My Favorite Films: Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

     My first real encounter with the Star Wars movies was a conversation with my father. He did not allow my siblings and I to watch the films as he thought it would be too intense for us. Since we were nonetheless curious about them, he one day went over the central plot with us, focusing mainly on Return of the Jedi, as it contains the most important plot points. I remember being stirred by the story he told: of Luke's attempt to redeem his wicked father, his seeming defeat at the hands of the Emperor and Vader's saving him at the cost of his own life. Even at that young age, having had very little exposure to works of fantasy, I could sense that this was the stuff of myth.

     The original trilogy was always about the heroes journey so naturally Luke's story is at the center of this film. The first act, at Jabba's palace, establishes just how far he's come as a Jedi since we left him at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. He wields the force with an almost frightening proficiency, fighting off Jabba's thugs and rescuing his friends with relative ease. He has also learned his lesson, he should have heeded Yoda's advice and not gone after Vader. He was not prepared for the battle physically or, more importantly, mentally. But he's not a Jedi yet. Having discovered that Darth Vader is his father, his faith in the Jedi has been shaken and he must now come to terms with this.

     Throughout the first three films Luke's wardrobe has gotten darker, from white in A New Hope to grey in Empire and now black. His character draws, almost imperceptibly, closer and closer to the dark side. This is, of course, mirrored by Anakin's costumes in the prequel trilogy. Like Anakin, Luke is caught up in a grand scheme he does not understand, one orchestrated by Palpatine. When he accompanies Han and Leia on their mission to Endor he finds himself, like Obi Wan in the first film, drawn inescapably toward his destiny. He must go and confront Darth Vader so as not to endanger them. But Luke embraces this and, unlike Obi Wan who believes Vader to be beyond redemption, he hopes to save his father.

     When Vader brings Luke before the Emperor he is confronted with a no-win scenario: either he can give in to his hate and rage and defeat Vader, giving himself to the dark side and becoming a slave to the Emperor in the process, or he can allow himself to die at their hands, ending the last hope of the seemingly doomed rebellion. He holds out until it appears that all hope is truly lost, when killing Palpatine seems to offer the only chance of victory. This, of course, is exactly what the Emperor wants. In order to kill him Luke must kill his father first and Palpatine will have gained a new, more powerful apprentice.

     He almost succumbs. When Vader threatens to put Leia to the same test, Luke strikes out in angry desperation to prevent this. Yet when he has Vader at his mercy he hesitates. In a beautiful moment of visual poetry Luke looks at his robotic hand and sees in himself the same darkness that lead his father down the path to evil. In the end he chooses to die rather then turn down this path. It's this choice of sacrificial surrender that finally moves Anakin to turn against the Emperor in order to save his son.

     If Empire was about respecting your elders Jedi is about reaching maturity and choosing your own path. By the end of the film we come to realize that Luke was, in a sense, Obi Wan and Yoda's tool. Though motivated by a just cause, they essentially ask Luke to kill his own father in order to restore peace to the galaxy. By rejecting them Luke finds a higher path, and the prophecy of the one to bring balance to the force is finally fulfilled in the reconciliation between father and son. The mythology of the series takes on a peculiarly Christian tone here. It only was in an act of self-surrender that evil can be vanquished once and for all.

     Hamill's acting is at its strongest here, especially in the climax, when his character must rise to the occasion and become the Jedi that he was always meant to be, though in the most unexpected of ways. James Earl Jones betrays a surprising amount of depth and vulnerability this time around, imbuing Anakin Skywalker with a layer of humanity that was only hinted at in Empire. This Darth Vader is a broken man, seemingly powerless to defy his master and save his son and Jones gives easily his best performance as the character. Ian McDiarmid is a revelation as the Emperor. Dripping with seductive menace he provides the film with a lot of dramatic weight and mythic power. As portrayed by McDiarmid, the Emperor is the personification of evil.

     Of course the other characters get their due as well. The love triangle between Han, Luke and Leia is resolved about as definitively as one can be. Harrison Ford may not have been too enthusiastic about returning to the role that made him famous, and he is, generally, a little aloof here but this works, to a certain extent, in the movies favor. This is a Han Solo who has suffered a pretty severe humiliation and escaped only through his friends' efforts. He's been humbled and it's this humility, wonderfully realized in the scene where he confesses his love to Leia (a reversal of the exchange in Empire), that brings his character full circle. Despite being saddled with some unfortunate wardrobe choices early in the film, Carrie Fisher is also able to shine here. Leia shows a more vulnerable side in this film, struggling to reconcile her feelings for both Han and Luke and having to accept that she too is gifted with a sensitivity to the Force.

