The Story
The
film opens with the familiar preface: "A long time ago in a
galaxy far, far away..." A scrolling roll-up disappears into
infinity in the stars as it describes the time-period:
It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the
Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the
Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the
galaxy. Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom
fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base
on the remote ice world of Hoth. The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed
with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote
probes into the far reaches of space...
With the destruction of the Death Star, heroic Luke
Skywalker (Mark Hamill), with the help of the mysterious Force, has
joined with the other surviving Rebels to escape the Empire's wrath,
with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and other freedom fighters, on
the bleak and frigid planet of Hoth. Probe droids were dispatched
by Darth Vader to locate the hidden rebels. One of the many remote
probes crash-lands on the desolate icy and frozen world of Hoth,
and then rises up out of its crater to begin its search by floating
across the ice plain. As Luke rides across the same cold and lonely
ice plain of Hoth on his Tauntaun (snow lizard), he sees an object,
thinking it might be a meteorite, drop from the sky through his pair
of electro-binoculars. He sends a com-link message to Han Solo (Harrison
Ford), reporting that he hasn't picked up any "life-readings" --
Han jokes back: "There isn't enough life on this ice cube to
fill a star cruiser." But Luke plans on checking out the meteorite.
As he steadies his beast, he turns to see a monstrous Wampa snow
creature (Des Webb) towering over him - a big white claw swats him
and he is knocked unconscious. His mount is killed and he is then
dragged across the ice.
The hidden Rebel base is located in a large ice cave,
where Han Solo has just returned from his own scouting expedition.
His Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca ("Chewie") (Peter Mayhew)
is making welding repairs to the lifters of their damaged freighter
ship The Millennium Falcon. In the Command Center, Han finds
the Rebel Force General Rieekan (Bruce Boa), and reports on his mission,
and then explains that he is now forced to leave - to pay off a debt
from a previous smuggling operation, with bounty hunters on his trail:
There's a price on my head. If I don't pay off Jabba
the Hutt, I'm a dead man.
Rieekan thanks Solo for being such a good fighter.
Solo then says goodbye to the Princess, who is frosty about his sudden
departure, although she follows after him in an icy, south passage
corridor and tells him with a mixture of emotional and professional
sentiment: "Han, we need you!...You're a great help to us. You're
a natural leader." He imagines that she has feelings for him,
and challenges her to give him a good-bye kiss:
Han: Afraid I was gonna leave without giving you
a good-bye kiss?
Princess (retorting): I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee.
Han: I can arrange that! You could use a good kiss!
They both storm away from each other. In the hangar,
the two droids: round, beeping R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and tall, golden
C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), alert Han to the fact that Commander Luke
Skywalker hasn't returned, and it's getting dark and colder: "He
hasn't come back yet...Nobody knows where he is." C-3PO believes
Luke is "in considerable danger." Han Solo leaps onto the
back of a Tauntaun and rides out into a cold blizzard to rescue his
friend. Meanwhile, Luke awakes finding himself upside down, frozen
by his boots and hanging like a human stalactite from a jagged cave
ceiling within an ice gorge. His face is both swollen and bloody.
He hears the moaning, grumbling roar of the Wampa ice monster in
the distance, and sees his own out-of-reach light-saber half-buried
in the snow nearby. As he desperately tries to reach it, he concentrates
and uses the Force to propel it into his hands. He ignites the sword,
cuts himself loose with one slash, and confronts the hungry, white-furred
Wampa looming toward him - with one swing, he amputates the right
arm of the beast and then flees, stumbling into the frigidly-cold
exterior. At the same time, Han is riding through the snow searching
for him, but finds nothing. As the base's shield doors are about
to be closed for the night, C-3PO reports that R2-D2 predicts "the
chances of survival are 725 to 1." The Wookiee lets out a distressing
howl.
Luke collapses into the snow, feeling the freezing
cold zapping all of his strength. As his senses go numb, he hears
Ben 'Obi-Wan' Kenobi (Alec Guinness) speaking before him in a faint
snowy vision, instructing him to become the Rebellion's only hope:
Luke, Luke...You will go to the Dagobah system...There
you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi master who instructed me.
