There are very few movies, or movie franchises, that has its very own day of the year. STAR WARS has had for years now a claim on May the 4th; a date chosen for the pun on the catchphrase May the Force be with you…leading generations of fans to say May the Fourth be with you. May the 4thhas become an un-official holiday for fans and serves as a kickoff for what many consider to be STAR WARS Month; a month that culminates in the anniversary of the first film, May 25th.
When STAR WARS exploded onto screens and soared into our hearts in that glorious spring of 1977, it changed the film industry and literally the culture of the world. It was a movie, but a grand one. Movies are made of scenes, and with May 4th now in our sights, Reel Speak has taken on the task of ranking the Best Scenes from all the STAR WARS films. The criteria are (1) the importance of the scene to its film and the entire saga, and (2), cultural impact.
So let’s punch it.
10. Battle of Yavin : A NEW HOPE
The climactic battle to destroy the dreaded Death Star with 20 or so small Rebel fighters put the exclamation point on the first STAR WARS film. Modeled after WWII film of aerial dogfights, the battle was a spectacular scene which thrilled audiences, and after 40 years it still looks and works great. Despite the large spectacle, it never loses sight of its characters, and allows heroes Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to rise to the occasion.
9. Her Resistance to the Mind Probe: THE FORCE AWAKENS
The new generation of STAR WARS movies found their hero in Rey, a young woman from a junkyard of a planet with a shrouded past. When she is captured, Vader-worshipper Kylo Ren attempts to extract information from her mind…but Rey resists, and the attempt literally awakens the Force in her. It is a pivotal moment for the film and for Rey, and the acting done by Daisy Ridley is tremendous. In a franchise with 10 films full of battles with blasters, spaceships, and lightsabers…a battle with no weapons other than the Force was something new.
8. Battle of Hoth : THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
The first sequel to STAR WARS lived up to its title of the evil galactic Empire striking back, and it began with a phenomenal battle on the ice planet of Hoth…in which our Rebel heroes are pounded by giant metal walkers with armor too strong for their weapons. The walkers were brought to life by stop-motion models, but look massive and intimidating on screen, and John Williams’ score puts a stamp on the feeling of dread. Despite seeing our heroes get beat, this sequence is still a thrill and is iconic in every way.
7. Help me take this Mask Off : RETURN OF THE JEDI
As kids, we all wondered what Darth Vader looked like under that black mask, and in the capper to the Original Trilogy, we finally found out. Vader and Luke have defeated the Emperor, and before the mortally wounded Vader dies, he wants to look at his son with his own eyes. This quiet scene brings redemption to Vader, or Anakin Skywalker, and completes Luke’s life-long journey to finally meet his father.
6. Jedi vs. Sith : THE PHANTOM MENACE
The Prequel Trilogy gets more than its share of criticism, only half of which is deserved, but there is no denying the awesomeness of the triple-lightsaber fight in the first film of the saga which told the story of Anakin’s youth. This fantastic sequence, which was the first lightsaber fight we had seen in over 15 years, finally gave us fully trained Jedi Knights and Sith Lords, as opposed to the old men, young boys, and half-man/machines from the Original Trilogy. The speed was increased, the tension jacked to the moons, and thanks to the intense training of actors Ewan MacGregor, Liam Neeson, and Ray Park…it looked real because it was. And John Williams’ score, Duel of the Fates, is one of his all-time best. Lightsaber duels were never the same after this.
5. Pursued by Sinister Agents : A NEW HOPE
It was the scene that introduced us to the STAR WARS universe. Princess Leia, racing home aboard her starship, is chased and gunned down by Darth Vader in his even-bigger starship. The overhead passing of the ships, augmented by sound effects never before heard in cinema, and of course John Williams’ pulse-pounding score…all comes together in one of the greatest opening shots in history.
4. I Know : THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
It was a line that gave STAR WARS even more heart than it already had, and it was an improvised take by Harrison Ford during a long and difficult day of filming. The emotional scene, in which Han Solo is lowered into carbon-freeze, has Princess Leia finally admitting her love for the scoundrel. But in Han Solo fashion, he doesn’t just say “I love you too”, and instead gives it his own stamp. A wonderful touch in a powerful scene that has lovers on this planet repeating the line to each other.
3. Asteroids! : THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
It was one of the most complex visual-effects sequences ever put to film at the time. The famed Millennium Falcon, the fastest hunk-of-junk in the galaxy, running from the relentless Empire by diving into a dangerous field of asteroids. Pilot Han Solo doesn’t take it easy; he FLOORS it…and John Williams’ score again ramps up the tension, and most importantly…the fun.It was a breathtaking scene in 1980, and it still is today. For many people, this scene defines STAR WARS.
2. Binary Sunset : A NEW HOPE
A young Luke Skywalker, not knowing his place in the galaxy, has just been told that he has to stay for another year on a planet he doesn’t want to be on, doing a job he doesn’t want to be doing. He looks away to the horizon, perhaps foolishly longing for adventure (heh), and excitement (heh). John Williams’ score swells to emotional heights, and for an instant we are all in Luke’s boots; seeking more from our lives. Iconic and a summation of the original spirit of STAR WARS; the journey of a boy who was half-a-man.
1. I am your Father : THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
It was the one line of dialogue that turned the entire STAR WARS saga upside-down and elevated it to new levels. Darth Vader, evil Lord of Sith and killer of his own men, has beaten Luke. Luke confronts him with what his first mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi had told him; that he knew Vader had killed his father. Vader’s retort of I am your fathersent shockwaves through Luke and audiences, and even when watching today, despite knowing the backstory thanks to the Prequels, the scene still has a powerful punch. It was a movie twist that no one saw coming, and in the days long before the internet, fueled endless debates and speculations in classrooms and playgrounds as the first generation of STAR WARS fans tried to figure it all out. Was Vader telling the truth? We had to wait three long years to find out, and in those three years, I am your father hung over the world like a lurking Star Destroyer. Often quoted and parodied, this scene is easily the pivotal point for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and for everything that has come after. The Saga was never the same after this scene.
REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST SCENES FROM STAR WARS
- I am your Father
- Binary Sunset
- Asteroids!
- I Know
- Pursued by Sinister Agents
- Jedi vs. Sith
- Help me take this Mask Off
- Battle of Hoth
- Her Resistance to the Mind Probe
- Battle of Yavin
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