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Film · The Star Wars question · Take No. 007

Empire or A New Hope?

The original built the universe. The sequel gave it its soul and its most famous line. Pick the better Star Wars film, and you've told everyone what you think movies are for.

The case for each side, then the verdict. Then the floor is yours.
The case for

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Kershner · Hoth · Dagobah · Cloud City

  • 1Line of dialogue that changed cinema: 'No, I am your father.' Still the twist all twists are measured against.
  • 3Storylines braided at once: Luke's training, Han and Leia's flight, Vader's hunt. The structure is the lesson.
  • 0Victories. The heroes lose, Han is frozen, Luke loses a hand. The bravest ending a blockbuster has had.
vs
The case for

Star Wars (1977)

Lucas · Tatooine · the Death Star · the medal ceremony

  • 6Oscars, and a run that made it the highest-grossing film of all time.
  • 1Self-contained story. Beginning, middle, end, medals. It needs no sequel to make sense.
  • 100%Of the universe comes from here: the Force, the droids, the score, the opening crawl. Everything after is a footnote.

Cast your take

——
The verdict

It's Empire. A New Hope built the house; Empire made it worth living in.

Without the first film there is nothing, and its joy is real: it's the one people fell in love with. 'Inventing it' is a strong card.

But the question is which film is better, and Empire is the better-written, better-directed, better-acted picture, with the one scene the whole culture remembers. It's the rare sequel that improved everything it touched. Empire.

Disagree? That's what the buttons are for.

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