Their Heads in the Clouds
Threepio, Artoo, Luke & Leia contemplate their fate at the conclusion of ‘Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)
The Millennium Falcon follows the trash dump to freedom (along with the unseen bounty hunter, Boba Fett, hot on its intergalactic trail). Meanwhile, Luke is doing much better in the control department by staying calm and collected. But in the midst of his Jedi training with Master Yoda, which involves levitating rocks and such (even Artoo), Luke has an eerie vision of a city in the clouds, with Han and Leia in trouble. He can see into their future, and it’s not a pretty one.
To save his friends from further suffering and harm, Luke decides to leave Yoda’s training camp. Yoda counsels against interrupting his lessons, but Luke is determined to help his friends. As he makes this decision, the Millennium Falcon approaches the Cloud City. Han Solo expects a safe port of call and some kind of warm welcome from his old gambling partner, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). There are extra added FX shots inserted here, which are good for what they are: extra added effects.
The slick and debonair Lando (“old Smoothie,” as Han describes him) indeed welcomes Solo and his cohorts to his turf. He extends a courteous hand to Princess Leia and offers to help them and their ship (which used to be HIS ship, by the way). Assured of his cooperation, the band enters the premises under Lando’s protection.
Threepio lands himself in hot water almost immediately by meddling where he should not. His usual habit of poking his metallic nose where it doesn’t need to go gets the better of him, however, as C-3PO has his head and arm blown off in the bargain (he “thought” he had heard an R2 unit in there…).
Back on Dagobah, Luke is preparing to depart on his X-wing fighter with Artoo. A vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi appears to him and Yoda, warning young Luke of the Dark Side’s power. Despite Old Ben and Yoda’s admonitions and predictions of disaster (“This is a dangerous time for you” and “If you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil”), the headstrong youngster takes off after his friends.
Obi-Wan (Alec Guinness) exchanges thoughts with Master Yoda (voiced by puppeteer Frank Oz)
“That boy is our last hope,” sighs Obi-Wan forlornly, as his form slowly fades away in the background.
“No, there is another…” is the garbled response. This phrase is cryptically intoned by Master Yoda, a foretaste of what is to come. (In the Loew’s Astor Plaza Theater where I first saw the picture, this casual aside left most of the viewers baffled. Others with more insight speculated among themselves as to what Yoda meant. As for myself, I had trouble just understanding what the hell the little toad had muttered to himself.)
Back at Cloud City (amidst another round of superfluous FX shots), Leia is pacing back and forth in her quarters. She voices concern about the missing C-3PO to Han. Chewie, for his part, has gone in search of the unruly robotic butler. He finds the overly curious droid in a junk room, spread out in pieces as the furry star pilot attempts to put him back together.
In the ensuing scene, Lando invites the trio to dine with him, sans the physically discombobulated Threepio of course. Unfortunately, “old smoothie” leads our hearty crew members straight into the gloved hands of Lord Vader himself, thanks to Boba Fett’s relentless tracking of their whereabouts.
Luke and Artoo are on their way at last! But as Chewbacca wails and carries on in the prison cell, Han is painfully tortured (vide the unearthly electronic sounds that fill the room, sounds that will kindle unkind memories of Leia’s own torture in Episode IV). To occupy himself, Chewie tries to rebuild Threepio. He can’t make heads or tails out of the mess, a veritable Leggo set of spare parts and bolts.
And what about poor Han? Forever suffering the torments of hell, that’s what! Everything hurts, which will be another of those running gags with actor Harrison Ford in the upcoming Indiana Jones series (produced by George Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg). In just about every subsequent feature after Empire, Harrison will be battered about, poked, punched, pulverized and beaten to the ground. It’s a miracle the actor can survive these ordeals. Perhaps being frozen in carbonite isn’t such a bad idea after all. At least he’ll be protected from the elements (and from physical abuse).
Han (Harrison Ford) feels awful after being tortured; Chewie (Peter Mayhew) gives him a helping hand
Luke’s X-wing fighter ship now approaches. There’s a quick wipe to Lord Vader outside the holding chamber. Vader orders that Leia and the Wookiee are to remain in Cloud City, to which Lando strongly objects. Vader cuts him off with a curt “Perhaps you think you’re being treated unfairly.” Agreeing to Vader’s terms (!), Lando mutters under his breath that the deal he’s made with the Empire gets worse as time goes by. Oh, yeah!
Han is returned to the holding chamber in worse shape than when he left it. While Leia soothes his poor aching head, Lando returns to his “friends” and informs them that Han is to be turned over to the bounty hunter for delivery to the loathsome bandit, Jabba the Hutt. Jabba wants his prize trophy (Han had squelched on their deal, too, no doubt). Ticked off at his seeming betrayal, Han gathers up what strength he has left to take a poke at Lando’s jaw. Before things get out of hand, Lando halts the brawl. He is powerless to prevent what will occur.
