Star Wars “The Force Looks Back” Pt. V: ‘Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)

A day later, Han and company find themselves betrayed by Calrissian who was approached by the Empire before the Rebels’ arrival and threatened him and the city unless he cooperated. They became the captives of Darth Vader, who proceeds to torture Han and Leia to create a disturbance in the Force for Luke to detect.

That afternoon, Vader enters a carbon-freezing chamber intending to freeze Luke Skywalker once he arrives. The Dark Lord uses the opportunity for Boba Fett to deliver Solo to Jabba the Hutt (to whom Han owed a debt) by testing the device on Solo himself. Han and company enter the chamber for the experiment. At first, Chewbacca resists the stormtroopers, but Han restrains him, saving his strength for another time. Han says goodbye to Leia with a passionate kiss before he is escalated into the carbon freezing chamber. When he is successfully entombed in carbonite in a state of suspended animation, Vader hands over Han to bounty hunter Boba Fett for transportation to Tatooine to receive a bounty from Jabba. One of the Imperial commanders informs Vader that Luke’s starfighter has arrived on Bespin. The Dark Lord orders Lando to take Leia, Chewbacca, and Threepio to his Star Destroyer, reneging on a deal he made with Lando. But the Cloud City administrator has other plans.

V. Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader
After the freezing of Han Solo, Leia, and the others being taken prisoner Luke would find his way below the Cloud City. He would find Darth Vader waiting to challenge Luke Skywalker. This battle was a battle of struggle for the young Jedi and revelation for the Dark Lord. Luke struggled with the issues of not being about to control his emotions of the force. Darth Vader would have to teach the young Jedi a lesson in on the “wrong side” and a secret that has been hidden from him. As they battle in the corridors of Cloud City, Vader would search for the hiding Luke Skywalker. After a short break meeting up with Leia and the others, they try to escape the Imperials and Cloud City, but Vader finds Luke to continue the duel. You can see that a lesson of tough love is implemented in this battle as Vader ups the ante against young Skywalker.

Vader manages to cut off Luke’s right hand, which then falls (along with the lightsaber which the hand grasped) into an abyss. In what has become one of the most memorable scenes in cinema history, Vader reveals to Luke the truth about his father:

Darth Vader: “Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.“

Luke Skywalker: “He told me enough! He told me you killed him!“

Darth Vader: “No, I am your father.“

―Vader and Luke, on Cloud City

A horrified Luke screams in denial. Vader attempts to persuade Luke to join him and embrace the Dark Side to defeat the Emperor. However, Luke chooses suicide over being corrupted and throws himself down a deep shaft.

The Rebel Alliance would regroup preparing for the final attack on the Empire and finally take them down. Leia and Luke contemplated their plan to save Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. Tough love is the lesson of this movie, especially the way Vader shows it. He cut Luke’s hand off, but sent the message that Luke will join the Empire even if it’s by force. The relationship between friends also shown the tough love with Solo and Lando as even being forced to go against your friends some time a decision has to be made. Even with Lando’s eventual turn to help Leia and the others you knew his intentions were for the good of the city.

Next the final part of the ‘Force Looks Back’ series, ‘The Return of the Jedi’ featuring Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader pt. II