I remember the first time i saw Empire as a child i was surprised that Yoda was the green creature that Luke spoke with
i imagined Yoda being an old human Jedi Master like Obi Wan and the real Yoda his companion how did you react to the Yoda reveal?
I remember being convinced that the little Muppet was the Jedi Master because i was familiar with fairy tales. Luke was being tested. It was far too obvious. Lucas is many things but subtle isn’t one of them. But still it was clever and Frank Oz did it so masterfully you almost believe he is a real living breathing being. Mark Hamill is a good part of that as well though, because if he didn’t sell it in his performance it would have fallen all apart. With one of the very best scores every written for film, and one of Williams finest achievements.
I knew what Yoda looks like from pop culture, so when Yoda claimed not to be Yoda himself but rather someone who knows Yoda, I was surprised and thought, “Is this Yoda’s brother?”
I was 5 or 6 years old when I first saw TESB, so I can’t really remember if I was ‘fooled’ by Yoda’s speech about ‘Yoda’. But I do remember that I was very afraid of him. There was something menacing about his apperance (real looking puppet, strange way to speak, lived at a dark place). So it took some years for me to finally realize that he was really one of the good guys!
I was surprised and thought, “Is this Yoda’s brother?”
I thought very along similar lines, that it was his brother, or close friend. Byt also that there would be a journey across the dangerous swamp to get Luke to Yoda. Kind of like in Krull.
Looking back I am glad that didn’t happen. Although Krull is a good fun film in itself.
The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.
I remember the first time i saw Empire as a child i was surprised that Yoda was the green creature that Luke spoke with
i imagined Yoda being an old human Jedi Master like Obi Wan and the real Yoda his companion how did you react to the Yoda reveal?
I remember seeing Yoda for the very first time and thinking this alien looks magical, then a little strange and taken aback when he opened his mouth and the sound of those first words:
“Feel like what? Away put your weapon. I mean you no harm. I am wondering. Why are you here?”
The reveal that his creature was actually Yoda himself, after his many questions to Luke:
“I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.”
I didn’t appreciate as a kid that the scene moves so fast due to Yoda’s delivery and Kershner’s considered direction that the reveal is almost overshadowed by Yoda’s letting Luke know he’s trained Jedi for 800 years and he needs no prompting from him if he is to be trained, and so on. The whole scene seemed magical, overwhelming to the emotions, that it was a lot to take in.
This super cool magical mysterious muppet creature seemed somehow real, but also otherworldly, to the point of complete belief of who he was.
And the scene just propels the story forward. I think in modern films this would have an epic theme running in the background, some sort of crescendo and visual build-up: a slow-motion montage or “hero shot” type scene. Yet in Empire, it just happened, it was cool and accepted, with the script and direction pushing you forward to the back and forth between Yoda and Ben’s conversation.
I remember having lots of questions at the time of watching, probably about what Yoda could do, and was going to do, but unfortunately I don’t remember the specifics.
Just a magical scene.
I didn’t appreciate as a kid that the scene moves so fast due to Yoda’s delivery and Kershner’s considered direction that the reveal is almost overshadowed by Yoda’s letting Luke know he’s trained Jedi for 800 years and he needs no prompting from him if he is to be trained, and so on. The whole scene seemed magical, overwhelming to the emotions, that it was a lot to take in.
This super cool magical mysterious muppet creature seemed somehow real, but also otherworldly, to the point of complete belief of who he was.
The simplicity of the scene, in among all that technical wizardry, helped give it that grounded, yet magical, feel for me.
And the scene just propels the story forward. I think in modern films this would have an epic theme running in the background, some sort of crescendo and visual build-up: a slow-motion montage or “hero shot” type scene. Yet in Empire, it just happened, it was cool and accepted, with the script and direction pushing you forward to the back and forth between Yoda and Ben’s conversation.
Yes! I shudder and hate to think how such a scene would be shot today or in the last 10 years.
The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.
I remember being convinced that the little Muppet was the Jedi Master because i was familiar with fairy tales. Luke was being tested. It was far too obvious. Lucas is many things but subtle isn’t one of them. But still it was clever and Frank Oz did it so masterfully you almost believe he is a real living breathing being. Mark Hamill is a good part of that as well though, because if he didn’t sell it in his performance it would have fallen all apart. With one of the very best scores every written for film, and one of Williams finest achievements.
All this too. Hamill, Oz and Williams’ music all give it that sense of realism, and almost an enchanting quality.
Hamill rarely gets the kudos for his acting in his Dagobah scenes, and it is easy to see why some people wanted to see Oz nominated for an Oscar (not the grouchy version) for his masterful performance.
Frank Oz’s exquisite performance really hits home at the precise moment he turns away and sighs. The scenes had already played down any underlying “Muppet Show” feelings upon Luke and Yoda’s initial meeting, to being on something more akin to Shakespeare in Yoda’s dwelling.
Looking back it was a watershed moment.
As a kid watching it for the first time, it was bewitching.