Frozen in Time (And in Carbonite)
The freezing facility is made ready for the inevitable. Certainly, the excellent sound effects in this sequence (the work of sound designer Ben Burtt), and in the ensuing lightsaber battle between Luke and Vader, are to be commended. But before Luke’s entry into the fray, Solo will be the test subject. The rising smoke and gases from the freezing chamber, along with the red glow, evoke shades of a fiery Inferno. In fact, the heat from the blast-furnace sets made Peter Mayhew’s Chewie costume stink to high heaven.
The prevailing darkness and flame-red colors fall on the actors’ faces, which give each of them a hellish glow. Chewie throws a Wookiee fit in order to save his friend Han from his fate, but Han looks up at the eight-foot-tall, walking fuzz-ball and tries to soothe his jangled nerves. He charges Chewie with taking care of the Princess. Realizing that all is lost, Leia leans into Han as they kiss goodbye. Their love theme resounds on the soundtrack. Han is taken to the freezing platform to meet his maker.
When Han is lowered into the pit, Leia cries out, “I love you.” Now, one would half expect a repeat of that hackneyed “I love you, too” phrase, but director Irvin Kershner wasn’t satisfied with that. Repeating take after take after take, and rewrite after rewrite after rewrite, “Kersh,” as he was fondly called, wasn’t convinced that another “I love you” would do the trick.
Finally, in a last-ditch move, Kershner had Harrison do one more take where the ad-libbed line “I know” came out of the actor’s mouth. No one believed the scene was over when Kersh yelled “Cut!” but the line stuck. Not only did it stick, it went on to become a classic. It has rivaled Rhett Butler’s infamous, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” in popularity. And Harrison’s “Clark Gable meets John Wayne” acting impression became legend as well.
Han Solo (Harrison Ford) faces the freezing chamber
And, as “frozen in carbonite” Han Solo is taken on his journey back to Jabba the Hutt, so will Luke be taken to the Emperor as a prize gift from Lord Vader — or so Vader believes.
In the meantime, Threepio has been jabbering on about Chewie’s lame efforts at putting him back together à la Humpty-Dumpty (it’s a clumsy attempt at channeling the classic nursery rhyme, one might suppose, but there it is). He doesn’t realize that Chewie is more concerned about sparing the life of his buddy Han, who had earlier asked him to save his rage for other times. Threepio must have witnessed Han’s stealing a parting kiss from Leia who, in the film’s most passionate exchange, FINALLY declares her ardor for the half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder.
And what does Solo remark in return? “I know.” To echo the words of the late Governor Tarkin: “Charming to the last.” In these so-called final moments, Han has gained a measure of nobility that, up until now, his character has rarely if reluctantly displayed. His stature with the lovely Leia has risen ten-fold by his noble self-sacrifice. Furthermore, it’s a credit to screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and the late Leigh Brackett, and also to Kasdan, Lucas, and Kershner’s keen sense of where the Leia-Han romance needed to go: it had to take center stage. At this juncture, you could say it’s the big setup for what will be the ultimate reveal at the end. But that is yet to come, dear fans!
While audiences are still fawning over this sequence, i.e., where Han’s body is frozen stiff in the coal-gray-black monolithic carbonite — his expression is a mixture of pain and horror, as well as fierce resolve — we are being distracted from the real crisis. That is, how will Luke Skywalker be able to overcome and resist the Dark Side when faced with such unrelenting power, the power of the Dark Side, which he knows very little of?
As indicated above, John Williams’ love theme rises tellingly in the orchestra as the rectangular carbonite container (reminiscent of the black monolith from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, only sideways) hits the ground with a resounding thud.
May the Military Force Be With You!
Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) eyes the bounty hunter Boba Fett
Vader hands Solo over to the bounty hunter and demands that Calrissian escort Leia and the Wookiee to his ship, the aptly-named Star Destroyer Avenger. When Lando balks at this change in their plans, Vader cuts him off with a terse, “I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.” Lando shoots a knowing look at the cool bald guy with the radio-transmitting headset (known as Lobot), who silently acknowledges the message: they are planning a little getaway of their own.
With blaster in hand, Luke cautiously wanders the Cloud City’s halls. He catches sight of Han’s frozen-in-carbonite form and the armed escort that accompanies it. Without prior warning, bounty hunter Boba Fett (voiced by Temuera Morrison) shoots his formidable weapon at him while Leia shouts of an impending trap (again, to be echoed memorably by Admiral Ackbar in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi). In true “hero’s journey” fashion, Luke is heedless of her admonition. Artoo has the door close on him (redolent of a monstrous mouth with teeth) as the Jedi apprentice enters the freezing chamber for his final confrontation with Fate and the dreaded Dark Lord.
