The Anatomy of Story (58 page)

The Empire Strikes Back

(story by George Lucas, screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan,

1980)

The Empire Strikes Back
is a textbook example of the crosscut weave. To see why the writers might want to use this approach for such a large part of the plot (scenes 25-58), you have to look at the structural requirements of the story. First,
The Empire Strikes Back
is the middle episode of a trilogy that begins with
Star Wars
and ends with
The Return of the Jedi,
so it lacks the opening focus of the first episode, when the main character is introduced, and the closing focus of the third episode, when everything converges in the final battle. The crosscut strategy allows the writers to use the middle story to expand the trilogy to the widest possible scope, in this case, the universe. But they still have to keep narrative drive. And that's made even trickier by the fact that this is a middle episode of a trilogy that must somehow stand on its own.

The crosscut's deepest capability is to compare content, by juxtaposing characters or lines of action. That doesn't happen here. But the film does take advantage of the
plot
capabilities of the crosscut, which are to increase suspense, set up cliffhangers, and jam more action into the limited time a movie has.

The most important reason the writers use the crosscut scene weave here has to do with the hero's development, as it should. In
The Empire Strikes Back,
Luke must undergo extensive training in the ways of "the Force" if he is to become a Jedi Knight and defeat the evil Empire. But that poses a big problem for the writers. Training is only one structure step, and it isn't even one of the crucial twenty-two steps. So making the long training sequence part of a linear scene weave—tracking only Luke—would have stopped the plot in its tracks. By crosscutting Luke's training scenes (listed here in italics) with the big action scenes of Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca escaping Darth Vader's men (listed here underlined), the writers are able to give Luke's training and his character development the time they need without the plot grinding to a halt.

1. Luke and Han patrol the ice planet of Hoth. An ice beast knocks Luke off his tauntaun and drags him away.
Problem

2. Han returns to the rebel base. Chewbacca repairs the
Falcon. Allies

3. Han requests a dismissal to pay off a huge debt to Jabba the Hutt. Han says goodbye to Leia.
Allies

4. Leia and Han argue about their imagined and true feelings for each other.

5. C-3PO and R2-D2 report that Luke is still missing. Han requests a report from the deck officer.
Allies

6. Despite the deck officer's warnings of fatal freezing levels, Han vows to search for Luke.

7. Luke escapes from the ice beast's lair.

8. C-3PO and R2-D2 worry about Luke at the rebel base.

9. Luke struggles to stay alive in the freezing cold. Han searches for him.
Visit to death

10. Leia reluctantly agrees to close the time-locked doors of the base. Chewbacca and the droids fear for Han and Luke.

11. Obi-Wan Kenobi instructs Luke to seek training from Yoda. Han arrives to save Luke.
Inciting event

12. Small rebel fighter planes search for Luke and Han and find them.

13. Luke thanks Han for saving his life. Han and Leia continue their romantic sparring.

14. The general reports a strange signal coming from a new probe on the planet. Han decides to check it out.

15. Han and Chewbacca destroy the imperial probe droid. The general decides to evacuate the planet.
Revelation

16. Darth Vader learns about the report from Hoth. He orders an invasion.
Opponent

17. Han and Chewbacca repair the
Falcon.
Luke says goodbye to them.

18. The rebel general learns of approaching imperial forces. The general deploys an energy shield for protection.

19. Vader kills the hesitant admiral and orders a ground attack of Hoth.
Opponent's plan and attack

20. Imperial forces attack the rebel base. Luke and his team of flyers fight back.
Battle

21. Han and Chewbacca argue as they repair the
F
alcon.
C-3PO says goodbye to R2-D2, who will accompany Luke.

22. Luke's fighter plane crashes. He escapes the walker just before it destroys his plane.
Battle

23. Han orders Leia to board the last transport ship before it leaves. Imperial forces enter the base.

24. Luke blows up an imperial walker while another walker destroys the main power generator.

25. 
Han, Leia, and C-3PO are cut off from the transport ship. They now
r
un to the
Falcon.

26. 
Vader and the imperial forces enter the rebel base. The
Falcon
escapes.

27. Luke and R2-D2 escape from Hoth. Luke informs R2-D2 that they will he traveling to Dagobah. Desire

28. 
With TIE fighters chasing them. Han tries in vain to implement hyperdrive. Han steers the
Falcon
into an asteroid field.