Han locates the unconscious Luke in the snow, and rushes
to his side: "Don't do this, Luke. Come on, give me a sign here." At
that moment, his Tauntaun bellows and falls over dead, frozen by
the cold. Solo drags the delusionary Luke to the beast's side, cuts
open its belly with the light-saber, and stuffs the half-frozen Luke
into the steaming carcass insides to keep him warm, and then constructs
a shelter for them from supplies on the dead beast's back. The next
morning after the sun rises, a fleet of snow-speeders leaves the
Rebel base on a search/rescue mission, and one of the young pilots
on Rogue Two locates them (Han sarcastically jokes: "Nice of
you guys to drop by") and reports their sighting. The two are
brought back to the base, where Luke is treated in the medical center.
He is placed in a healing substance within a rejuvenation chamber-tank
to heal his wounds. For saving his life again, Han reminds the recovering
Luke: "That's two you owe me, junior." There is another
delay in Han's plans to leave - General Rieekan believes it is simply
too dangerous for any ship to leave the base until their energy field
is activated.
In a consultation within the Rebel's Command Center,
there are findings that a sensor is reporting a disturbance and unusual
signal coming from an unidentified metal object (the Imperial probe
droid) at Station 38. C-3PO surmises: "It could be an Imperial
code." Solo is also suspicious: "It isn't friendly, whatever
it is. Come on, Chewie, let's check it out." Out on the ice
plain where the robotic device is located (and receiving instructions
through its antennae), the hostile droid fires with its deadly laser
ray upon Chewbacca ducking behind a snowbank as a diversion. From
behind, Han blasts the droid and it explodes into many pieces, possibly
from an additional self-destruct mechanism. Princess Leia knows it
is an Imperial probe droid that notified the Empire of their location
when it was destroyed. Rieekan orders the start of the evacuation
of the Rebel base.
Light years away on the Imperial fleet on Darth Vader's
(David Prowse/voice of James Earl Jones) command ship the Executor leading
the way through space with Imperial Star Destroyers and TIE fighters
alongside, Imperial Force Admiral Piett (Kenneth Colley) reports
to angry and skeptical Admiral Ozzel (Michael Sheard) about a fragment
of a signal from a probe droid in the Hoth system, a possible life-reading.
The dark figure of Darth Vader strides forward and asks: "You've
found something?" Vader examines the signal's image and confirms:
That's it. The rebels are there...That is the system.
And I'm sure Skywalker is with them. Set your course for the Hoth
system.
He then orders General Veers (Julian Glover) to prepare
his men. Meanwhile, evacuation measures are being undertaken at the
base, and Han makes last-minute, unsuccessful repairs to The
Millennium Falcon, as sensors in the Command Center detect approaching
Imperial ships: "There's a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out
of hyperspace in Sector Four." General Rieekan orders rerouting
of all power to the energy shields, and preparations for a ground
assault.
On Vader's command ship, General Veers interrupts Darth
Vader in a sealed meditation chamber with news: "Com-Scan has
detected an energy field protecting an area of the sixth planet of
the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment." Angered,
Darth Vader knows that the rebels are alerted to their presence.
He is furious that clumsy and stupid Admiral Ozzel came out of light-speed
too close to the system. He orders Veers: "Prepare your troops
for a surface attack." On a view-screen, Vader reprimands Ozzel
and chokes him with an invisible hand. As his commander gags to death,
Captain Piett is promoted to Admiral and given command of the troops,
and ordered to make sure none of the Rebel fleet escape from the
planet.
Meanwhile, Princess Leia briefs the Rebel pilots about
their duties (X-wing fighters escorting transport ships would pass
by the energy shield and proceed to a rendezvous point), while exterior
ground troops prepare to defend the main generator that powers the
energy shield. The first of the transport ships slip through the
opened energy shield, as an ion cannon fires to protect it against
hovering Imperial Star Destroyers. On the planet's surface, Luke
and other pilots on Rebel snow-speeders are readied for the ground
assault against gigantic, tall, four-legged, lumbering armored machines
of Imperial destruction called Snow-Walkers, spitting laser-fire.
