Even after 11 live-action movies and an ever-growing list of shows, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back still stands as the pinnacle of Star Wars. The movie perfectly took the groundwork of Star Wars: A New Hope and developed it with some huge twists and turns. But, despite standing as one of the darker movies in the franchise, Empire Strikes Back was originally going to have a far sadder ending.
At the end of Empire Strikes Back, the Rebel Alliance flees from the Empire, Luke discovers Darth Vader is his father and the crew loses Han Solo to Boba Fett. However, despite the losses, the movie ends on a more upbeat note. Lando sets off to find Han, while the rest of the crew gathers their strength in a medical bay as a hopeful John Williams song plays. But that wasn't always going to be the case, as those hopeful moments were added on after filming had wrapped.
Two Twitter users recently discussed Empire Strike's Back's closing moment, and one even asked Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill for his take on it. Hamill replied, saying, "Filmed 4 months after we wrapped principle photography on ESB, it wasn't a 're-shoot,' it was an added scene. Concerned about the downbeat ending & thorough defeat of the protagonists, they wanted to add an uplifting moment of hope and rejuvenation to reassure the audience."
Hamill's comments suggest that originally, the Millennium Falcon rescues Luke, avoids the TIE Fighters and escapes from the clutches of the Super Star Destroyer as the movie ends. But the studio's concerns about how the dark ending would do commercially changed things, which is certainly understandable. Yet, there's an argument to be made that the original ending would've improved the film because it sticks closer to its overall tone. From start to finish, The Empire Strikes Back is full of setbacks and failures. Despite the hopeful ending of A New Hope, the Empire remained as powerful as ever and forced Echo Base to evacuate from Hoth. Then, with the Empire's arrival at Cloud City, the villains continue to be one step ahead.
Luke's story is also full of failure. The film opens with him being attacked by a Wampa, which he likely would've died from if it wasn't for Han. Then, during his training with Yoda, he often disregards the master's teachings and fails to lift his X-Wing. And while going to save his friends was the morally right thing to do, he doesn't even succeed in his mission, instead ending up hanging from an antenna after losing a hand.
Death and tragedy haunt the heroes all throughout the movie, and so ending on a positive note does feel somewhat out of place. The sadness of losing Han is lost after Lando flies off to rescue him, and the impact of Luke's missing hand goes away once it's rebuilt. So, while Empire Strike's Back's original ending may have been a bit too much for audiences, wrapping on a darker note would've fit perfectly.
Source: Trendz OH
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