     Peter Mayhew's Chewbacca, whose hair has grown more and more frizzy with each successive installment, gets more to do here then in any other Star Wars film, essentially turning the tide in the Battle of Endor when he captures an imperial walker. Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniel's continue their role as the series most consistent source of comic relief as R2-D2 and C-3PO. Alec Guinness is as good as ever as Obi Wan Kenobi, who here is revealed to be less irreproachable then we once thought. Frank Oz, in his final scene as Yoda, gives the character a truly moving and dignified death, giving Luke a few last words of sage advice before passing into the force. Billy Dee William's Lando, who was a welcome edition in the last film, is less interesting here but is at least given the biggest part to play in the space battle, where he shows himself a keen strategist. Finally, newcomer Warwick Davis is charming in his scenes with Carrie Fisher.

     The Battle of Endor is easily the best space battle in the series, surpassing Episode IV's assault on the Death Star in it's scope, complexity and visual spectacle. The entire climax could practically be a study in how to do overlapping action scenes. At the center you have the assault on the second Death Star by the Rebel fleet, an assault which depends on Han Solo's strike team taking out the shield generator in order to succeed. This battle has a psychological effect on Luke, who enters his confrontation with his father confident that the rebels will succeed. The revelation that the Emperor knew of the assault before hand, and that Han and Leia are walking into a trap, heightens the stakes: the fleet enters a desperate battle for the very existence of the rebellion while Han and Leia come within an inch of failure in their attempt to blow up the shield.

     Then the battle reaches it's lowest point as the Emperor reveals yet another surprise: the seemingly unfinished battle station in operational and begins firing on the Rebel Fleet. It's only with the help of the seemingly harmless Ewoks that the Rebels are given a fighting chance. While the stakes for the rebels are enormous, it's the personal stakes for Luke and Vader that are the most compelling. By the end their confrontation has become detached from the rest of the action and it's the fate of the characters, and of their souls, that is at stake. Meanwhile, the battle proceeds, its participants seemingly oblivious to the fateful clash going on aboard the Death Star.

     The special effects are some of the series best, with the space battle being a big highlight. The sheer amount of world-building in this installment is really impressive. Ben Burtt's sound design is astounding as usual and the animatronics, puppetry, set design, stop motion and optical effects all combine to create a world that feels fully realized. The set design for Jabba the Hutt's palace in particular is outstanding. The seedy underworld it portrays is very much in the tradition of Mos Eisley from the first film but on a much grander scale. Jabba himself is an absolute wonder of movie puppetry. Designed by Stuart Freeborn and Phil Tippet and inspired by the evil sultan characters that were such a staple of old Hollywood, Jabba is a familiar yet strikingly original creation.

     Each of the six Star Wars films has a unique tone and atmosphere. Return of the Jedi is filled with contrasts (something Lucas loves to do). There's the dingy, seedy underworld of Jabba's palace, the wholesome, naturalistic world of Endor, and then there's the Emperor's throne room on the Death Star. Tonally, theirs nothing in the series quite like the battle of wills that takes place here. Though this series is filled with metaphorical descents into hell, this is the ultimate visual and emotional representation of this idea. Luke must plunge into this hellish atmosphere in order to redeem his father, who has sold his soul and is now trapped in a hell of his own making. It's fantastic stuff.

     William's score is his most thematically and stylistically ambitious of the saga up to this point. The composer combines the returning thematic material from the two previous films with brilliant new melodies to create a complex tapestry which he will continue to expand on in the prequel trilogy. The Emperor's theme, a low register choral piece, is incredibly ominous and even unsettling, suggestive of an ancient evil. It provides a subtle contrast to the driving, unrelenting Imperial March that serves as Vader's theme and each melody fits it's respective character perfectly. A new theme is also introduced for Luke and Leia, as it is revealed that they are siblings here. There is also a new theme for the Ewoks, which is both playful and heroic. All of these motifs are used to great effect and are worked into the film with subtle brilliance.

     The legacy of the series may have been compromised in the years since its release, but Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi remains an endlessly entertaining and creative film and a fitting conclusion to the Star Wars saga.