walking_carpet said:

he'll probably rave about it now, but for years it wasn't his cup of tea. By no means does this film reflect his 'vision'. The cast and crew went above and beyond his 'vision'.

That is ironic considering that for many people, the whole part with Yoda and Luke is what Star Wars is ABOUT. It is the heart of the Star Wars trilogy. That and the imperial march, and "I am your father." To many people this IS Star Wars, not a random deviation or a mistake.

I was also under the impression that "Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan" should actually have read "George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan", since drafts 2 and 3 of Empire were 100% George. If you read the George Lucas drafts you see that most of the good stuff is all there...the dialogue just isn't as polished.

Bingowings said:

The panic cut still intrigues me greatly but he seemed to be a much more grounded guy back then.

Agreed. The man behind the original "Star Wars Trilogy" was a brilliant filmmaker. If you watch the old interviews, his personality is even different. More alert, more intelligent sounding. More humble, more grounded. A very striking contrast to "old George" who made the prequels.