Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

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Star Wars Episode V:
The Empire Strikes Back

Theatrical poster by Roger Kastel[1]
Directed by Irvin Kershner
Produced by Gary Kurtz
George Lucas
Rick McCallum
(Special Edition)
Written by Leigh Brackett
Lawrence Kasdan
George Lucas
(Story)
Starring Mark Hamill
Harrison Ford
Carrie Fisher
Billy Dee Williams
Anthony Daniels
David Prowse
Peter Mayhew
Kenny Baker
Music by John Williams
Cinematography Peter Suschitzky, BSC
Editing by Paul Hirsch
Studio Lucasfilm
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) May 21, 1980 (1980-05-21)
Running time Original theatrical cut:
124 minutes
Special edition:
127 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $18,000,000
Gross revenue $538,375,067[2]
Preceded by Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Followed by Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. It was the second film released in the Star Wars saga, and the fifth in terms of internal chronology.

The film is set three years after the destruction of the Death Star. The villainous Darth Vader and the elite forces of the Galactic Empire are in pursuit of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, and the Rebel Alliance. While Vader chases Han and Leia across the galaxy, Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda. Vader uses Luke's friends to set a trap for him, leading to a fierce confrontation between the black-armored Sith and the young Jedi which ends with a shocking revelation.

Following a difficult production, The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21, 1980, and initially received mixed reviews from critics, although it has since grown in esteem, becoming one of the most popular chapters in the Star Wars saga and one of the most highly rated films in history.[3][4][5] It earned more than US$538 million worldwide over the original run and several re-releases, making it the highest grossing film of 1980. When adjusted for inflation, it is the 12th highest grossing film of all time.

Plot

Despite their victory over the Galactic Empire with the destruction of the Death Star, the Empire's forces have driven the Rebel Alliance into hiding, forcing the fleet to establish a hidden base on the remote ice planet Hoth. Darth Vader, having become obsessed with finding Luke Skywalker, has multiple probe droids dispatched throughout the galaxy, one of which lands on Hoth. While patrolling near the base, Luke is attacked and knocked unconscious by a Wampa. Back at the base, Han Solo announces his intentions to leave the Rebellion to pay off a debt to Jabba the Hutt (much to Princess Leia's displeasure). When Luke doesn't return that evening, Han braves the deadly Hoth night to find his lost friend. Escaping from the creature's lair, Luke nearly succumbs to the cold and has a vision of his late mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who instructs him to go to the planet Dagobah to train under Jedi Master Yoda.

Han finds Luke and provides shelter before they are rescued the following morning. Meanwhile, the Imperial probe droid locates the Rebel base on Hoth, and Vader orders an attack while the Rebels prepare to evacuate and disperse. The Imperial forces eventually overpower the Rebels and capture the base. Han and Leia escape on the Millennium Falcon with C-3PO and Chewbacca, but are unable to enter hyperspace due to technical difficulties. They evade pursuit in an asteroid field, where Han and Leia begin to grow closer to each other. Vader turns to several notorious bounty hunters, including Boba Fett, to assist in locating the Falcon. Meanwhile, Luke escapes from Hoth with R2-D2 and crash lands on Dagobah, where he meets Yoda. While undergoing intensive training, Luke has a premonition of Han and Leia in pain and, against Yoda's wishes, leaves to save his friends, promising to return to complete his training.

After losing the Imperial forces, and unaware that they have been tracked by Fett, Han's party sets a course for Cloud City, a floating gas mining colony in the skies of the planet Bespin, which is run by Han's old friend, Lando Calrissian. Shortly after they arrive at Cloud City, Lando turns them over to Vader to be used as bait in a trap for Luke. Lando insists to Han and Leia that he was forced to betray them to prevent the occupation of his city by the Empire. Vader straps Han to a torture machine and, while not permanently harmed, he is tormented to the point that he can barely stand. Luke sees these premonitions of his friends in pain and abandons his training to help them.

Vader intends to hold Luke in suspended animation via carbon freezing, and selects Han as a test subject for the process. Before Han is frozen in the carbonite freezing chamber, Leia professes her love for him. Han acknowledges that "he knows". Vader gives Han's hibernating form to Fett, who plans to present this "prize" to Jabba the Hutt. Lando repents and helps Leia and the others escape, insisting that there is still a chance to save Han. Unfortunately, Fett makes off with his quarry just seconds before they get a chance to confront him, forcing them to make an escape on the Millennium Falcon.

