making Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was no simple task. The first Star Wars movie was a major success and making a Star Wars sequel was extremely daunting.
So who directed Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back? After directing the original Star Wars movie, George Lucas turned to his friend and mentor Irvin Kershner to direct the very first Star Wars sequel, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
In this video, we'll hear some stories straight from Irvin Kershner himself regarding his approach to directing The Empire Strikes Back and filmmaking in general, as well as what the property and genre of Star Wars meant to him.
Edited by Danny Boyd
Support me at Patreon.com/CinemaStix
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Music:
Almost in F - Tranquillity by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Music:
Almost in F - Tranquillity by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/ - Фільми й анімація
Got any Star Wars movie trivia to share? I’d love to hear it.
In Spanish Star Wars is *the war of the galaxies*
That’s awesome! Huh, I wonder what it is in a bunch of languages.
@@CinemaStix interesting. I never thought about it. I saw one of the Star Wars films in German when I was stationed there years ago, but I forgot what the title was in German.
I just looked it up. Sounds like most languages are fairly direct translations. What’s interesting though is that they stopped translating the title after the OT. After that it was just “Star Wars” everywhere (by and large). Still.. I might make a video on the subject. There’s some neat stuff regarding how they translated character names and whatnot into other languages. Thanks for opening my eyes to this!
@@CinemaStix cool. Np. The first few years of my life I saw Star Wars in Spanish. Then English and Spanish when I would visit Latin America. I've always found it funny. Jedi in Spanish is spelled the same, but pronounced *Jeh-dee* . I used to have a mini record for empire and Jedi. I would listen to those over and over as a kid 😆 *el regreso del Jedi* was everywhere on the grand opening day. My dad never took us to a grand opening after that 😆 it was like a pool of people. I was on my dad's shoulder.
"I felt I needed humor, but I couldn't have gags"
Someone needs to tell this to every single director currently employed by Disney, in both Star Wars and the MCU
That's not what they actually need though. What they need now is a new employer
James Gunn would be unemployed
@@imthatjayson No he wouldn't lol
How about literally almost every other movie director that doesn't smudge thier MCU style gag ballsacks against our eyes??
The humor in ESB is soooo good, too.
From Yoda not revealing to Luke who he was, and then hitting R2 with his stick….
To snappy unique insults like ‘scruffy looking nerf-herder’ and quotable lines like ‘I’d rather kiss a wookiee/you could use a good kiss’
Even to scenes like where Chewy put Threepio’s head on backwards or where Lando is about to feign punch Han.
It just works so well from start to finish.
The juxtaposition of how dedicated fans are to the movies, and the director not remembering Chewbaccas name is fascinating
I was thinking the same. And he never amends himself in that particular interview. Just keeps on going with his story.
If you've notice, Mark Hamill says "the wookie" more than he says Chewbacca
That's exactly the point. The Wookie is nothing more than a tool in the story. His name isn't important. But the fans hold him on a pedestal as if he's a god or something. The same problems apply to many aspects of the franchise. The Millennium Falcon is just a ship. The Kessel Run was just a cool little story Han told. Han Solo's name is Solo because that's just his name.
But then you have a movie like Solo: A Star Wars Story, that present all these details as if they are significant and highly important, like this is Batman Begins. But in reality, none of it is important. Han Solo was just a smuggler who happened to be in the Cantina when Luke and Obi-wan showed up. That's all.
@@filmconnor I think it could be argued that it is exactly for the _opposite_ reason than the director. Hamil does it add of extreme familiarity rather than ignorance.
@@_Master_Wolf No one holds him on a pedestal like a god, they just respect him and they respect names. Characters (and events) make for story, and more characters (and events) mean more story. There's nothing wrong with wanting to see the Wookies more in detail drawn out (like in Episode 3), or see events referenced like the "clone wars" mentioned in the first Star Wars but never shown until Episode 3. The issue is HOW it's done. Nobody complained about the Wookies in Episode 3. I didn't like the Solo movie and the I thought the last-name origin was kinda dumb, the dice lore was excessive and I fell asleep by the time the whole Kessel Run thing finally came full circle. But none of those things were inherently bad as existing in a Solo movie. They could have just been done differently, to a lesser degree, or simply not ALL squished into 1 movie of fan service. Maybe a Disney Plus series. Even animated. Or they could have just put parts of Han's backstory into the Rebels animated series.
The "I love you." "I know." story is one of my all-time favorite movie stories. One of the most classic interactions in cinema history and it was improv. That's a talented actor and a talented director that trusts him. So good.
I remember that the entire theater audience laughed loud and long, at that line!
Feminists hated that scene and they always hated Han Solo. I guess they got their revenge eventually.
@@juniorjames7076 I have never seen a single woman say a single thing about that scene. You're on that persecution narrative.
I wouldn't necessarily say it was because they were talented - even though they were - it was down to two professionals who knew something was wrong with what they were doing and were allowed the freedom to work together to fix it, without the weight of expectations or ulterior motives holding them back.
@@MightyManotaur22 neither have I, sounds like somebody just made up a story with no good reason
25 years ago my parents told me I would come to appreciate _The Empire Strikes Back_ more and more as I got older and by god they were right
Have they said that about any movies of late?
That would be about 1998? That's probably about when Empire Strikes Back became my favourite. It still is.
Did they tell you anything about the Karma Sutra?
Empire is easily the best of the Star Wars films. The machete order takes advantage of this (plus drops Episode I entirey, because it is simply not good and not essential).
I don’t consider the prequels worth watching or even remembering anymore. It’s like In The Heat of the Night, one of my all-time favorite films, had a sequel and nobody cares. It’s utterly forgotten, like it didn’t happen. Like it should be.
“I felt I needed humor, but I couldn’t have gags…”
I cannot express how important that is, not just in Star Wars but in movies at all.
Gags aren't always bad. It depends on the context of the movie. For instance, Austin Powers is full of gags, but that's literally the point and tone of Austin Powers. Putting gags in Star Wars really doesnt fit because Star Wars has a wildly different tone, overall
@@TheLegendOfLame its more about delivery of an idea than anything. In cinema its best if you can show the thing without actually having to show the thing. We can see humor everywhere, few films work to drive humor into the actual plot of the story and set up meaningful comedy rather than just some gag that'll get some chuckles and is irrelevant to the story or is something that could fit in any other movie easily without context or good placement. For every story that someone has come up with, someone else could come up with it inadvertently, what makes the story unique is how you tell it. And as Kershner does, he finds that stories are better told when you portray things indirectly, using metaphors and what not.
@@DeepFriedBeans23819 but my point is you wouldnt put a monty python-esque joke into a numbered Star Wars movie (well, TLJ did but that's kind of my point here). Star Wars films, at least the numbered entries, have a specific tone they are going for. Parody/gag humor completely contradicts that more serious tone. Is that to say Star Wars is never lighthearted? Of course not. But there's a difference between a joke like "Laugh it up, furball" and the yo mama joke Poe apparently makes (we never hear it directly) at the beginning of TLJ.