Inside the lead Walker, General Veers surveys the battle and his
ultimate target -- the Rebel's main generator, and promises Vader: "The
shield will be down in moments." Rebel troops fight off the
onslaught, but the Imperial fire-power is too great. Luke suggests
using harpoons and tow cables to aim for the Walker-legs - to tangle
and trip them, topple them to the ground, and then cause them to
explode by aiming at the Walkers' exposed necks. Princess Leia orders
evacuation of the remaining ground staff, as Han and Chewie make
final repairs to their Falcon. And Veers orders his troops
to prepare for a ground assault, now that they are closing in. During
a pass at another Walker, Luke's craft is hit and his snow-speeder
crash-lands in front of the huge feet of an approaching machine.
He snatches a land-mine before his ship is crushed, runs under the
Walker, fires a magnetic cable from his harpoon gun at its metal
underbelly, and hoists himself up. He cuts open a hatch in the armor
with his light-saber and throws the land-mine into the machine to
blast it to pieces. It is the second Walker to fall - but he is left
behind in the snow.
The Rebel base is taking heavy fire and is in shambles,
crumbling and cracking, as everyone evacuates and the relentless
Imperial troops enter, while the remaining Walkers press forward.
In the devastated Command Center, Solo encourages C-3PO and Princess
Leia, who called for retreat, to get to the last transport, but their
way is blocked by a chunk of frozen ice. He races with her to the Falcon as
the base is infiltrated by storm-troopers - followed by the ominous
figure of Darth Vader. Veers watches as the Rebel's main generator
is targeted and fired upon, causing it to disintegrate and eliminate
the energy field. Solo, C-3PO and the Princess reach the Falcon (although
the Princess has doubts: "Would it help if I got out and pushed?")
and lift off from the hangar just in time, evading a laser cannon
set up by the Imperial stormtroopers. Outside, Luke watches as it
streaks past and flies off - he races to his own X-wing fighter awaiting
him (with R2-D2) and takes off - but decides to set a new course: "We're
not gonna regroup with the others. We're going to the Dagobah system." TIE
fighters and two oncoming Imperial Star Destroyers are in pursuit
of the Falcon, but Han is able to cleverly outmaneuver them
with a steep dive, and he dodges the ships. But he is unable to activate
the hyper-drive to jump to light-speed. Han notes the malfunctioning
hyperdrive: "We're in trouble." He decides to enter an
approaching asteroid field to evade his followers, and shrugs when
Leia is disbelieving - he responds: "They'd be crazy to follow
us, wouldn't they?" Although pursued by four TIE fighters, his
strategy is only partially-successful - two of them are blind-sided
by spinning asteroids. Han then decides to fly his freighter lower
into the canyon-like depths of one of the large asteroid craters,
and then takes refuge in a long cave-tunnel on the crater's far side,
after the remaining two TIE fighters collide with each other in a
narrow ravine.
In his fighter, Luke descends into the cloud-covered
atmosphere of Dagobah, after determining it has "massive life-form
readings," but no cities or technology. But he loses flight
control as the scopes go dead and he lands with a jolt in a foggy,
marshy bog, surrounded by huge gnarled trees. He is uninjured, but
R-2 falls overboard and splashes into the water, where a swamp creature
takes him under, but then spits him out onto the mossy, misty shore.
Shaken, Luke has climbed out of his ship and is able to help upright
R2, who complains that it was a "bad idea" to come there.
Luke thinks: "It's like something out of a dream, or...maybe
I'm just going crazy."
On board Vader's command ship the Executor,
Admiral Piett approaches Vader's meditation chamber and catches a
brief glimpse of the back of the Dark Lord's scarred head, as his
helmet is put into place. He reports a sighting of the Millennium
Falcon in the asteroid field, but Vader is unperturbed: "Asteroids
do not concern me, Admiral. I want that ship, not excuses." Vader
is certain that the crew of the Falcon is still alive. He
orders continued sweeping of the asteroid field until they are found.
Luke retrieves supplies from his downed, half-submerged X-wing fighter,
and then in a clearing of dry ground, Luke sets up camp, powers up
R2-D2, and then mutters:
Now, all I've gotta do is find this Yoda, if he even
exists. It's really a strange place to find a Jedi master. This
place gives me the creeps. Still, there's something familiar about
this place.
