Saga Favorite Star Wars film and Why (Revised)

I never do this but this is one of my worst posts on these boards, as I don't explain very well why I love ESB.

Besides the story line, characters and acting I think why I always gravitated towards this film is for its almost dark sci fi/fantasy imagery. The cinematography is probably at it's best here as the imagery alone let's you know this isn't A New Hope but rather an evolution of the first film into almost a dark fairy tale.

It starts with the stark and quite image of a Star Destroyer launching the probe droids.


Unlike the first films desert and arid Tatooine as the starting planet we instead start on the bleak Hoth. With our hero riding a hybrid ram/dinosaur creature no less.



I adore Dagobah in this film as it perfectly melds with the Star Wars fantasy trappings of highly mystical planets that go along perfectly with themes of the force. The planet is shown to be both hospitable but also threatening at the same time.

Whether that be the wise sage our hero seeks living in a comforting but humble little hut in the middle of the swamp.


Or the dark cave that shows our hero's deepest fears. Again the imagery supports the feeling that this cave is indeed a domain of evil.



But the best display of the visuals in this film is the usage of Cloud City. From the almost heavenly upper levels of the city that are heroes are present in the beginning, to slowly said characters going further into the darker side of Cloud City. Almost like a descent into Hell itself.









Beautiful film making right here.

Sorry for all the images but I really needed them to help describe one of the reasons why I love the film. It's a perfect melding of dark fantasy and Sci Fi that is rarely matched yet still so undeniably Star Wars in it's feel and morals. The director, Irvin Kershner, and cinematographer Peter Suschitzky really outdone themselves with this film, the visuals alone telling the story very well as every great film should.

 

This is a tough one, as there are 7 Star Wars movies (the saga + Rogue One) that I absolutely love exactly they way they are.

I am going to go with Revenge Of The Sith, based purely on emotion. It is the only Star Wars movie that makes me tear up, and the combination of the music, the cinematography, the drama and the high stakes give me all the feels. Starting from the wonderful entry scene of the Battle of Coruscant, and ending with the somber sunset on Tattoine, which leads to a new era. I literally have chills while typing this, as I remember Padme's funeral and all the scenes which show how the galaxy fell into darkness.

 

I'm with you there - but for me, it's the opening that has the most boldness. None of the other films jump straight into a war sequence like that. Add to that the abscence of John Williams's usual classical instruments and their replacement with a mix of silence and straight-up war drums, always leaves me with the feeling that I'm in for a new, and more epic ride each time I watch the film.

And now with The Clone Wars being added, that feeling is doubled, as the opening 20 minutes or so truly feels like the climactic episode of The Clone Wars (along with Siege of Mandalore).

 

I’m curious - what changed? I remember your stance

 

I agree with you. There is a dream like quality to The Empire Strikes Back that is difficult to articulate. The Dagobah set especially is obviously a sound-stage, but this actually adds to the surreal and claustrophobic feeling.

Cloud City again is dream like with beautiful clouds, white Ralph McQuarrie-esque corridors and art deco promenades, choral voices, harps and flutes soaring as part of the score, but then there is the descent into hell and the ominous carbon freezing chamber beneath. What is worse is how the rug is pulled from under us, because we are presented with that nice, light and airy room of your photo above with Han and Leia. The sun is shining, the Falcon is nearly fixed, and our heroes have almost made it. But that feeling of dread permeates the entire thing. When Leia says "Something's wrong here", she is speaking for all of us.

That matte painting of the Bespin central shaft still has me in awe every time I see it. It is so striking an image of an impossible structure.

 

I genuinely don't care much for the majority of other people's opinions about the films I really love or really dislike, but somehow this made me smile. I knew about your distaste towards the specific film, and since it's my favorite, it is very pleasant and refreshing to see you appreciate it more. And yes, I totally agree with your description. This is why it's my favorite.... it has Greek tragedy all over it.

 

Star Wars. Now called "A New Hope". I had just turned 16 in the Summer of 1977. I am/was a sci-fi, Tolkein-reading cello and bass playing teenager. I'll never forget the sheer ecstasy of that first viewing. The imagination, the technology, the mythological layers, the SCORE!!! I saw it 13 times that year in the theater and listened to the Soundtrack album to watch the movie again in my mind. Love this movie with all my boomer heart.

 

A New Hope is still my all time favorite, really all of the OT is my favorite

 

The Phantom Menace

This film had the unenviable task of crafting a world arguable as rich and cohesive as the original ANH, and it delivered in spades. The Republic era is instantly distinct from the OT's aesthetic while still feeling incredibly fresh 20 years on (see the ongoing popularity of The Clone Wars for proof of the setting's versatility). The setting of a declining corrupt entity in the dying days of its golden age is a wondrous sight to behold. It's still practically the only viable alternative to the OT's Rebels vs. Empire aesthetic.

It manages to toe the line of being both sunny and optimistic (Naboo, parts of Coruscant) while balancing darker locales (Tatooine, Senate, Jedi Council). This is reflected in the story too, which is arguably the one with the most depths (AOTC comes close). Outwardly it's an almost saccharine victory at the end, yet underneath the villains have already won without anyone even knowing. The title has never been more apt for an SW movie.