BUT THERE ARE GAGS
Look at breaking bad. Some of the scenes are absolutely hilarious but in a natural, realistic way that doesn’t tarnish the drama at all
What's not often being talked about is that Lucas literally put everything he had into this movie. After he got so fed up with how Hollywood works and how producers kept meddling in his work, he wanted to have full creative control over Empire. Funding this meant, amongst other things, mortgaging his house, his family's house! He put all the money he made from the first movie into Empire. If it hadn't been a success, he and his family would've been bankrupt and homeless. It was an insane gamble. But it speaks volumes of how confident Lucas was in his movie. And the rest is history.
Yep... $4b later... he sold the farm and now we're all watching it being subdivided and turned into a Walmart and McDonalds...
Quite a large homeless population in SoCal ... I wonder ....
@@johnlarro6872 Well, Empire was obviously before Skywalker Ranch. But I get where you're coming from. It's a shame, really.
I had no idea he financed it himself.
@@sp123 There's a lot of Anti-Lucas propaganda out there. When he wouldn't sell the first time somebody offered, the industry got really mean to Lucas. And then the prequels happened and suddenly Lucas could do no good. Poor guy got roasted for everything. He gave up directing and is chilling now because of the abuse.
Harrison Ford passed his Diplomacy Check like a true professional at the end there.
That was a quote from Spike Milligan in his second WWII book Rommel? Guner Who?
I love that Kirshner doesn't know C3PO's name even after directing the movie. He didn't believe in this bullshit. There's a famous quote from him: "Yoda has a basic philosophy that's very charming. It's not deep, but it's charming. Young people think it's deep. I wish they would read more."
It's quite interesting really. Often directors that doesn't seem to be bothered with the characters will be percieved in a negative light.
Precisely. Nowadays you have directors self-inserting themselves to posit political points.
@@greyngreyer5 yes because movies with political messages only exist after 2012
@@SiamHossain7 Having political themes isn't the same as shoehorning in contemporary politics for the sake of virtue signaling
@@rikiishitoru8885 "Muh lesbian kiss, muh toxic masculinity, muh Force is female!" This is what children (mental midgets and feminists as well) think is "political" nowadays. They shoehorn it in literally everything now.
His line about humor is exactly what Disney didn’t understand when it came to the sequels
Jar Jar. Wanna rethink your hot take?
@@moscanaveia Jar Jar was necessary for the plot
No, that's just one of MANY things they have no clue about. Bottom line is they don't understand Star Wars
@@erikiveberg7711 Jar Jar was the key to all of it. And Jar Jar Abrams did his job well. No originality at all. Perfect cinema.
@@erikiveberg7711 how tf was Jar Jar necessary to the plot? You mean necessary in the same sense that Anakin was necessary...because of some contrived bullshit of the Jedi having to bet on a race to get a ride off planet??
The prequels are riddled with contrivance and childishly arranged nonsense
The Solo/Leia line of "I love you" - "I know" was like something from earlier movies, like Bogart in Casablanca or Gable in Gone With The Wind. Perfect timing, great acting and masterful directing. So subtle, yet says more to the audience than they know. Showing, not telling.
Showing, not telling, is the exact opposite of everything Disney does, and it's why their films are so poor.
@@EugeneOneguine that's for sure. They tell us stuff that 99.9% of the population aren't interested in hearing.
Yes! Well said - this is what modern cinema needs! 💀🔥🎬
I tear up everytine
If it were JJ in lost, the line could be something like "I love you too, freckles."
The "I know" story is my favorite because the depth of their relationship is simply implied, and that's all it needs to be.
Irvin Kershner:
"I felt I needed humor in the picture, and yet I couldn't have gags.
I felt I needed a love story, and I yet I couldn't have a lot of smooching and kissing ... it all had to be more implied" ...
- YES!!!
Exactly, romance in movies just being kissing and them falling onto a bed then cutting is not fucking romance. And the witty quips that EVERY superhero does now an days is stupid, they all have the same character and don't take things seriously. Guess that's part of the reason some people don't like the new Batman, the movie took things seriously and wasn't a CGI fest.
You need some struggle to really excel in life. Kershner was compelled to excel, he was put under pressure and he performed as a director.
@@samwarren6008 It all went downhill after Guardians and Avengers 1 - they were fun on their own, and that's fine, but then everybody else had to take the lazy way out and imitate them instead of doing something new.
This is the biggest problem with modern cinema at large: nothing is subtle anymore. Every aspect of the story is designed to beat you over the head and it’s so grating…
@@HowlingWolf518 It's a tale as old as time tough. Something becomes popular, so everyone else tries to jump on the bandwagon to get in on that sweet cash flow. One or two might be able to hold onto the wagon, but the rest fail and fall off to be left behind on the wayside.
"I felt I needed humor in the picture, and yet I couldn't have gags.
I felt I needed a love story, and yet I couldn't have a lot of smooching and kissing and all that stuff.
And it had to be implied".
-- Irvin Kershner
That's what we need in film.
Someone really needs to give this message to the Marvel directors.
Great limitations make great art.
"I felt I needed humor in there, so i included yo-mama-jokes and threw an iconic lightsaber away"
-Rian "The Hack" Johnson
It’s where we are going with computer effects and Ai art. You just type in some words and the computers do it for you. You say cut. Goto next scene. There is no … it does not feel right etc… computers will do directly from script, a product. By the books, no love or intuition. Mass produced glossy spectacle tied together until the next entertainment comes along.
That's why Hitchcock was so good at horror. The human mind can create more horrific scenes than any director or actor could make.
5:14 “I felt I needed humor, but I couldnt have gags”
“I felt I needed a love story, but I couldnt have alot of smooching and all that stuff.”
Its astonishing how George Lucas basically did the exact opposite for the prequel series. Goes to show that George is fully aware that directing isnt for him, similar to the fact he also knows his dialogue is absymal. He belongs in the editing bay and he knows it.
He famously hated directing. Had all these health problems and being on set for long hours didn't agree with him. He nearly died during the shoot for the first Star Wars. Only directed years later when he decided he wanted full control, then he got to direct from a comfy chair on a sound stage for most of it.
@@the_quadracornHe didn’t want to direct the prequels. He asked everyone, but they all declined. So he decided to do it himself.
@@nomos_lol Did he?? I never heard about that. God damn those movies would have been so much better if he worked with Laurence Kasdan again for the script and got a good director on board and stuck to story outlines and production. That's where his genius lies. In creating foundations. Though thinking back to 1999 I can't think off the top of my head who'd be the most suitable director for the job.
@@the_quadracorn Yeah, he asked Spielberg and others that he had worked with or were friends with in the past to help him, but they declined. Imagine how the view of the different the Prequels would have been if they had said yes to him lol.
Truest comment I’ve read in a long time. Yes, THIS!
