CT Chewbacca and Leia on Bespin

When were their lives threatened? The Empire threatened occupation, which they did anyway. I see your point but I still think he could have secretly warned them. the movie also shows Lando announcing an evacuation, which he could have done sooner. The movie is showing us that he is changing and no longer thinking of himself.

 

Personally I saw it as Lando getting more and more desperate because Vader keeps breaking his word, until finally Vader pushed Lando past his breaking point so Lando decided to take a huge risk.

 

I think there was something of Lando having a good thing and not wanting to give it up as well. You can see him changing throughout the movie as he realizes his deal with the devil and by movie's end he's one of the good guys.

 

I don't see an issue with the scene. Chewie has an expected reaction as his best friend just got frozen in carbonite. Leia uses Chewie's reaction as an opportunity to see if they can trust him enough to get out of there, or if he's leading them into another setup. All they have seen from Lando at this point was when they landed and he delayed greeting them, and then him turning them over to the Empire. Not much of a track record at that point. Chewie and Leia don't know that Vader has continually altered the deal with Lando.

As far as Lando goes, I don't see this as Lando changing. This is Lando, realizing no matter what he does he's screwed, and taking action to save his own butt. He's come up with a plan, and he knows to get out of there he's going to need Chewie's and Leia's help. He announces the Empire's occupation to cause panic and make it easier for them to get to the Falcon. When they're on the Falcon, he's even opposed to swinging back to get Luke. He just wants to get away from Bespin.

 

But they play the heroic Lando's theme when he makes the announcement, sort of a musical cue that he is doing a noble thing.

 

Just may be Leia knew Chewie wouldn't really kill Lando, Chewie was furious and he really wanted to throttle Lando but remember he's always been Han's moral compass.

 

Agreed even as a kid I didn't think Leia would let Chewie kill Lando.

 

It’s interesting, because the scene really serves as an interaction with the audience. We all want Chewie and Leia to listen to Lando so they can save Han, but they don’t and we want to shake them out of it for the sake of saving Han. It engages the audience. It encourages us to play a part. I judge it an exceptionally successful scene based on the OP’s surprise at our heroes behavior. Certainly well-crafted and a great example of visual, visceral storytelling.

 

I never realized how much people are unwilling to criticize Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo and Chewbacca for their questionable actions, reactions or behavior. This scenario on Cloud City is a prime example to me of this attitude by many fans.

 

Well, he kinda has to warn the people. He’s the leader after all. If the enemy occupies your country and you don’t tell the people, well, that makes you incompetent at best and a Quisling at worse.

They all made mistakes that played right into the Empire’s hands. The fact they all somehow got out of there alive (yes, even Han despite his state as a captured frozen ice-man) is a miracle.