In 1976, a little-known writer/actor by the name of Sylvester Stallone saw the release of his most critically acclaimed and culturally significant work, “Rocky.” Rocky told the story of a (seemingly) past-his-prime boxer being given the ultimate underdog’s title shot against the champion of the world, and it gave us all the drama one could ever hope for from such a scenario. Moreover, it had the good sense to lean into an incredible score, fast, hard-hitting imagery, a romantic subplot, and against every instinct modern Hollywood will try to bring to bear on any project ever, the hero lost.
That this movie has inspired 800 sequels/spinoffs is merely the cherry on top when trying to draw a comparison to what many consider to be George Lucas’ most inspiring work, his sequel to the smash hit “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back.”*
* This is where we note that Lucas didn’t actually direct this movie; Irvin Kershner did. While some like to use this fact as a weapon against Lucas in a personal vendetta sort of way (“Hur hur, Lucas didn’t even direct the best movie in the franchise! Hur hur.”), I think it is enough to note that Lucas was heavily involved in the making of the sequel, and that many people contributed to making Star Wars what it is today, Kershner included.
“Empire,” for short, had the unenviable challenge of trying to surpass the most popular film of all time, and it shares a weird amount of characteristics with what is ostensibly a boxing movie in “Rocky.” The most important and obvious, of course, is its total disregard for normal Hollywood endings. But I actually like the thematic comparison as well.
“Rocky,” and especially its sequels, became very well known not only for its incredible synth-scored training montages, but even more so for its over-the-top violence and depravity within the ring. Watching blood and sweat (and sometimes even body parts like teeth) sail through the air in super slow motion may not have meant much thematically beyond “this movie hits hard,” but good lord I couldn’t come up with a better description for “The Empire Strikes Back” if I tried.
This movie hits hard.
(That it defies normal storytelling convention in doing so is what makes it truly incredible, but we’ll get to that in a minute.)
To be sure, there are both benefits and detriments to this basic approach, but there is no denying it was intentional on the filmmakers’ part. Even when thinking about things solely from a technical perspective, “Empire” is bigger in nearly every respect than “Star Wars,” from the set pieces, to the special effects, to the cast, to the number of story beats it attempts to juggle at once … this movie is a deliberate attempt to upstage its direct predecessor.
Indeed, many interviews about the film have confirmed this. And it only makes sense. How do you follow up the biggest movie of all time? Try to make an even bigger biggest movie of all time.
The literal visualization of this is apparent immediately in the opening scenes, where, no longer content to rest on the laurels of the previously established ginormous Star Destroyers of the first film, we’re quickly introduced to a Super Star Destroyer, which is 20 times the size and serves as the chariot of our big bad, Darth Vader (who has never been bigger or badder himself). We also right away get presented with a ground battle of epic scale, with another literal extension of this idea of going big in the AT-AT walkers. These mechanical monstrosities, to borrow a phrase from Vader, towered over everything and so captured the imagination that it was a badge of honor among kids in the 80s to acquire the toy version of said war machines. Heck, even the setting of this battle itself, an “ice planet” that necessitated shooting in Norway, was trying to upstage the difficulties/challenges in shooting in the Tunisian desert from the first film.
“Is there anything more extreme than a desert?
“How about the arctic?”
“Great!”
Truly, there is little doubt of the intention to go big or go home from the get go.
This mostly works. From a visual perspective, “Empire” is a dramatic improvement over “Star Wars,” utilizing those aforementioned special effects and set pieces to achieve an even more immersive and realistic world for our characters to live in. The bold decision to implement a puppet as a main character works beyond any measure it has a right to, and while we can all debate the various plot points and their overall effectiveness, no one can deny what an impact the conclusion of those threads had … a cultural touchstone if there ever was one.
One revelation in particular has had filmmakers chasing similar glory for their own films for decades now. Few have succeeded or even come close.
What’s nutty to consider is that when this film was being released, the concept of a “tentpole” film had yet to truly gestate, at least in the modern sense of what those movies can do for a studio financially. So while we can understand a clamoring for sequels in any era, what is incredible in retrospect is how Lucas navigated that minefield here. The pressure to continue making films in perpetuity would have been immense. His gambit to wrest control of his property away from the studios so that he could tell the story he wanted … and his eventual realization that an ideal storytelling format would be three films, rather than five or seven or whatever,* is what directly allowed him to go for broke in his second film … with a dark ending in which our heroes lose.