A memory ill have til the day i pass from this mortal coil. Its 1977. Its summer and hot as hell but a 5 year old me doesn't care!!! My mom and I are so far back in the line that we literally vant see the theater anymore!! But im as excited as a 5 yr old can be. We've got hours to wait in line still but i cant stand still!! We went and got in line at 6 am. We didnt see the movie until 11 am THE NEXT FRICKEN DAY!! My dad came and set up a tent for us and brought a radio and board games. We had fast food for meals and as good as the movie was....that 30 hrs waiting was the best time i ever had as a child. Unfortunately itd only get much worse from there. But thank you George Lucas!!! Because of you i got the best day with my mom a kid could ever ask for!!
Waiting in line has made for some great memories for me too. It can be a lot of fun spending a day or two with a ton of people who are always passionate about the same thing and excited to get to enjoy it
the directors knew what the story was about
the actors knew what the characters were about
the crew knew what the movie was about
a masterpeice of true artists
I know
exactly
I think this is was something that the old Disney cartoon movies had in common with Star Wars. They had a team of super talented people.
It takes a village to raise a great movie.
To be fair, the crew didn't know what the first Star Wars movie was about when making it. They thought the Storm Troopers looked ridiculous.
But it still work.
-the crew knew what the movie was about- This is not needed on the list.
"Kershner's much taller." is such a Han Solo response! I love Harrison! 😂
It's almost as iconic as "I know".... LOL
"You're shorter than I expected." -- Anakin to George
thats why harrison hates playing him. To much of himself in it.
i know right? Dry, deadpan and just absolutely Harrison :P
@@LeafHasLeft He has too much of his father in him.
The chemistry between Han and Leia in this film is something that is sorely lacking from most love story subplots in films. That "I love you." "I know." exchange was built up by all the tension in previous scenes where it was clear she was warming up to him. She even kissed her not-yet-known brother to make him jealous. I bet Luke and Leia never brought that subject up again in later years lol.
They weren’t siblings at the time. Luke was supposed to find his sister in the next movie.
Finding out that Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher had an affair between the first Star Wars and ESB put that chemistry in perspective. Might not have been as great as it was if it weren't for that
6:28 - 7:55 - This sequence perfectly encapsulates why I fell in love with Star Wars in the first place. It wasn't the vastness of the canon or the SFX, but the fact of it being a fairy tale fantasy story. Something that's familiar but not nostalgic. We don't see this often in modern Star Wars and that sense of fairytale storytelling is more abundant in the OT more than anywhere else in the franchise making it the most beloved of all Star Wars content.
For example. We had that mysterious connection between Rey and Kylo in 7,8,9. But they explained it outright in 9 instead of leaving it as a mystery. And in the phantom menace, we got midicholorians to explain force users instead of it just being something a jedi... felt. The end of number 8 showing a kid using the force was kinda fairy tale/fantasy. I do like 7,8,9 because I feel the acting and directing were good. 1,2,3 left something lacking. 4,5,6 are the best.
@@vincelupo8419 Prequel Trilogy - Great Story, lacked good direction & acting in some parts
Sequel Trilogy - Acting & Directing were good; Story lacked
Original Trilogy - Perfectly Balanced
I really like the music playing in the background. Would love to know what it's called. As far as i got t'not "almost in F" like it states in the credits. AHs anyone got an idea?
Agreed. Another thing that is completely lost in the post-trilogy sequels/prequels is the homages to old Samauri and swashbuckler films. The original Star Wars was a perfect blend of fantasy, swashbucklers, and Samauri filmography...and it's just lost on anything more recent. The same happened with Indiana Jones, a brilliant homage to Film Noir and classic adventure films like Gunga Din, Stagecoach, King Solomon's Mines, etc. By abandoning the homages, these franchises lost the soul of what made them so great in the first place.
I actually really like how he doesn't even try to pretend to know Chewbaccas name to me it shows that he doesn't care about directing *star wars* he cares about directing a *good movie* And while this attitude should not always be taken I think sometimes it's a breath of fresh air.
It's a known fact that fanboys make the worst directors. Obviously as you said you don't necesarily need to disregard the movie completely, but you need to treat it was your work, not some sacred thing.
@@RockoEstalon and everything is trash now. I'd prefer fans of the IP made the movies.
@@WiseOwl_1408 That's the problem nowadays. People who aren't fans write/direct, so they don't respect the source material. But, they also aren't competent at what they do or care more about promoting an agenda then making quality content, so they create low quality, preachy, and haphazard products. Essentially we get the worst of both worlds.
Like the force, you need balance
You need someone who cares
But not someone who cares TOO much
A director that doesnt even know the name of something as major as that is a good thing? I bet you wear a mask alone in your car dont you?? Lol
I personally believe Empire is one of the best movies ever and transcends Star Wars as a whole. I think it can be enjoyed by people who aren’t even Star Wars fans because the character development is superb.
100% yeah. Would’ve loved to have seen what Return of the Jedi would’ve been had Lucas not changed directors again.
I dunno. You can't exactly watch Empire as a standalone (unlike ANH), since it requires the other two to make sense. Otherwise you're just left with a film that has no proper beginning nor end. 🤷♂️
Infact that was the problem for me as it was the first Star Wars film I was shown, and I was just confused all the way through.
Plus they made Threepio a bit too whiny. :P
@@minicle426 you dont need jedi to enjoy empire, just have to watch the original first.
It's not only the best Star Wars movie. It's one of the best movies ever.
@@CinemaStix ROTJ was passed on by many directors, it would’ve been better if George got one of his first choices like Cronenberg or Lynch.
Having been totally blown away as a 10 year old watching SW I can't begin to describe the tension I had going into the theatre to watch ESB when it finally released...I was worried they would ruin it. As it turns out the movie did that rare thing and actually improved on the first. And that twist!!! You just knew it in your bones that Vader was telling the truth about his paternity. Which meant old Ben told a lie...but no, that's not true...that's impossibleI I was so invested in the fantasy.
I wish that would've been the experience for younger generations. But like much of everything else in this world, what we've all been delivered has been progressively worse.
Whats great is Ben doesn't lie.
@@Br4dleyBrown From a certain... point of view
SW was my first movie i went to at around age 7. saw it at a drive in with my mom and dad. my dad hated it. i loved it. it had such a personal thing going on. i was devastated when disney began to ruin what was our childhood adorations and they continue not to relent.
@@utsupinku5997 …yeah. I always thought it was a bit of a stretch, but I went with it.
*George Lucas:* "If the movie is bad, then that's the end of Star Wars"
*Disney:* "If the movie is bad, call the audience racist and make and even crappier sequel"
Good lord, let's pretend this never happened. Shall we???
Yeah, they have no respect for their audience. And that's why their audience is losing its respect for them. Especially when it comes to Star Wars. But I have a feeling that the rot is so deep that they will wither entirely sooner or later.
It doesn't help when racists don't understand film, see a bad movie, and the only thing they can figure out is "well it had someone not white in it, that's different to me, that must be what is wrong".