29. 
Luke lands in a barren, desolate. Dagobah swamp. Plan

30. 
Vader orders the imperial fleet to follow the
Falcon
into the asteroid
field.

31. 
C-3PO works on the hyperdrive function. Han and Leia continue their romantic sparring.

32. 
Yoda finds Luke but hides his own identity. Yoda promises to bring Luke to Yoda. Ally

33. 
C-3PO discovers the hyperdrive malfunction. Han and Leia finally kiss.

34. The emperor announces that Luke Skywalker is their new enemy. Vader vows to turn Luke over to the Dark Side.
Opponent's plan

35. 
Yoda reveals himself to Luke as the Jedi master. Yoda worries about Luke's impatience and his commitment. Revelation

36. 
TIE fighters search for the
Falcon
in the asteroid field.

37. 
Han, Leia, and Chewbacca search for life outside the
Falcon.
Han flies the
Falcon
out of a giant serpent.
Revelation, opponent

38. 
Luke trains with Yoda in the swamp. Luke leaves him to face a strange challenge from the Force. Need, drive

39. 
Luke enters a cave and fights with the specter of Darth Vader. Luke cuts off the specter's head and sees his own face. Need, revelation

40. 
Vader instructs bounty hunters to search for the Falcon. The admiral announces that they have found the Falcon.

41. 
TIE fighters chase the
Falcon
out of the asteroid field. Han flies the
Falcon
directly toward the star cruiser.

42. 
The admiral watches the
Falcon
fly directly toward the cruiser. The radar man loses the
Falcon
on the radar screen.

43. 
Luke continues his training. He fails to raise his X-wing fighter from the swamp. Yoda raises it with little trouble. Apparent defeat

44. Vader kills another admiral for his blunder and promotes another officer.

45. 
The
Falcon
hides in the star cruiser's garbage chute. Han decides to make repairs at Lando Calrissian's mining colony.

46. 
Luke foresees Han and Leia in pain in a city in the clouds. Luke wants to save them. Revelation

47. 
Han has trouble landing in Lando's colony. Leia worries about Han's troubled past with Lando.

48. 
Lando greets Han and the others. They discuss their stormy histor
y.
A hidden stormtrooper blows C-3PO apart.
Fake-ally opponent

49. 
Yoda and Kenobi plead with Luke not to stop his training. Luke promises to return after he saves his friends. Attack by ally

50. 
The
Falcon
is almost repaired. Leia worries about missing C-3PO.

51. 
Chewbacca finds C-3PO in the junk pile. Lando flirts with Leia.

52. 
Lando explains his operations to Han and Leia. Lando leads the unwitting pair to Darth Vader.

53. 
Luke nears the mining colony. Drive

54. 
In a jail cell. Chewbacca repairs C-3PO.

55. Vader promises to give Han's body to the bounty hunter. Lando complains about the changes to their deal.
Opponent's plan and attack

56. 
Lando explains the arrangement to Han and Leia. Han hits Lando. Lando claims that he did what he could.

57. Vader inspects a carbon-freezing cell meant for Luke. Vader promises to test it on Han first.
Opponent's plan

58. 
Luke approaches the colony.

59. Vader prepares to freeze Han. Leia tells Han that she loves him. Han survives the freezing process.
Opponent's attack

60. Luke battles stormtroopers. Leia warns Luke about the trap. Luke explores a passageway.

61. Luke finds Vader in the carbon-freezing chamber. They battle with their light sabers.
Battle

62. Lando's men free Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO. Lando tries to explain his predicament. They rush to save Han.

63. The bounty hunter loads Han's body into his spaceship and leaves. The rebels fight the imperial soldiers.

64. Luke and Vader continue their battle. Luke escapes the freezing chamber. Pressurized air sucks Luke into an airshaft.
Battle