Everyone knows and loves The Empire Strikes Back. It's the darkest entry in the original Star Wars trilogy, but also the most creative, thrilling, and all around entertaining. But its iconic ending almost had a very different tone.
As Star Wars fans know, The Empire Strikes Back ends with a nebula shot that is a very nourishing and reassuring, as it establishes that even when are heroes are at their lowest, there's still hope. There's always that chance that it'll get better, and that chance is worth fighting for. However, at one point the film left off on a downer climax that wouldn't have worked as well, as the closing moments offer the perfect segue to Return of the Jedi.
Mark Hamill explains that the famous closing shot of Luke, Leia, C-3PO and R2-D2 staring at a gorgeous nebula was a late addition. They went back to add the shot four months after principal photography, after concerns that the film had too downbeat of an ending. Considering how The Empire Strikes Back ends with Luke learning that Darth Vader is his father, and with Han Solo frozen and sold to Jabba the Hutt, it makes sense that the overwhelming darkness would be a concern.
Of course, it should be noted that George Lucas is infamous for making changes to Star Wars films at the last moment, and then some. His Special Editions of the Star Wars trilogy are easily the most hated director's cuts in history, as they remain the only convenient way to watch these movies. If you want to watch the original versions, fans will either have to download a fan-edit, or invest in an old VHS or LaserDisc.
The changes Lucas made through the late '90s and 2000s do not have the spark of genius of Empire's nebula shot. Most of the CGI add-ins are distracting and take away from the timeless practical effects on display. The worst moment has to be the "Jedi Rocks" musical number in Return of the Jedi, as the Special Edition's version is downright embarrassing. Most of the changes made to The Empire Strikes Back aren't so bad, as the CG shots of Cloud City are easily an improvement, but generally the theatrical cut is still superior.
Fans will never know for sure why Lucas decided to hide the original cuts of his work. Now that Disney owns these versions, they ought to release them at some point. But despite all of that, there was a time when Lucas was right to change Star Wars, and this shot is what truly cemented The Empire Strikes Back as one of the best Star Wars films, and one of the best films in history.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is now streaming on Disney Plus.
Source: Mark Hamill