Like no, dumb-dumbs, the story sucked, or the pacing was back, or the dialogue/characters didn't work, or the cinematography was off. There's so many fundamental flaws a movie can have that ruins it, but you have people who (understandably) don't know the process well enough to diagnose what is wrong... but want to pretend like they do anyway. And sadly, sometimes some of those people are racists too stupid to realize that having a black actor/actress, or a female lead, or someone gay, or whatever, doesn't break a movie just by the merit of them existing at all.
Also let's not quote George like he didn't personally pump out three colossal stinkers in the prequel trilogy.
George Lucas should've stopped at The Phantom Menace then.
The problem with movies like Star Wars becoming such big successes and practically cultural icons, is that they become so much part of us that we forget what made them truly great. We forget that these films were innovative in one way or another; or just take for granted the sense of true fantasy they give.
There is a line in the first (and only imo) Jurassic Park: We've made attractions so astounding that they'll capture the imagination of the entire planet.
Yes. Capture the imagination, hold it hostage and not even give us a ransom note.
After a time, so too do the companies trying to expand upon previous episodes forget that if story and characters come first, profits will come. If you think of profits first, well, you get the last trilogy.
Thats why i think rouge one is such a good film. It takes the astounding world building of the star wars franchise but doesn't try to be a "Starwars" movie. I remember when rouge one came out and everyone kept saying "the new Star Wars Movie" and I would always tell them its not a starwars movie, its a Starwars Story.
@@LeafHasLeft 😖 Please don't say, A STAR WARS STORY.
The Last Jedi was innovative. As a result it was rejected on instinct by most of the community. Star Wars fans don’t want innovation. They want Star Wars to become basically an anime. They’re more interested in power levels, and insane force abilities and stoic characters who are all “badass” whether or not it actually serves the story being told.
This was... considerably better than the average video essay I see on UA-cam these days. I really appreciate how you don't feel the need to rant over the source material constantly, instead preferring to edit it together in a clever way to let it tell its own story naturally, but still recording lines to help ease the transitions. Excellent work! You've earned my subscription.
And yeah, Empire is the best Star Wars film and it's just *so, so, so* good.
Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed the format of the video. It was a bit of an experiment. But I really enjoyed putting it together.
It sure is great. If there are other great movies you want to see covered though, feel free to let me know :)
-Danny
@@CinemaStix Yes, this is how video essays can really work. Very professional. Keep it up!
Y’all are very kind. My goal is essays that are informative of technique and filmmaking intent, and less opinion or searching for themes/meaning in the art (also valid obviously). So I guess I’m just glad that’s something people are interested in seeing.
@@CinemaStix buddy I think people like you should be taken outback and put down.
Glad to see I’m not alone. This video was not only a joy to watch, but I also looked away from my phone and it felt like I was listening to some high quality radio program like Radiolab. Just excellent stuff all around
That prop guy was like, "Hold on, let me cook."
I was watching an old 'Every Frame a Painting' and got taken here - and it took me till the end to realise this is from 2022! This is my first CinemaStix, and I look forward to many more. It's nice to know people are still making good, insightful, _funny_ video essays on UA-cam somewhere.
I’m so, so glad you enjoyed it! I’ve got a bunch of stuff on the channel, but Star Wars-wise, I just released a new video yesterday on John Williams contributions. Might find it interesting. But in any case, much more to come!
:)
-Danny
@@CinemaStix Aw, thanks! This makes me really glad that I took a few minutes to properly word my appreciation. Looking forward to great things! :D
It's a terrible name for a great essay. I think the name of this video isn't relevant enough to the content of the video.
I really like his style of naming videos. It's unconventional in the typical youtube sense, but I think it compliments his overall style really well.
@@vincelupo8419 I agree. Total clickbait title.
i felt so much heart for the movie during these 8 and a half minutes... it's indescribable
:)
Saammee
George himself said he felt Kershner had been underated and overlooked by the industry.
He certainly did the best he could with Robocop 2.
Yeah. I mean he was barely a director before Empire. Mostly a teacher. But just the right guy for the job I guess.
And yet George needed to reshoot and re-edit the film himself.
@@user-xx6vy9ri8p the egomaniac felt the need to, he didn't NEED to.
EDIT : star wars fans (derogatory)
@@GrogSothoth You have seen Kershner's cut or what?
@@user-xx6vy9ri8p Has anyone besides those who edited it? Lmao even if its watchable and I had, doesn't change the fact that Lucas is a very very well known egomaniac and when left unchecked does pretty bad stuff film making wise.
I saw EMPIRE on opening night, and I wish I could share that experience with everyone.
The PLEASURE the teenaged me and the sold out audience around me were experiencing for two hours has never been repeated for me.
And how could it for anyone? Experiencing great works for the first time is one thing, but actually being there when the greatness is new and relevant to the culture (and its collective sense of reality) while simultaneously hitting one's own senses for the first time is a rare.
It's like the difference between stumbling upon a magnificent creature in the wild vs seeing one at the zoo. Seeing these awesome and artful masterpieces of entertainment in their native environment and feeling the impact it leaves over time is a thing of astonishment itself.
Some part of me wishes I could have experienced Alien in that way, but I wasn't born until '85.
Imagine being surrounded by hundreds of nerds. No thanks.
I can't imagine living in such utter deprivation that watching Star Wars or Superman could be such a magical experience.... 😢 If I'm ever sent back to the 80s, I may actually just touch grass or get back into drugs.
Man at 6:30 following the next 15 seconds or so and comparing the scenes in Empire to the scenes in the new movies is incredible. You can really feel the Empire scenes as being real, as if they really exist somewhere, while the new ones look like impressive CGI. Even impressive CGI rings hollow in comparison.
I got chills when George said he wouldn’t make any more Star Wars movies if the sequel failed, I couldn’t imagine a world without it
That line really got to me as well.
Although I wonder what films he might have made instead if he'd been forced to be done with Star Wars.
I imagine an alternate universe where Star Wars tanked and is forgotten today.
I kinda wished he stopped after Return of the Jedi. It would’ve remained universally loved that way, instead of the polarized mess it is now.
Oh man, I certainly could. I would have been thrilled with a World that only had the first few movies and not the yearly release of capeshit, theme parks and just over saturation.
Dont get me wrong I am ok with a nice Thrawn novel and KOTOR game every few years but what we have today has made me and countless others unable to even enjoy the first films we once loved
This might be one of the most beautiful and poetic dissections of why a movie can work and it's all done in less than 9 minutes
Your comment really means a lot, truly. Because I’ve gathered that this way of presenting things is not for everyone. So I’m glad there are folks who enjoyed it.
-Danny
Like many star wars fans, I will always consider ESB to be the best film in the entire star wars franchise. It's cinematic perfection.
The space battle in ROTJ is the best thing in all of sci-fi, ever. But from a critic's perspective, yes, ESB is better.
@@bradthompson5383 It is a pretty good battle, but I guess it all comes down to personal preference. I like star wars, but it's not my favorite sci-fi franchise of all time, so I couldn't agree that any single moment in stars wars films is the greatest moment in all of sci-fi.
