The new trailer for the upcoming Star Wars movie was released last week, and everyone collectively lost their minds, myself included. Like clockwork, when Star Wars talk hits the mainstream media and enters into the news cycle someone inevitably asks the question “What is your favorite Star Wars movie?” and the responses is always “Empire Strikes Back”. Everyone is entitled to like what they like and have opinions, but if you say Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie, you are wrong.
Pick your jaw up off the floor. This isn’t about bashing Empire Strikes Back, the lack of Ewoks alone makes this the second best Star Wars movie. Empire is cool, dark, exciting and well written. The movie is full of memorable scenes that display the true Star Wars zeitgeist to the fullest. There is betrayal, romance, monsters, large battles and sword fights, all things that make for a great movie. The problem with Empire is the movie needs the other two original Star Wars movies, and it is missing a true ending. (Full disclosure, Joss Whedon thinks pretty much the same thing I do, but I swear I’ve thought this for years.)
Empire Strikes Back cannot stand alone, it needs A New Hope and Return Of The Jedi to prop it up. First, the delicate interactions between Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia would be completely meaningless if there was not an entire other movie that set up character traits and motivations. Another example of this takes place at the beginning of Empire when Luke Skywalker is trapped by an ice monster and a voice tells him to use the force. Without the first movie the viewer would have no idea who is talking to Luke and what the force is. A New Hope expertly sets the force up, which allows Empire to expand on it. Later, in one of the most famous scenes in the entire Star Wars universe, right before Han Solo is frozen Princes Leia shouts out “I love You” and Han replies “I know”; this scene is great but we would never get the payoff of Han and Leia’s love story were it not concluded in Return Of The Jedi.
While all of the above is true, there is probably enough context in Empire Strikes Back that a smart viewer can figure out the backstory, but the lack of a real ending is what brings Empire down. Before the credits roll on Empire, our heroes are left in peril. Princess Leia and the Republic are in shambles, Luke just had his hand cut off, and Han is frozen in Carbonite, not good. If going into Empire you did not know there was still another movie left to watch, this would be the saddest ending in cinema history. Not only would the ending be sad, but it would be unresolved. Every movie does not have to end in a neat bow, but all major plot points should be resolved. In Empire nothing is resolved, the characters just move from point A to point B. This movement is thrilling and a joy to watch, but so are many other movies.
The hardest part of storytelling is the ending, especially in the cinema. If the majority of a film is good, but it really goes off the rails at the end, all the previously earned good will is lost, and the film is judged poorly. It is unclear why Empire Strikes Back gets a pass. Empire most likely benefits from the fact that Return Of The Jedi is it’s ending, and to say the least there are some mixed feelings about Return Of The Jedi. The anticipation of a worthwhile conclusion and desire for more Star Wars leaves the moviegoer excited and hopeful, too distracted to realize Empire was just plot with no beginning or ending.
There is also a touch of herd mentality behind the sentiment that Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie. Enough influential people have made the previous statement enough times that it is just believed as fact by the masses. If all the other cool kids are doing something it makes sense that everyone else is likely to follow. Everyone at some time has over exaggerated their appreciation of something just because of the crowd they were surrounded by. We’ve all been there.
If Empire Strikes Back is not the Best Star Wars movie what is? The answer is clearly A New Hope. From start to finish it is a great adventure. We meet characters who become increasingly more deep and nuanced. The plot is constantly advanced through from set pieces or exciting action shots. What is most important is the movie has a proper ending. Our heroes had a clear goal, destroy the Death Star, and they achieved that goal. If I were to sit someone down with no knowledge of the Star Wars universe they could jump right into A New Hope, something that cannot be said for Empire Strikes Back.
To be a truly great film, a movie must have a clear beginning, middle and an end. Each component is just as important as the next. Empire Strikes Back is all plot and thus cannot be the best Star Wars movie.