I remember being convinced that the little Muppet was the Jedi Master because i was familiar with fairy tales. Luke was being tested. It was far too obvious. Lucas is many things but subtle isn’t one of them. But still it was clever and Frank Oz did it so masterfully you almost believe he is a real living breathing being. Mark Hamill is a good part of that as well though, because if he didn’t sell it in his performance it would have fallen all apart. With one of the very best scores every written for film, and one of Williams finest achievements.
All this too. Hamill, Oz and Williams’ music all give it that sense of realism, and almost an enchanting quality.
Hamill rarely gets the kudos for his acting in his Dagobah scenes, and it is easy to see why some people wanted to see Oz nominated for an Oscar (not the grouchy version) for his masterful performance.
Everyone involved really did help the scenes become more than the sum of their parts. I do get that feeling with Empire probably more than other Star Wars film.
All whilst still maintaining that delicate balance of being grounded and believable, yet also otherworldly, with that “enchanting quality”, as you say.
Yes. Much credit to Stuart Freeborn and also all of the puppeteers operating him on that set as well, under those floor boards or below camera line. Not a single misstep.
With better acting than from some of the human actors in some of the other Star Wars films too!
The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.
The dialogue in some of the Yoda scenes on Dagobah is just really next level. There’s probably no higher quality dialogue in all Star Wars. I mean like 90% of Star Wars dialogue is either just serviceable or corny, relying mostly on the performances to elevate it. But then Yoda drops lines like:
Ready, are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. … 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. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!
That dialogue quality is not just among the best in Star Wars, but it can really compete with the best of Hollywood in general. Obviously, we all know George Lucas didn’t write this.
The dialogue in some of the Yoda scenes on Dagobah is just really next level. There’s probably no higher quality dialogue in all Star Wars. I mean like 90% of Star Wars dialogue is either just serviceable or corny, relying mostly on the performances to elevate it. But then Yoda drops lines like:
Ready, are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. … 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. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!
That dialogue quality is not just among the best in Star Wars, but it can really compete with the best of Hollywood in general. Obviously, we all know George Lucas didn’t write this.
Wish this forum allowed upvotes.
“The Anarchists are right in everything; in the negation of the existing order and in the assertion that, without Authority there could not be worse violence than that of Authority under existing conditions. They are mistaken only in thinking that anarchy can be instituted by a violent revolution… There can be only one permanent revolution — a moral one: the regeneration of the inner man. How is this revolution to take place? Nobody knows how it will take place in humanity, but every man feels it clearly in himself. And yet in our world everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself.”
― Leo Tolstoy
I really appreciated they avoided repeating the “well of course I know him, he’s me!” routine from Obi-Wan, and had a plot/thematic reason to do it.
Something I didn’t learn until relatively recently was that they didn’t show Yoda in any of the pre-release ads in order to leave his appearance a surprise.
I can’t say for sure if I would’ve figured out that the little green creature was the great Yoda, it probably would depend on what age we’re talking (I can’t recall a “first time” viewing of the original movies, I feel like I was born having already seen them). But I think I would’ve had some inkling I was in for some kind of twist, seeing how peculiar a place Dagobah as and how mischievous and tricky Yoda appeared to be. And if I were aware of any of the ads or extra material for the movies I think I’d find it odd that I hadn’t yet seen any person or figure who I could peg for another great Jedi master.
Come to think of it, if I hadn’t figured it out by the time Luke is in Yoda’s home, I think I’d probably find the scene profoundly sad, seeing this little old creature who is obviously stalling for time because he’s all alone and never gets any visitors, lol.
I was 11 and I was disappointed in his voice. I couldn’t believe they couldn’t get a better voice than Grover from Sesame Street.
I already knew beforehand what Yoda looked like, so I just remembered being confused why Yoda didn’t just say who he was.
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!
I recall seeing the cover art for the Faces set before I watched any of the films. So I wasn’t altogether surprised when it was revealed the alien whose big green face emblazoned the ROTJ tape was Yoda.
I’m jealous of those who got the proper theatrical viewing experience.
“The Anarchists are right in everything; in the negation of the existing order and in the assertion that, without Authority there could not be worse violence than that of Authority under existing conditions. They are mistaken only in thinking that anarchy can be instituted by a violent revolution… There can be only one permanent revolution — a moral one: the regeneration of the inner man. How is this revolution to take place? Nobody knows how it will take place in humanity, but every man feels it clearly in himself. And yet in our world everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself.”
― Leo Tolstoy
I think I watched the movies repeatedly on VHS at probably 2 or 3 years old, so I can’t even remember. But I probably thought it was funny.
I recall seeing the cover art for the Faces set before I watched any of the films. So I wasn’t altogether surprised when it was revealed the alien whose big green face emblazoned the ROTJ tape was Yoda.
I’m jealous of those who got the proper theatrical viewing experience.
I’m quite jealous as well seeing as how i first saw Empire on video cassette in 84. And only saw Jedi in second run in 1985 during its re-release and in a really bad theater. I was fortunate or unfortunate to be old enough to buy tickets to see the 1997 special edition. and Star Wars literally sold out for like a week where i live in 1997.
I wasn’t old enough to see Empire in 80. I wasn’t even born when SW came out in 77. My older brother was basically only 4 months old at the time as well.