@@bradthompson5383 Star Wars has magic in it, so calling is sci-fi is a bit of a stretch. It's science fantasy at best. Space Opera. By the time we get to ROTJ, we not only have magic, we have plotlines straight our of daytime soaps like Days Of Our Lives; the hero and the princess who kissed, only to discover they are brother and sister, children of evil villain, who becomes a christian at the last moment, and has all of his sins forgiven, such as the cold blooded murder of children, and the genocide of entire sentient species.
Don't get me wrong, I love Star Wars, but it really isn't science fiction, in the true sense...
That is a good space battle though!
Star Wars = _space fantasy_ 🎥
@@philsurteesStar Wars does not have "space battles"... It has WWII naval battles "in spaaaaace". Except the Death Star trench run, that was WWII RAF, not navy ;)
Star Was is best when it is telling an unoriginal classic fantasy story in a cool setting. That's fine... Retelling myths and fables is as old as humanity.
That story of the prop guy making C3PO work is the perfect engineering story. Assess problem, see what you have available, test solution, fix problem. It takes a lot of talent, and skill to use tools in ways they were never intended and have it do a better job than a very expensive tool purpose built to the task.
Kirschner was Lucas’s teacher in film school. He actually worked in the old golden age Hollywood era that Lucas references in the Star Wars movies, so I think he (and possibly he alone) knew the difference between SW, which was originally a little more light-hearted and somewhat campy, and the classic masterpiece movies being referenced.
Very cool fact!!
Was Kirschner the one who brought in Leigh Brackett, the Queen of Space Opera, to write the first draft?
@@wtk6069 Lucas brought her in. She finished one draft, then passed away, so Lucas has to do the second draft himself.
Master and apprentice
Probably should have mentioned that George left the directors guild after Star wars. He "couldn't direct /union rules" Empire, so he sought out someone that could. Many directors wouldn't work with him at that time. After empire the problems with the guild were somewhat resolved allowing him to direct the rest.
Yeah, there are a few details like that I wish I’d included. But I doubt this will be the last video I make on him or this movie, so I’ll try to mention it next time. Originally this video was quite a bit longer and included much more of George’s voice. But I decided to focus it more entirely on Kershner in the end.
Lucas left the Director's Guild DURING production on Empire as a result of a disagreement over the placement of Kershner's name at the end of the film instead of the beginning. Lucas's decision not to direct Empire had nothing to do with his membership in the Guild, nor did his decision to direct subsequent entries.
Fun Fact: The word "Ewok" is not mentioned in any Star Wars film. They are referred to as a "primitive species". It was invented for marketing purposes to sell them as toys. The word "Ewok" itself is a reverse of the word "Wookie", because the forest moon of Endor was originally intended to be populated with Wookies.
And, calling it "the forest moon of Endor" confused people. Is the moon named Endor? Is the planet it orbits around called Endor?
Endor refers to that entire solar system, which is a very simple solar system that consists of only one star, one planet, and one moon. Because of this, each celestial body was not individually named. So, just using the word "moon" in that solar system can only refer to one object.
@@ChicagoFaucet.etc. Actually Endor System has 2 suns Endor I and Endor II, the gas planet Endor and 9 moons that orbit it
Bruh! Ewok's reverse is Kowe. Basic grammar.
@Maverick and Merciless "Ewok" seems more similar to a form of portmanteau or remixed sounds of "wookie," where a new word is created by remixing another word or group of words. You see this all the time in fiction : (Harry Potter) Tom Marvolo Riddle=I am Lord Voldemort, for example.
@@ShapelessHail I see your point. Still not a reverse. In Voldemort's case, it's an anagram. I doubt the word Wookie is even long enough to even have an anagram. Again, still not the reverse.
I feel sad for not being able to appreciate these works of art at the time they were made, but I thank God for being able to appreciate them at any time.
Just remember, Han shot first, no matter how much George wants to recon it!
LORD willing.
That section where Kershner and Hamill talk about how Star Wars is more of a fairy tale than science fiction - I couldn't really put to words what I feel is so painfully absent from most Star Wars media nowadays, but that's precisely it. The need to adhere to a strict internal logic as Kershner was describing, I see that thinking endemic across so many modern-day Star Wars fans, and in my opinion, the exhaustion that many people have with Star Wars properties is due to this type of audience being catered to in recent years, at the exclusion of what enabled the franchise to appeal to so many different groups of people. The most sublime aspects of this franchise have always been emergent when it's leaned into its fantastical elements, and it's wild to me that the cast and crew KNEW that while making Empire, but somewhere along the line, Star Wars creators chose not to emphasize/center this or were not allowed to. It makes me kinda sad to think about if Star Wars continued in this direction more often, how much better things could be.
While I definitely agree Star Wars has lost its fantastical atmosphere, I’d contend that empire has far more internal logic and consistency than any future Star Wars film, especially the sequels
Medi fricken chlorians.
@@stevecarter8810 midichlorians make perfect sense, theyre just a boring and unneccasary explanation of something we had already accepted.
"there is magic and you can use it, luke." sweet. Luke can use magic. thats all we needed.
@@jamham69 yes that's my point. The force was a great metaphor for how it feels to be calm and centered vs allowing your impulses to guide you. Then by the nineties we seem to need it to be nanobots or something. We're not content with mystery. Same with the scale of the prequels they reduced the jedi in time scale and number by showing them onscreen.
Meh, if anything the more common complaint is the opposite. Endless, endless video essays have been written about why X or Y thing in The Last Jedi violates the strict internal sci-fi logic of Star Wars as established by some old reference book or novel. For me, it's been a breath of fresh air for the franchise to move back towards surrealism, fantasy and adventure. Things like the loth-wolves and the world between worlds in Rebels or Yoda's journey in TCW Season 6 are as easily the most mystical the Force has been since George decided to invent midichlorians back in 1999. If someone feels the new material is too science-fictiony and non-fantastical compared to the older stuff, they'd be terrified to discover things like the old X-Wing novels or Essential Guide reference books!
A guy in a youtube comment section once said "The empire strikes back is why people tell you to watch star wars." I doubt truer words have ever been spoken when referring to star wars. The only time the franchise has come even close to capturing that peak was episode 3 through its story in my opinion.
For me it’s empire and revenge of the sith so your right
Empire is a lovely, magical film. Nothing that came afterwards was anywhere near as good.
Agreed. Both had great characters and incredible worldbuilding.
I agree. The best highlights of the saga are Empire and Episode 3. I don't care what OT purists think about the prequels, the second half of Episode 3 is dark, dramatic, well written, and sets the galaxy up for A New Hope.
Episode 3 is my favourite
Hearing Harrison's answer after all of that, that's a strong message to end on.
People hate on Lucas, but without Lucas, starwars wouldn't exist, I will defend the prequels, clone wars, and never watch Disney starwars.
