The Empire Strikes Back

Special Edition Laserdisc Sides 5-6, Chapters 42-43-44

Luke and Artoo have flown to Lando’s city in the clouds. Luke encounters Vader.

V: The Force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet.

Much lightsaber dueling ensues and the action cuts away to other characters, then back to Luke and Vader, who are still fighting.

V: You have learned much, young one.

L: You’ll find I’m full of surprises.

V: Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true.

L: No.

Luke falls in a hole.

V: All too easy.

Vader turns to some controls. Luke flies out of the hole behind a cloud of steam while Vader’s back is turned. Vader advances on the hole.

V: Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought.

Vader hears Luke up above.

V: Impressive. Most impressive.

Luke drops to the floor and retrieves his lightsaber.

V: Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have control of your fear. Now release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me now.

Lots of dueling ensues. No sign of hatred on Luke’s face. He does a flip and soon forces Vader to fall in another hole. Luke jumps in too. Where did Vader go? Luke walks through a tunnel and into a room with a nice round picture window. Vader advances from down the hall. More dueling commences. The music swells -- clearly this will be a climactic battle. Vader uses the Force to send objects flying through the air, striking Luke and breaking the window. As air rushes out, Vader grabs something sturdy, but Luke is blown almost to his doom, down the Mother of All Holes (MOAH, tm). As he flies out the window, however, he miraculously catches a catwalk railing and pulls himself up. He walks down the catwalk and into a hallway, where he encounters Vader again. They battle back out onto the catwalk, suspended over the MOAH.

V: You are beaten. It is useless to resist. Don’t let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did. [Vader utters another syllable after the word "did." Sounds almost but not quite like the word "too." Could be sloppy sound editing used to shorten a line spoken by James Earl Jones.]

Vader really goes after Luke, and Luke nicks Vader on the shoulder, eliciting a moan. Then Vader chops off Luke’s right hand.

V: There is no escape. Don’t make me destroy you. Luke, you have not yet realized your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.

L: I’ll never join you.

V: If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.

L: He told me enough. He told me you killed him.

V: No, I am your father.

L: No, no, that’s not true. That’s impossible.

V: Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

L: Noooooooooo (tm).

V: Luke, you can destroy the Emperor. He has forseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Come with me, it is the only way.

Luke falls into the MOAH and dangles in the air from a hook on the bottom of the city in the clouds. Using the Force, he calls to Leia on the Millennium Falcon, and she and Lando and Chewie return to rescue him. Luke lies in the Millennium Falcon’s sick bay and Vader calls to him using the Force:

V: Luke

L: Father

V: Son, come with me.

L: Ben, why didn’t you tell me?

Luke walks up to the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit, but he can still hear Vader:

V: Luke, it is your destiny.

L: Ben, why didn’t you tell me?

About then Chewie repairs the hyperdrive which had been disabled by Vader’s henchmen, and the Millennium Falcon escapes. Vader’s lieutenant, who had assured Vader that the Falcon’s hyperdrive had been disabled, looks worried, but Vader just strides from the room.

1) The film treats the revelation that Vader is Luke’s father as a major development. The script hides the fact of Vader’s paternity over several scenes in which characters who could say "your son" or "Vader’s son" instead say "Skywalker’s son," or words to that effect. That’s not exactly a lie to the audience, but it’s a storytelling deception that would not be necessary if the audience already knew Vader was Luke’s father.

Then the big scene arrives. The music swells and timpani pound. The camera angles and lighting add to the drama. It seems to me that even after whatever happens in Episodes II and III, this scene will play like a great revelation. If it’s supposed to be just a revelation to Luke and not the audience, if the audience views this scene with prior knowledge that Vader is Luke’s father, the dramatic music and so forth will just seem funny. (Duh! Wake up Luke! Boy are YOU slow to catch on! It’s about time somebody got around to telling the poor kid.)

I'd like to believe ESB will be just as enjoyable for future audiences as it was for us. If there were justice in the world, when future audiences view this scene, the fact that Vader is Luke’s father would be just as much as a surprise to them as it was for those of us who saw the OT first. Does it make sense to throw in all the trappings of a great surprise if all that’s happening is just a revelation for one character -- when many of the other characters along with the audience have known through at least two movies the fact that's being revealed? I would like to think not.

But…the audience DOES KNOW (I choose to assume) that Anakin Skywalker fathered Luke Skywalker. Therefore…in order for the revelation to be a surprise…the audience would have to be unaware that Vader is Anakin Skywalker. That’s the only way it could work, isn’t it?  And because of statements by Ben, it's pretty certain that audiences will know that Vader is Anakin.  Sadly, even though I hate the thought of losing that surprise, as I've mentioned in a previous argument, it's almost a certainty. Knowing prior to ANH that Vader is Luke's father will take a big chunk of the pleasure out of watching ANH and ESB.  Too bad.

2) Vader might be planning to overthrow the Emperor. His speeches about Luke’s importance and power and destiny and bringing "order to the galaxy" and destroying the Emperor and ruling as father and son could be mere persuasive temptations (along the lines of Satan flattering and tempting Jesus, perhaps?) or they could represent precisely what Vader is planning. Hard to say.

3) Vader does not seem displeased that Luke and Leia have escaped. Is the escape of Luke and Leia on the Millennium Falcon a relief for Vader? Part of a plan? After all, he’s established a pattern throughout the film of strangling every "Admiral" who fails him. But this time he very purposefully does not. What’s the dang deal? I believe he’s pleased his kid got away, probably impressed by Luke’s courage, and he’s relieved he’s not going to have to kill his son as he’d promised the Emperor he’d do.