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Rating: 1983. Three years after the release in theaters of the sequel to Star Wars (The Empire Strikes Back) it was time for the most personal, special-effect-laden, and fast-paced film of the series: "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi."
The narrative line picks up from where it was left off in the previous film. Luke Skywalker, after discovering the dreadful truth about his father, is determined to become a Jedi and redeem Darth Vader, freeing him from the Emperor's grasp. However, he does not know that the latter has secretly manufactured once again the feared weapon of destruction that gave the rebels trouble in the first episode (now the fourth). The discovery by the alliance that fights to restore freedom to the galaxy leads Luke and his friends on a secret mission that will determine the victory or total defeat of freedom. The plot is deeper and more individualistic than the other episodes, and for the first time, a slave rather than enslaver Darth Vader is presented. A slave to his passions and feelings, which inexorably led him to be a prisoner of the evil Emperor’s will. The man beneath the mask is then revealed, the once powerful Jedi called Anakin Skywalker. The tragedy of the "dark father" (Darth Vader, pronounced in English sounds much like Dark father) is thus revealed in all its completeness to Luke, thirsty for truth and disillusioned, by the same character who hid it from him in the first episode, namely Anakin's old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. This makes it clear that the time has come for everything. Old lies are broken. Everything begins to fit together, the truth comes to the surface, ancient mysteries are revealed.
Viewers manage to understand that by now the fate of the rigid intergalactic Empire is tied only to the survival of evil, thus to the Emperor and Darth Vader. When good returns in Darth Vader through compassion for his son, that same Darth Vader will die, and the old Jedi spirit of Anakin Skywalker will resurrect. Therefore, Anakin in this way destroys the Emperor and his own mask that had brought so much harm. To conclude the work, the rebels destroy the Emperor's weapon ("Death Star") and thus the Empire. And thanks to the Force and the good, freedom returns to the galaxy and they will all live happily ever after. Ah, how I love these endings, even if repetitive. Endings where there's a happy conclusion, where good triumphs over evil and the previously presented problems are resolved. Endings that highlight the noble parts of men (in the case of Star Wars, of all the peoples of the galaxy), such as love, justice, courage, boldness, temperance, heroism, brotherhood. So it was for this film, which from a plot standpoint satisfies and gratifies even the most reluctant viewer. Afterwards, like almost all films, this one too has its flaws, which fortunately do not excessively involve me in judging it. The first, speaking of plot, is represented by the presence of furry little creatures called "Ewoks." Personally, I do not criticize George Lucas's good intentions of demonstrating how even such tiny beings can determine the fate of the gigantic galaxy. Rather, I criticize the somewhat laughable ways in which they fight and destroy the Imperial troops on Endor’s moon. Perhaps it was to add some humor in such a dramatic situation as that of Luke and his father, but done in this way the film loses seriousness. Fortunately, only in that part of the film where they are present. But this leads me to criticize (the only case in the old Star Wars trilogy) the direction.
Although unintentionally, the blame for this is 50% attributed to George Lucas. Due to the pressure that the actors' unions exerted on George (because in the first two episodes he had not included the opening credits, nor in the third), he and his contact at Fox (Alan Ladd Jr.) were forced to leave the union. This led poor Lucas to have to give up producer Gary Kurtz, who had always courageously accompanied him in the first two episodes, and also give up his first choice in director: his old friend Steven Spielberg. In his place then (since Lucas had once again abdicated the role of director) a little-known Welsh director was chosen: Richard Marquand. Richard Marquand, being rather inexperienced with special effects (and being a Star Wars film there were lots of them), was only entrusted with the role of bringing the story to the screen and focusing on the actors' performances. The special effects and the rest would have been taken care of by Lucas, ILM, and company. This discussion, however, led Marquand to have a somewhat too marked directorial ease (knowing that the others would do everything else) and consequently, the final product faded. Unfortunately for everyone, direction is a very critical factor in the outcome of a film, and if it is not strong enough, it will be difficult for the film to be so as well. Should we then consider "Return of the Jedi" a film not up to the saga? Absolutely not! Because the direction is a bit weak, but it is not nonexistent. And then the plot, the scenery, the excellent music, and the usual effects save the product by far. So "Return of the Jedi," personally at least, I consider it a film a few millimeters lower than the previous episodes, but also a film of technical and artistic value, with breathtaking scenes (think of the time it was released), a masterpiece soundtrack, and a story full of good ideas. To render completeness worthy of a true cinema saga that has marked history and our hearts, I now proceed with my usual structured analysis, divided by seven cinematic areas:
- DIRECTION: As I have already mentioned earlier, Richard Marquand in this film has too light a touch and as a result, the entire film suffers from it. Not enough, however, to label it incompetent. It's just that "Star Wars" demands more than a simple on-screen adaptation of the script’s words. Despite numerous flaws, in the end, this direction can even be appreciated. With moderation.