The prequels suck it’s ok
@@MikehMike01aotc was a pretty fun albeit poorly written movie and rots was a masterpiece, only movie that truly sucked imo was tpm
@@MikehMike01 they're not the greatest movies ever, though Revenge of the Sith is one of my all time favorite movies and that's a hill I will die on. But at least they greatly expanded the universe and were part of the vision from the start. They tied up the Skywalker saga by showing us how Anakin became Darth Vader and how the Republic became the Empire. What did the sequels do besides making Disney buttloads of money? Erase Vader's entire life and ultimate sacrifice by "somehow Palpatine returned" not to mention all of the pre-existing lore that was discarded to make way for the new stuff.
i understand, the last three are whack. but watch rogue one. If you feel enything for star wars, you'll have goosebumps at the end.
Disney has ruined the future of a once great legacy. Walt must be turning in his grave.
Empire is still an incredible movie. Every scene has an effect shot and every scene moves the story forward, like frames in a comic strip. It set a very high standard in every way.
This will be controversial, but the Last Jedi had the best cinematography for all the movies, however style wise it was too epic for the Skywalker Saga. It was shot like what I hope an eventual KOTOR series should be shot. Every scene a living epic painting of great scale.
@@granatmof cinematography counts for nothing when the substance is garbage.
@@granatmof rogue one would like a word
@@granatmof False. Rogue One is better.
@@HermeticWorlds l Let's be honest, they're not.. at least the prequels had imagination and originality... and great set design, character design, great wadrobe and great musical scores.. idk what you're on about..the sequels had none of this
You can definitely tell this video is made by a film fan. amazing editing, pacing and research. great video.
:) Always a fan.
-Danny
Agreed. Well done.
Thank you for pointing out the reason (which I never realized previously) why I love the original star wars so much!
It it a fairy tale!
It connects so well with typical story archetypes but without being too much.
"I felt I needed a love story...it had to be all more implied." 5:24 look at the machinery to the left of the screen in foreground but out of focus. You see a piston moving back and forth. The subtext is right there. That's the brilliance of Kirshner.
It makes me sad that some people can't see this movie as the wonder it is. They choose to call it nonsense or on the reverse outdated. I just see it as a movie to get pulled into and taken on a journey. Something magical.
Who the hell is saying those things? I'm not seeing or hearing anybody say this! TESB is considered one of the greatest sequels and if not one of the best movies ever made.
@@tulinfirenze1990 Some people are saying it doesn't matter if the new films/TV shows are bad the original movies were bad too.
Most of us can’t see this movie and the wonder it is. Lucas made sure only his Frankenstein version is available.
No one says these things about ESB. If anything it's ROTJ that gets the bulk of the original trilogy's criticism.
@@tulinfirenze1990 I hear it, mostly with younger people. Zoomers who won't watch a movie if it's not 4k.
That was very nice. Most Video essays feel super drawn out, over the top "deep" or emotional while this was super well edited and fast paced. You knew what you wanted to say and you knew how to get there so you did. Ill watch the carrier of your channel with great interest form now on
Thank you! I can’t say there isn’t an emotional element to a lot of my other videos, but I definitely try my best not to draw things out unnecessarily :)
Thanks for watching.
-Danny
So this video is a lot like Empire Strikes Back itself.
@@murray9807 deep
Every scene of TESB is a thoughtfully and cleverly crafted nugget for the viewer to fully experience, leading to the next carefully crafted nugget. Nothing is telegraphed or simplistically spoon-fed to the audience... you are along for the ride, and you never know what is happening next. Story-telling perfection! Somewhere along the way, the art of storytelling has been lost, and it's a tragic shame that it hasn't kept up with the advancement of VFX.
im a huge fan of the way you turn interviews other people have had or speeches other people have given into a dialogue with yourself by splicing yourself in between their words. its a really good way to add somebody else's perspective in to your videos without falling into the trap of your video essay being "hey lets sit & watch someone elses interview for a while and then i talk about it". excellent work
Of COURSE Han doesn't say "I love you" back.
He's been saying it all along.
I have a corny old theory that that moment is the hub around which the entire original trilogy pivots.
That moment gives us the greatest burst of the very thing we came to star wars for.
Stark enormous variegated universe with human, all too human people in it.
People surrounded by technology in an outlandishly elaborate reality, but not horse-whipped by that technology.
The Han / Leia moment was so human we were momentarily dizzied by it.
You don't realize until after "I know" that the whole movie has been rising to that moment, and that the rest of the movie somehow falls away from it.
In my opinion, so does the whole 6-hour trilogy.
Great comment, great take.
So true. For me the binary subset in a new hope is that moment for me in that movie.
I would say that all 6 films by Lucas are entirely built on those key "family moments". In fact, each movie tends to have two main ones that tie the story together:
EP1: Anakin leaving his mom behind and Qui-Gon Dying in Obi-Wan's arms.
Ep2: Anakin reuiniting with Padme and later finding out about the death of his mom.
EP3: Anakin having dreams of Padme's death, and later having the confrontation with both her and Obi-Wan on Mustafar
EP4: Luke's aunt and uncle dying, and later Obi-Wan meeting Vader and dying on the death star
EP5: Han and Leia confessing their love and Luke confronting Vader
EP6: Luke and Leia saving Han on Tatooine and the final confrontation during which Vader becomes Anakin again and saves Luke by killing both himself and Palpatine.
Except Han never said "I love you" back, not even as originally written. Han's response in the script was "Just remember that, ’cause I’ll be back." And the new line wasn't a sudden improvisation by Ford. Ford and Kershner weren't satisfied with the line as written and so they worked out the "I know" line in between takes, after an extensive conversation.
Everything that happened on set that day happened, by a stroke of historical luck, to have been recorded, because Kershner was wearing a wireless mic connected to a tape recorder. The transcript is reproduced in The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by J.W. Rinzler. The version of the story told by Ford and Kershner is the result of embellishment or memories changing over the years.
Not even Rhett and Scarlett used that silly exchange
We honestly need more movies that are just pure fantasy
Hard to get these days
Without the woke garbage
@@earthsurgery1237 woke woke woke
@@earthsurgery1237 IKR, like when Leia fought and wasn’t just a damsel in distress. That was so “woke.” And when they cast Sigourney Weaver in a role written for a man in the “Alien” franchise. Totally “woke.”
@@gregbors8364 mate not everyone in the world is thrilled to be shoved current american politics into their throats , unless you havent watched mainstream movies in the last 5 years , theres no reason to satirize it and dumb it down to 'damsel in distress' , current entertainment industry is filled with activists and thats no secret , as they announce their intentions online for the world to see in their interviews/tweets , regardless where people stand politically , that is the current state of hollywood and that is what people call "woke"
Danny I just want to say how much I enjoy these videos you make. They are more like an NPR piece but with visual accompaniment than a typical UA-cam video essay. Keep up the good work sir 🫡
Thanks. This really let me see the shots, hear the voices, and reminded me what really made the originals great. The perfect shots, lines and architecture, the vivid and varied colors, and especially the practical effects. Computer generated keyframed animations just can't imitate any of that. Excellent.