Luke surveys the layout of the freezing chamber before he is abruptly greeted by a thrice-familiar voice under the heavy breathing apparatus. “The Force is with you, young Skywalker,” Vader growls in sepulchral tones. “But you are not a Jedi yet.”
Now begins another of those Captain Blood–Robin Hood–Sea Hawk sequences whereby Vader and Luke cross lightsabers in what seems like every nook and cranny in the Cloud City complex. Luke’s blue-shaded lightsaber mixes with that of Vader’s red-toned one — Akira Kurawawa’s samurai influence runs deep in this and subsequent scenes.
Luke (Mark Hamill) challenges Lord Vader (body by David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones) to a lightsaber duel
In the meantime, Lando is able to free Leia and Chewie from their bonds, only to have Chewie almost choke the life out of him for his seeming betrayal of old buddy Han. He’s saved from certain death, however, by croaking out a few breathless phrases that there is still time to save his friend. Oh, that’s good to hear! They make haste for the east platform. Meanwhile, R2-D2 and C-3PO are reunited at last, even if Threepio is a bit worse for wear (and as cranky and complaining as ever).
Vader and Luke continue to battle it out in true Edo-era fashion. Vader exudes over-confidence, as to be expected, but Luke surprises him with some deft maneuvering in and out of the freezing chamber. “Impressive,” observes Vader, “most impressive.” He takes a few swipes at young Skywalker. “Only your hatred can destroy me,” he bellows forth, but is that really part of Vader’s plan?
Vader calls on Luke to release the full brunt of his anger. It is the only way the Dark Lord can be vanquished. But Luke manages to fight his way out of a conflict. Losing his balance, Vader plunges into the outer rim of the pipes surrounding the freezing chamber. There is a brief pause in the action, enough for Luke and the audience to catch their breath.
Luke jumps in after Vader. He snoops around the reactor room — again, the superb sound effects in this next sequence are tops in their field. From nowhere, Vader re-emerges. Undeterred, the Dark Lord throws everything at Skywalker that isn’t nailed down (and then some!). Luke impotently swats at the oncoming objects, one of which breaks open a window. He is sucked forthwith out of the room and thrown onto a platform in another of those omnipresent “nods to Forbidden Planet” moments, with Luke holding on for dear life — literally on the edge! The look is all there, down to the triangular shaped doors, in another of Lucas’ homages to sci-fi’s past.
Back to Lando and company: He cautions everyone to leave Cloud City at once before the Empire takes over operations. Panic ensues (in one more of those tiresome “expanded” scenes — completely uncalled for, in our opinion). Artoo is able to open the hanger door where the Millennium Falcon is housed. While Threepio hurls a series of comical one-liners at his mechanical playmate (having mostly to do with the inoperative hyperdrive), Lando and Leia manage to board the Millennium Falcon in time to make their escape.
Trust Your Feelings!
In the same instant, Luke and Vader are back at it. The Dark Lord duels it out with novice Jedi Luke to the edge of the platform, where Luke nicks Vader’s right arm with his lightsaber, a nice move. It appears that he made a dent in their bout, until that fateful moment when Vader slices Luke Skywalker’s right hand off with his lightsaber.
Vader makes an offer that Luke must refuse
Luke will remember this encounter for the rest of the series (and what remains of his screen life). Indeed, this is the pivotal episode in the hero’s journey where the confrontation with one’s parent has reached mythical proportions. In both Classical and Norse mythology, we have copious parallels to consider: in Siegfried’s chance encounter with the Wanderer (or Wotan) in Wagner’s Ring cycle; in Oedipus’ slaying of his father Laius from the Greek tragedy by Sophocles; and in Orestes’ murder of his mother Clytemnestra to avenge her killing of his father Agamemnon.
Luke’s conflict with himself has also reached a climax, in typical Greek fashion, with the discovery of his true origins. Left with no defenses and suffering an open wound on his hand (emblematic of Amfortas’ unhealed wound via the lance held by the magician Klingsor), Luke holds on for dear life with his left arm. Vader, sensing his quarry is trapped (and knowing of his true origins), plays psychological mind games on him. In point of fact, messing with another’s mind is part of the routine (i.e., that “old Jedi mind trick” gimmick at work).
Conveniently, Lord Vader suggests a way out of Luke’s predicament by offering to complete his training. In getting Luke to trust his intentions by making them sound reasonable and acceptable, Vader uses reverse logic to validate his offer. In other words, the ends justify the means; it all sounds so logical and doable, but it really isn’t.
So what does Vader offer? In essence, Vader reveals his plan to usurp the Evil Emperor by bringing Luke to his side of the equation — to the power of the Dark Side, that is. First, he claims that with their combined forces, both he and Luke can end “this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.” A change in the balance of power is all it takes. I’ll bet! But Vader’s plans go much deeper than that.