Feeling like he is being watched from the dark trees,
he suddenly whirls around to face an odd, dwarfish creature about
two feet tall, dressed in rags. The little but aged, wizened, greenish
fellow has large bright eyes and pointy ears, and assures Luke who
has a blaster in his hand: "I mean you no harm." Luke explains
how he is looking for "a great warrior" -- the creature
scampers down into Luke's food supply, makes a mess of his equipment,
and tries to steal a tiny glowing power lamp or rod, after he replies: "Wars
not make one great." When Luke specifies: "I'm looking
for a Jedi master," the impish dwarf's eyes light up, and he
proposes taking Luke into the fog to seek Yoda:
Oh, Jedi master. Yoda. You seek Yoda...Take you
to him I will. Yes, yes, but now we must eat. Come! Good food.
Come!
Back on the Falcon, they soon find themselves
in an unstable environment, with a malfunctioning hyperdrive. Han
seeks out C-3PO's advice on how to repair the Falcon's hyperdrive,
and learns the negative power coupling needs replacement. Solo finds
Leia trying to help by opening a stuck energy valve. She admits he
is all right when he doesn't spitefully call her "Your Worship," or
act like a "scoundrel." Han tells her that he likes the
sound of that epithet, and claims that he is a "nice man" -
who deserves a kiss, although she mildly protests but reciprocates
after he coaxes her:
Han: Hey, Your Worship, I'm only trying to help.
Princess: Would you please stop calling me that?
Han: Sure, Leia.
Princess: You make it so difficult sometimes.
Han: I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. Come
on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right.
Princess: Occasionally, maybe, when you aren't acting like a scoundrel.
Han: Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that. (He
rubs her hand)
Princess: Stop that.
Han: Stop what?
Princess: Stop that. My hands are dirty.
Han: My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?
Princess: Afraid?
Han: You're trembling.
Princess: I'm not trembling.
Han: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels
in your life. (He comes in close for a kiss)
Princess: I happen to like nice men.
Han: I'm a nice man.
Princess: No, you're not. You're --- (They kiss)
They are interrupted by C-3PO's cheerful, inopportune
joy about repairing the ship and isolating the reverse power flux
coupling.
Vader is summoned to alone speak to the commanding
ruler of the galaxy, the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid/voice of Clive Revill)
himself - a giant hologram, although the Emperor's face is hidden
in a dark, hooded robe. The Emperor's voice is fearsome as he warns:
Emperor: There is a great disturbance in the Force.
Vader: I have felt it.
Emperor: We have a new enemy, the young rebel who destroyed the Death
Star. I have no doubt this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker.
Vader: How is that possible?
Emperor: Search your feelings, Lord Vader. You will know it to be
true. He could destroy us.
Vader: He's just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him.
Emperor: The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must
not become a Jedi.
Vader: If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally.
Emperor: Yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?
Vader (promising with a stern oath as he bows and kneels): He will
join us or die, master.
The wizened imp leads Luke to his peculiar little clay
hovel during a downpour, where the small friendly creature serves
a strange meal, but Luke is impatient to see Yoda and thinks he was
wasting his time. The creature asks: "Why wish you become Jedi?" and
Luke answers: "Mostly because of my father, I guess." The
creature wearily mutters to himself as he turns away and speaks to
Ben:
Yoda: I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.
Ben's voice: He will learn patience.
Yoda: Hmm. Much anger in him, like his father.
Ben's voice: Was I any different when you taught me?
Yoda: No. He is not ready.
Luke: Yoda! I am ready. Ben - I can be a Jedi - Ben, tell him I'm
-
Luke then realizes the creature is indeed Yoda, and
is eagerly ready to be trained as a Jedi, but Yoda is contemptuous
and accuses Luke of being only a dreamer of adventure, and reckless:
Yoda: Ready, are you? What know you ready? For 800
years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is
to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, hmm? The
most serious mind. (To Ben) This one a long time have I watched.
All his life has he looked away to the future, to the horizon.
Never his mind on where he was, hmm? What he was doing. Hmph! Adventure.
Ha! Excitement. Ha! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!
Ben's voice: So was I, if you remember.
Yoda: He is too old. Yes, too old to begin the training.
Luke: But I've learned so much.
Yoda: Ahh. (To Ben) Will he finish what he begins?
Luke: I won't fail you. I'm not afraid.
Yoda (ominously): Oh, You will be. You will be.
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