ESB had a great opening sequence. "Imperial troops have entered the base. Imperial troops have entered..." For some reason just hearing that and not seeing it was so cool to me as a kid.
Didn’t even realize i felt the same as a kid til i read your comment
The sound cutting out conveyed the threat. Brilliant. I always loved this as well -- it was always my line on the playground.
Yup, that audio about imperial troops entering the base works so well because it alludes to the opening scene of Star Wars IV of storm troopers bursting into Leia's ship, defeating the defending troops and taking control so quickly. Our minds either consciously or subconsciously create a scene in our heads much more effectively than any cgi could ever do.
It’s all these subtle things that make empire great. Everything down to the sound effects. The sound of the cryo freeze.. I remember as a kid being truly terrified for Luke meeting Vader.
There aren’t enough good things I can say about empire. Just the perfect movie. Magic.
That struck a chord with me too as a youngster. The threat (as identified by another commenter) became real, there was a sense of menace. It was a subtle audio cue that invested the viewer. The battle of Hoth in the opening act remains one of my favourite cinema openings.
Was i the only one hoping this video could last at least an hour more?I loved and enjoyed the way you processed it and presented it. May the force be with you!!!
And also with you! That’s very kind of you. Had the video been an hour long it probably would’ve taken me three months to edit, but I’m very glad you enjoyed it. I’ll definitely have more stuff in this format in the future :)
-Danny
I want to thank all the young people who have come to understand this. I was 6 when I saw ESB in the theater. We were the last generation raised on unambiguously good film - if you saw something and it was bad, nobody re-played it, and you probably never saw it again until 25 years later when the internet made it possible, and then you just realized you weren't missing anything.
But we knew - even 6 year olds knew - that this wasn't a kids movie. We could tell even at that age that there was something special about it. And I'm glad other generations are figuring it out too.
Strangely enough, memes propagating bad film into being remembered results in strange consequences, like the SW prequal trilogy nostalgically enjoyed despite their dreadful acting. In some ways people know more about the bad than the good, because trashing on bad doesn't have to be nuanced or reasoned, it can just be a cathartic abusing.
This still may be your best video. The cadence of essay-to-sound bite embodies the hypothesis, and the hypothesis is relatable in the real world. Do what you’re good at, and help others do what they’re good at.
The original is amazing, and Jedi has its moments but Empire is where it peaks
Star Wars is good. Empire is great. Everything else is mediocre at best
@@trequor stop being 40
@@Replica_Films2000 start having taste
@@Replica_Films2000 I am barely old enough to remember Phantom Menace coming out. I loved Attack of the Clones when it first came out. But now i am an adult and i have to be objective
@@Replica_Films2000 You’ll be told to stop being 40 when the prequels get outdated and sequel fans act like those are misunderstood masterpieces too in the future. The truth is both the sequels and prequels are just not indicative of Star Wars in any way shape or form. The truth may hurt and it’s usually blunt. Lightning in a bottle could not be repeated in 1999 and all of the following years after. They simply misunderstand that Star Wars is a fantasy picture. And I mean literally fantasy. Those original three completely owned that identity and weren’t their own over saturated genre like today.
ESB makes me a little melancholic; the movie is the height of what Star wars could be and still remains the peak.
There is a true dramatic tension when Luke is heading off to Bespin when we know he’s not ready- The prequels lack tension and seem to follow their own fever dream logic, while the sequels feel like milking a cash cow franchise…
Yeah. Sort of where I was going with the title. The fact that the future of Star Wars rested on Empire meant it had to be good. But then it was so good that it could only go downhill from there. The success of a good movie meant the inevitable creation of everything else. Classic franchise tragedy. Can’t have one without the other.
Bit of an exaggeration. 🤷♂️
Nailed it
More than a bit of an exaggeration. Kotor 1 & 2 are as good as ESB at the very least in the same tier.
@@Connor8609 KOTOR are great games, but they dont compare, not least becasue theyre a different medium. In a film, the only concern is the story being presented properly and effectively through a visual medium, whereas a game also has to provide great gameplay, and has to make sure the gameplay enhances the story telling.
Im not sure KOTOR is better for being games, instead of a pair of high quality films. that said, they are truly excellent, and remain fan favourites for a good reason.
Best video on Star Wars I've seen in so long I don't even know.....
Those first three films were magic. This took me back.
Thank you!
:)
Maaan, the editing on this video is masterful. Amazing. Also great content, and I love the use of behind the scenes stuff.
:D
I found the incessant interruptions absolutely terrible, though I generally like this channel.
giving me strong radio lab vibes. excellent video
The Clone Wars, Revenge of The Sith and Empire Strikes Back are some of my favourite pieces of Star Wars content.
Exactly the same here. Although I'm assuming you mean the Clone Wars show, not the movie
same here
@@thebige4113 Of course, the movie is pretty bad outside of the opening 20 minutes on Christophsis.
@@thebige4113 That would be “attack of the clones”
@@talion4033 I thought it was the last Jedi
Listening to Kirshner describe SW as a fantasy, and the need for an implied love story made me realise probably 20 years too late that POTC is Star Wars on the ocean. It replicates the formula down to details. A charming rogue, a princess, an boy who wants an adventure.
POTC would be if Star Wars suddenly sidelined Luke because of Han's popularity 😆
What is potc?
@@antidoteify Pirates of the Caribbean. Google is your friend.
@@amaryllis0 thanks, you are eight, I' m lazy. Then I'm not American and all the word short Cuts are a bit too abstract.
@@antidoteify don't be too worried, it took me a few moments kicking words around in my head, before I realized that the author of the comment had jumped franchises. Of course, once I got it... I got it! 😊
this is a high quality content for which I love this platform and it's creators, thank you ❤
I’ve seen a lot of Star Wars video essays and this one truly captures what makes ESB special in such a profound way. The editing is on point and the interplay between your narration and Kershner’s comments is on point. Well done.
That’s very kind of you to say. The editing style seems to be divisive amongst viewers. But I enjoyed the process. So, no regrets here. Really happy you enjoyed it :)
-Danny
@@CinemaStix I would say most people would like it. Its clever and also shows you have a bit of experience. Keep honing your craft
Irvin Kershner made the greatest movie ever. He had help but without him it doesn't happen
I adore the original Trilogy, the sparse but poignant dialog, the luscious visuals painstakingly crafted from hand and new technology never seen before on film. John William's music elevated the movies to mythical stature and my heroes and role models were Luke, Han and Leia.
I met Colin Cantwell and he signed my TIE fighter.
The montage that started at 6:28 including the commentary and the music is just fantastic. I got goosebumps from it. And it made me subscribe to this channel.
Thank you for this great work!
Looking forward to everything that is to come.
The lower case titles, the editing, the voice over.
I love it all.
:)
This video is an art piece by itself. But seeing that so many things on EST were improvised and yet made Empire the most remembered Star Wars movie of all time is just phenomenal. I'm blown away.
:) That’s very kind. But yeah! Just pure magic that it all came together exactly as it did. Yeesh. Once in a lifetime.