The seeds of Anakin's journey are another highlight, his latter relationships with both Palpatine and Obi-Wan wouldn't work nearly as well without the contrast to his warm bond with Qui-Gon. His relative innocence makes the later fall all the more effective, showing it can truly happen to anyone, regardless of background or upbringing.

Musically it's top tier from Williams, with the third act containing some of the best action music ever composed (not just Duel of the Fates, there's a raft of eminently catchy pieces). It also has a very warm and gentle palette in the quieter moments, making a very balanced and inviting score, compared to the more, how do you say, harsher atmospheres created for most of the other SW movies.

On a visual level I'd practically say it's the best looking of any SW movie. It's aided by the absolutely incredible miniature work, but even the CG has aged like wine, with the Battledroids for instance losing none of their tactile realism. As one of the very first movies to use this kind of widespread CG, it all meshes surprisingly well, with very little that stands out as 'of its time'. The following PT movies are close in visuals, and Empire and Rogue One also have phenomenal stuff, but it's hard to compete with the simple luxurious beauty of TPM:

 

Love this post.

TPM isn't my favorite Star Wars film (heck it's not even in my top three) but besides Rogue One, ESB and ROTS it's my most watched Star Wars film believe or not. Besides the virtues of the film you already listed, I think the reason I keep going back to it is mainly for it's almost relaxing feel and leisurely pace, that unlike some I enjoy well enough. I'm one of the few people I know that likes the quite Tatooine and political Coruscant scenes as I think it helps the worldbuilding immensely despite their more down beat pace. It's just film I tend to put on when I need to wind down from a hard day at work or just want to have something relaxing on.

 

Unironically TPM. It's such a layered film you wouldn't believe. Maybe even too layered to get all the themes across, but I love myself some crunchable movies with depth and themes and structures and new ideas. Also the designs are nothing short of stellar. The Naboo ships, Otah Gunga, the Boonta Eve, Theed Palace, Coruscant, it's such a beautiful film. And Shmi is an absolute star.

 

Opening by jumping straight into a war sequence has been a SW thing since '77. Maybe the boarding scene seems tame by today's film standards, but back in its day, it was an incredible depiction of futuristic warfare.

 

When Yoda begins his "Luminous beings" teaching to Luke, and then raises the X-Wing, I sit there enthralled.

I have watched this scene repeatedly over 30 years.

I get chills every time. I still get a lump in my throat. Every time.

I forget that I am basically watching a green Muppet.

The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars movie. Along with death and taxes, those are the certainties in my life.

 

I am aware it is a bit cliche, but revenge of the sith is heart wrenching and filled with amazing lightsaber duels. You can see how someone so good can become so evil. And the metaphor of destroying everything to save your everything, but losing it everything anyway.

 

I love all 11 of them, and each have their own unique strengths. However, my favourite is The Force Awakens. It takes everything that worked well in the original trilogy and modernizes it into the perfect Star Wars film. It's got a great story filled with great new characters who all have interesting origins. The action is super cool, especially the Millennium Falcon escape sequence. They balance the drama, action and comedy perfectly. It had enough nostalgia to remind me how much I love the series, but introduced enough new elements to make me fall in love with it all over again. It was honestly everything I hoped it would be.

 

I’ll happily acknowledge ESB as the superior film, but ROTJ is my favorite SW film by a country mile. I love almost everything about it — the sets, the puppets, the eerie night scenes on Dagobah and Endor. (The infamous bikini is the only thing I don’t love, but that’s a story for a different thread.)

I also love that the film retains different strengths for me based on whether or not I decide to ignore the prequels. Either Vader’s origins lie in a wonderfully shadowed, inaccessible past — which has its own appeal to me — or I get to watch Luke face an agonizing moral choice and succeed where Anakin failed.

At the end of the day, though, I love how much of the film — from the rescue at Jabba’s palace to the final reunion on Endor — rests on the little family our heroes built with each other in the face of a violent universe. Corny? Maybe. But I can’t bring myself to be sorry about it.

 

ESB is my favorite but I think you can make a case for all 3 OT films. ANH gets off to a slow start after the opening (not imo but I hear this a lot) but once Luke meets up with Han the movie takes off. A perfect ending. People applauded when Luke blew up the Death Star.

 

Beautifully put. One of my favorite "blink and you miss it" scenes in ROTJ is after the team saves Han, and they split up, with Luke going to visit Yoda, Han says, "Hey Luke, thanks. Thanks for coming after me. Now I owe you one." That one line encapsulates perfectly exactly what you said in your post.

 

I liked the way Lando summed it up years later: "We had each other."

 

The Empire Strikes Back for me.

 

It’s always been ROTS or ESB for me, but for a good few years now it’s been ROTS.

I always find myself going back to watch the prequels before the OT. That’s usually because I do a full rewatch every 6 months, but I’ve never considered just starting from Rogue One or ANH.

In general I think the three OT films slightly edge things in terms of overall quality of each film individually, but as a trilogy I find the prequel era so interesting. Seeing the tragic downfall of Anakin Skywalker is what makes it for me and ultimately this happens in ROTS. Especially we now have all the extra content from TCW, Rebels etc it makes the film all the more tragic for me.

I find that it really elevates the OT, adding depth and emotion to the story

 

Wow, AF83 is getting mellow in her old age.