- SCREENPLAY: Lawrence Kasdan, already tested with "The Empire Strikes Back," writes together with George Lucas a less elaborate and sophisticated screenplay than the philosophical one of the previous episode, leaning towards a simpler and more linear development. The real lack in the story presented in this film is that... of space. Indeed, this is the most static episode of the entire saga, and the absence of space is felt for a while. But then the battle against the Death Star gives a good breath of fresh air. Unforgettable is the encounter with the disgusting gangster Jabba The Hutt, who dies among the same chains he puts on slaves, in this case, the (decidedly scantily clad) Princess Leia, guilty of trying to free her true love, Han Solo. That she was revealed as Luke's sister is only a device to tidy up the complicated Luke-Han-Leia relationship. So everyone lives happily ever after (how I like it!).
- SET DESIGN AND COSTUMES: I don’t know if at the end of the film I remembered more the costume of Princess Leia, Jabba the Hutt eating (bleah), the Death Star, or Lando Calrissian's co-pilot (in this episode, switched to the side of the good, redeems his past actions). Or perhaps the terrifying Emperor, or that shuttle with the wings sticking out and one on top, making that strange rumble… Whatever it is, one thing is for sure: Star Wars films always offer us something new, every time we watch them. Every time I rewatch one, I notice some detail I hadn't noticed before. This leads to the assertion that setting a story in space is always winning, because, if and only if you have good ideas, you can use them as you please, without worrying about the limits we have on Earth: in space, you can break them and be free because it is infinite. This is what the rebels do and what the Star Wars story ultimately teaches: in a limitless world, freedom cannot be imprisoned, as the Empire did. Which indeed falls. A very precious aid to render this absence of limits comes from the set design. If you can convince yourself of this spontaneously, watching Star Wars, it means the set designers have worked well. And since it is so... a nomination (unfortunately not won) for the 1983 Oscars (I miss the days when the Star Wars saga was recognized at the Oscars).
- ACTORS: Nothing new, on all fronts. The actors are honest and do their job. No more, no less. They were never the driving force of the saga anyway. Note of merit for the voice of Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) and the fantastic Emperor (Ian McDiarmid).
- VISUAL EFFECTS: the battle against the Death Star and the Imperial fleet has become legendary. No one matched it until today, where special effects are now mature and no longer pioneering (but still very real and successful) like those of Star Wars. Also unmissable is the motospeeder chase through the forests of Endor’s moon. ILM, as it has always accustomed us since its birth, fills us with grand and high-quality effects. They received the much-deserved Oscar award.
- EDITING: The editing, given the final battle and the moments of high speed in the narration, becomes more frenetic and fast, remaining nonetheless fluid and orderly. It’s the favorite post-production phase of George Lucas. The results are always excellent.
- MUSIC: John Williams composes a "bomb" soundtrack for this chapter, which retrieves all the musical themes from the previous films and combines them with new melodies in a skillful and intelligent mixture. The Emperor's theme is the most remembered, along with the Imperial March, already presented in "The Empire Strikes Back." The soundtrack was never released on vinyl, due to the rapid advancement of CDs. Today it can (it must) be found on CD. The battle of Endor is a symphony of more than 20 minutes!
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