This was very well done and edited. Earned a sub!
Your editing is just impeccable. Many creative choices. I've been binging it non stop since I found your channel
:)
Empire will always hold a special place in cinema for one of the greatest sequels ever made.
It was my favorite in the trilogy
This video feels like an extended cut of "Empire of Dreams", the Star Wars length behind the scenes movie of Star Wars. In other words, exactly what I wanted.
:)
Wow, it surprised me how interesting this documentary was. The algorithm recommended it. Well done.
I wasn’t expecting much from this video essay but it was fantastic and to the point. Bravo
:)
I'm consistently shocked that people need to be convinced that Star Wars is not science fiction.
It’s space opera. Or space fantasy. Just because a setting has space ships, FTL travel, aliens, robots and lasers does not make a film science fiction. Those are merely trappings. There’s no deep (or even shallow) dive into how hyperdrives allow interstellar travel, why droids aren’t considered sentient, or how the various different diverse life forms in the Galaxy actually are able to visit so many different worlds without EVA suits. Blasters work just like guns except they also have a stun setting that is almost never used, lightsabers are just really really sharp swords that cauterize wounds, and the Force is magic that is practiced by space wizards. It’s fantasy, it has real characters (something hard SciFi generally lacks), it tells a story, it does not try to explain a scientific concept or answer any scientific questions. If Star Wars is sci fi then LOTR is too.
You'd be hard pressed to be convinced of that of you listen to some fans. They're whinging about that hyperspace ram scene in TLJ to this day because it breaks their science
@@russellharrell2747 space operas and space fantasy are considered sub genres of science fiction by Hollywood thanks to the success of Star Wars, although it's technically more accurate to say they are a space set sub-genre of fantasy. Lord of the rings lacks the "in space" setting so it shares no connection with sci fi but like Star Wars its a high fantasy (although Tolkien described it as alternate myth/history).
@@moscanaveia No, they're irritated at it because it breaks the *worldbuilding.* Consistency in worldbuilding is something that's just as important in fantasy as in sci fi--JRR Tolkien's legenderium, for example, is one of the most intricately crafted fictional worlds ever created to this day.
A movie can be more than one genre you know... People have this weird idea that nothing can be sci-fi unless it's super focused on making highly accurate science -- that's *hard* sci-fi. "Science fiction" only refers to the technologically advanced setting. You can make just about any kind of movie in a futuristic setting.
This is such a great video 🥰 it’s easy to forget how the original Star Wars trilogy changed everything about movies, and what an amazing experience they were at the time
Truly. Star Wars is still mega-successful. But when it started it wasn’t only that. It was the first of its kind. And that’s something really special.
Thanks for watching!
-Danny
I've watched like ten of your videos in a row. fantastic. interesting, short, well edited, insightful, educational.
The story of the fishing rod is so inspiring.
Like the key to innovation isn't time and money, it's the lack of it.
You're still overcomplicating it. "Necessity is the mother of invention." Not poverty.
@@aluisious I don't think he was overcomplicating it, but what he said was inaccurate. The way you put it is indeed much more relevant.
I was 17 just left high school and saw this movie.
Still the best teaching, father son, betrayal, love story all in one! No wonder why so many love it.
This is probably my favourite video essay to date. I never knew what was so magical about the old star wars films but you explained perfectly what made them so captivating. Thanks :)
Thank YOU. That’s tremendously gracious of you to say. They really are something special. But I think takes someone like Kershner to really explain what it is. What a lucky thing we’ve gotten.
-Danny
Ive been binging the hell outta your stuff. Please dont stop.
Much love
-chris-
Good timing, if you enjoyed this video. I’ve got another Star Wars one out tomorrow.
Definitely not gonna stop any time soon :)
-Danny
@@CinemaStix My man. Hell yeah I'm looking forward to it
2:45 to 5:00 best parts of the video. Wisdom from a genius who loves filming. "Improvisation, you cant be thrown by these things, you have to assume you can make it work". So good. A hundred thousand dollar plan and a fishing line is what works the best lol. Brilliant. I love how much time he takes to make it all happen. You cant half ass shit in life you gotta take the time to make it perfect that's how you make greatness. Thanks for the video!
'Science Fantasy' is the term I've always used. I've been telling my friends for DECADES "Star Wars is NOT Science Fiction." For precisely the reasons that Mr. Kershner describes.
So nice to learn that the director of my favorite Star Wars film of all time thought the same about it.
-Science Fantasy-
Space Opera
Knowing your characters. That’s what so much of it boils down to, and it’s where Disney whiffed the hardest with the sequels.
Which is silly given that by that point these were some of the most fleshed out characters in literature. Unlike in 1980 when everyone involved was still figuring this stuff out.
@@CinemaStix Yeah, it just shouldn’t be that hard. Luke’s a noble soul, not a bitter failure. Leia is tough, but she wasn’t a military general. And Han may be a scoundrel, but he’s the guy who came back at the end of A New Hope, not the guy who runs away from his family. Characters can grow or develop, but they were too interested in showing us how the years had changed everyone rather than naturally extending their existing stories into new adventures and situations.
And Lucas with the prequels. lol
"knowing your characters" if I'm wrong, please let me know, but i'm pretty sure siblings making out is the exact opposite of knowing your characters?
I would say that authors and filmmakers have the unfair advantage of knowing much more than their characters know, but they still have to know how those characters will behave with the information they do have.
It's sad to see that movies nowadays never live up to the classics like empire.
The more I learn about Empire the more I find out it was held together by duct tape, fishing line, and dreams.
"Improvisation, you can't be thrown by these things; you have to assume you can make it work" ... that's a line to remember.
A staggering achievement with the greatest reveal in the history of Cinema.
You really revitalized my love for the original trilogy friend. You are awesome. This was awesome. Thank you.
If they ever do a dramatization of the making of Star Wars, they need to get Ray Romano to play Irvin Kershner.
I really love this style of editing! It's fresh, fun and engaging, and this was a very interesting video even for someone who's just a casual Star Wars viewer myself
I’m so glad to hear that! I’ll have some more stuff in this format coming in the future, mixed with some more traditional stuff.
-Danny
George Lucas is cool. But god damn the director Irvin Kershner, the prop guys, etc. were the MVPs.
Word
You should read the ESB wikipedia and watch the new ILM documentary series, and then you'll have a more informed take on how ESB was made, and how Lucas got the best out of the "MVPs"
Yeah… for the anecdotes about 3P0’s arm and the “I know” line. They’re great, but while Kershner was working with the actors George was orchestrating a massively complicated production to bring his story to life.
@@LordJagd I agree with you. I didn't mean to take away Lucas' works.
This was my introduction to the channel just now and I slammed the subscribe button less than a minute into this. What fantastic content.
That’s amazing! I hope you’ll enjoy what else I’ve got on here, too. And I’ve got new stuff up most Saturdays.
Welcome aboard!
-Danny
"you cant b thrown by these things. you have to assume you can make it work" Followed up with yoda gave me chills