* Most modern filmmaking consists of three acts: a beginning, a middle and an end. Within that structure, you generally have setup and exposition in Act 1, confrontation and rising action in Act 2, and resolution/climax in Act 3. Lucas didn’t settle into the idea of devoting a single film to each act for some time, but once he did, he struck absolute gold with his Star Wars trilogy. Most studios with designs on more profits and ambitious filmmakers under contract will now aim for something along these lines when launching a property.
The nature of those losses in “Empire” is genuinely surprising and affecting, and while the notion of “the big reveal” has been imitated countless times since, I don’t know if a certain phrase uttered by Darth Vader — staged incredibly by the way — will ever be topped in impact. Certainly not for folks of a certain age.
The storytelling beats are haymakers.
The visuals overwhelm.
Where “Empire” may lose points is in its lack of subtlety. Surely, when dealing with major plot points that have major ramifications for our central characters, swinging our fists around wildly like Rocky might well be merited. But within that, you lose something … your grace.
“We are our own worst enemy,” a theme so delicately and subversively laid into the threads of “Star Wars” becomes a sledgehammer here, as Luke’s story so clearly paints.
In the first film, we are made to sympathize with the rebels, never realizing (until much later) that the “Empire” is a representation of us, our country, and its impact around the globe. I adore this storytelling approach. And not only that, but we can also easily shut off our brains in the interest of having some light, frothy fun.
“The Empire Strikes Back” is not light and frothy. Though it is one of the funnier films in the Star Wars library, those jokes are meant to break the tension from our heroes being pursued, kidnapped, maimed, and tortured. These emotional beats are powerful, but they are in no way subtle.*
* I think it should also be noted that Lucas, anti-studio and ever distrustful of huge institutions, made this into his most consistent, persistent message in his films: that one must be careful about becoming what one hates … which of course manifested itself in real life in the form of Lucasfilm as George made money hand over fist. The irony is staggering.
“Don’t give in to hate! That leads to the Dark Side.”
“Oh, great warrior … Wars not make one great.”
Yes, there is merit in stating this theme clearly, for all to see. But it is certainly up for debate which film makes its points most effectively. “A New Hope” subverted everything you thought you knew, but only if you thought to look closer. “Empire” wants to hold your hand to make sure you get there. But it will murder everything you hold dear in the process.
The differences in tone are certainly worth spending some time on, though those play into this storytelling choice as well. If you eschew subtlety, is there any reason to try to maintain a cheery tone? Lean into your story, lean into your boldness, and make the thing darker. I don’t think anyone would fault the movie for any of that.
In sum, a darker, grittier tone makes sense, especially when one looks at this film for what it is: Act 2.
Of course the downside to any sequel is now we’re deeper into this world. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s an incredible roller coaster ride for the willing. But now we’re to a point of a newbie having to play catch up … and that’s never going to change from here on out. From this point on, “Star Wars” requires investment. That it’s lost its subtlety and changed its tone in the process is no doubt going to turn some people away.
I’m tempted to say “fuck ’em” and do my thing, and for the most part, that’s what I do. But if we’re weighing these movies against one another, a point in the first’s favor will always be its accessibility.
This is reflected in how “The Empire Strikes Back” was received both critically and commercially when it was released. By most any measure, it was a gigantic hit … but when compared to “Star Wars,” it fell short (both in box office receipts AND critical reception). Its reputation has risen over time.
But for whatever it’s worth, we’ve crossed a landmark here. From now on, you’re either in or out. If you’re in, you’re going to hopelessly compare these movies to each other for the rest of your life, destined to relive that famous scene in “Clerks” forever and ever. If you’re out, you’re going to miss more and more pop culture as we go along and wonder what the hell everyone else is talking about (these are the most popular films in existence, after all).
After watching “Empire,” both for the first time and every time since, my response to that choice — in or out — has always been a simple one.
I am most emphatically and enthusiastically in.
Liked this post? Check out my retrospective on “Star Wars: A New Hope.”