Meanwhile, Luke arrives at Cloud City and falls right into Vader's trap. Within the carbon-freezing facilities, Luke and Vader engage in a vicious lightsaber duel, which leads them over the city's central air shaft. Gaining an advantage, Vader cuts off Luke's dueling hand along with his lightsaber. With Luke cornered and defenseless, Vader tempts Luke with the offer to rule the galaxy alongside him, making the revelation that he is in fact Luke's father. Horrified, Luke casts himself into the air shaft, plummeting until he reaches a tube system that spills him out onto an antenna attached to the underbelly of the city. He makes a desperate call to Leia, who senses Luke's distress aboard the Millennium Falcon and gets him to safety. Its hyperdrive finally functional (thanks to timely repairs by R2-D2), the Falcon escapes. Aboard a Rebel medical frigate, a medical droid fits Luke with an artificial hand. Lando and Chewbacca set out on the Falcon to locate Han.

Cast

• Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker: A lieutenant commander in the Rebel Alliance, leader of Rogue Group, and Jedi-in-training, Luke is a young farm-boy-turned-hero with the rebels at Echo Base on Hoth. After having a vision of his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke, along with his droid, R2-D2, set out to find Yoda on Dagobah.
• Harrison Ford as Han Solo: A smuggler who aided the Rebellion in exchange for money. Han has since accepted a place as a Captain in the rebel alliance, however he is in debt to Jabba the Hutt, intending to pay off Jabba, Solo is trapped on Hoth by the Imperial blockade.
• Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa is a high ranking official in the Rebellion chain of command.
• David Prowse as Darth Vader: Vader, a Sith Lord and apprentice to Emperor Palpatine, is obsessed with finding Luke Skywalker, the young rebel who destroyed the Death Star. His search brings him to Hoth, where he orders the blockade of the ice planet. It is also revealed later in the film that he is actually Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker. James Earl Jones provided the voice of Darth Vader.
• Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian: Calrissian is the Baron Administrator of Bespin's Cloud City. He is a long-time friend of Han Solo and former captain of the Millennium Falcon.
• Anthony Daniels as C-3PO: C-3PO is Princess Leia Organa's protocol droid.
• Kenny Baker as R2-D2: R2-D2 is Luke Skywalker's astromech droid.
• Frank Oz as Yoda: Yoda is a self-exiled Jedi Master, who lives on Dagobah.
• Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca: Chewbacca is Han Solo's Wookiee copilot and close friend.
• Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett: A bounty hunter, Fett has gained infamy throughout the galaxy and is hired by Darth Vader to hunt down the Millennium Falcon. Jason Wingreen provided Fett's voice in the original theatrical cut and the 1997 Special Edition of the film. Bulloch also makes a cameo appearance as the Imperial officer who grabs Leia when she tells Luke to avoid Vader's trap. In the 2004 special edition, Temuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones replaced Wingreen as Fett's voice to create better continuity between the original and prequel trilogy.
• Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi: Kenobi was killed by Darth Vader on the Death Star in A New Hope. However, moments before his death, he released himself into the netherworld of the Force, giving him the ability to appear as a spirit, and allowing him to give guidance to his former student, Luke Skywalker.
• Denis Lawson as Wedge Antilles: Wedge is a pilot in the Rebel Alliance, who flew with Luke Skywalker at the Battle of Yavin. In the end credits, as with A New Hope, Denis Lawson's name is misspelled "Dennis."
• Clive Revill voices Emperor Palpatine: Palpatine, the ruler of the Galactic Empire, is displeased with the loss of the Death Star; consequently, he lists the Rebel Alliance as a top priority for his military forces. Revill was later replaced with Ian McDiarmid for the 2004 DVD release.

In addition to Clive Revill as the voice of the Emperor, an unknown actress played the part in the original theatrical cut and the 1997 Special Edition of the film with superimposed chimpanzee eyes.[6][7] McDiarmid, who portrayed Palpatine in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi as well as the prequel trilogy films, replaced both the actress and Revill as Palpatine in the 2004 DVD version, with filming taking place during the principal photography of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.[6][8]