Lord Vader emphasizes the “power of the dark side” to Luke Skywalker
Fortunately for film fans, Luke imagines himself capable enough to reason this issue out. “I’ll never join you!” he blurts out. Atta boy, Luke!
Now comes the big reveal! Realizing that he must level with the young upstart, Vader tells Luke the thing he longs to hear but wishes he’d never heard. “Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.”
“He told me enough,” Luke counters roughly. “He told me you killed him!”
“No. I am your father.”
Luke cannot accept this knowledge (or rather, he refuses to swallow the bait). Knowing who the messenger is, he cannot possibly be receptive to the message. Can you blame him?
In response, Luke hurls a mighty and repeated “No!” to Vader’s metallic visage. But Vader presses the matter further by proposing a father-son union. By joining with him, they can depose the Emperor. It is Luke’s destiny to do so. Together, they can “rule the galaxy as Father and Son.” This does not sit well with Luke’s plans. In defiance of his parent, Luke releases his grip on the platform — and on life as he’s come to know it — and floats down the long garbage chute (similar to the one where he, Leia and Han had fallen into in Episode IV: A New Hope).
Consequently, Vader is left empty handed. What must he have felt at that moment? Did he expect this kind of reception from his young recruit? Did he search his own feelings, as the Evil Emperor had earlier advised him, or did he not heed his master’s word? To be exact, Vader poses the same message to Luke: “Search your feelings; you know this to be true!” One wonders, too, if Luke bothered to heed his advice.
There are many avenues to explore in not only Luke and Vader’s troubled and unrealized relationship, but also in Vader and the Emperor’s long association as slave and master, and as pupil and mentor. In reality, if Vader was “happy” with his current situation, why would he want to be rid of it by killing the hand that feeds it, i.e., the Emperor (and with Luke’s help no less)? Was it ruthless ambition, lust for power, or unnatural selection? Or was it simply a case of “destroy or be destroyed”? By firing the first shot, he may have tried to avoid a problem before there was a problem to resolve.
Luke hangs on to what he can, which amounts to a few metal support rods in open airspace. He keeps asking himself why Old Ben (Obi-Wan) never told him about his father. Calling out telepathically to Leia, the Princess forces Lando to turn the Millennium Falcon around so they can rescue Luke. Hesitating at first, Lando is convinced to help Luke out after Chewie bares his teeth in his direction (“All right, all right, all RIGHT!”). Upon arriving at Cloud City’s base, Lando goes through the top hatch and drags poor Luke to the safety of the cargo hold.
As if on cue, TIE fighters appear in hot pursuit as the friends try to dodge their attack. Too, Vader is back on his flagship Star Destroyer to view the chase from his vantage point. In like manner, Vader calls out telepathically to Luke, who is convalescing in sickbay.
“Luke, it is your destiny…”
“Ben, why didn’t you tell me?” Luke wonders aloud.
The Millennium Falcon is being tracked by the Star Destroyer, while Lando and Chewie are STILL trying to jump into hyperspace (deactivated beforehand by the Imperial crew members at Cloud City). Providentially and despite Threepio’s claims of “delusions of grandeur,” Artoo is able to reactivate the hyperdrive which blasts the fast-moving Millennium Falcon beyond Vader’s reach.
R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) tries to put C-3PO back together again
In an instant, the ship has disappeared from view. An ominously passive Darth Vader is left on the deck of the Star Destroyer to brood and pace back to his quarters (John Williams’ music reflects Vader’s disappointment at losing his quarry). This brings relief to the furrowed brow of Admiral Piett, who believed that he would be the next victim of Vader’s unappeasable frustration with how badly things have turned out.
Aboard the Millennium Falcon, Leia takes Luke to his bunk and plants a kiss on his lips for encouragement. The ending is a cliffhanger encased in true cliffhanger fashion. Rebel spaceships abound throughout. Lando vows to regroup on the planet Tatooine to find and bring Han back. In sickbay, Luke is being fitted with his new bionic hand. With feeling restored to his pulse, he approaches and embraces Leia. The two look out into the endless reaches of outer space as the Millennium Falcon takes off on its mission to rescue Solo.
Juxtaposed against the original New Hope ending, where, facing the viewing audience, the entire crew is rewarded for their bravery, the same cast members (minus Chewie and Han) are seen from the rear, their backsides turned to those same viewers in contemplation of their uncertain future. What does that future hold for our companions?
(End of Part Seven)
To be continued…
Transcript of dialogue from the original screenplay by Leigh Brackett, revised by Lawrence Kasdan and taken from the novel by George Lucas
Copyright © 2018 by Josmar F. Lopes
Curtain Going Up! 
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