I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. this book is a must read for any star wars fans especially of the original trilogy. I found it fascinating

A well researched and thought out evaluation of Empire Strikes Back from a contemporary viewpoint. There are some very valid (and well established) points about how racism, sexism, and treatment of indigenous people are present in this film. However, this is true of most films produced during this time frame. So while the author’s perspective does give you something to think about, it doesn’t give the reader ways to address these important social justice issues. There were also some areas that seemed like a stretch (ex. Vader only wanting men?!). The book was informative but not necessarily enthralling. I wish there were more action points or suggestions - or even comparison to the more recent films.

The Empire Strikes Back is the best sequel of all time. This book highlights some of the reasons for that. However, it's also an academic book, and at times, it's not as accessible as I would have liked.

Star Wars fans you will enjoy reading this. It is well done and interesting. If you aren't a fan or don't know much about Star Wars this is a great way to get into the Star Wars world.

A brilliant and completely insightful book regarding the arguably best sequel film of all time.
A gripping and highly enjoyable read and one that I’d recommend to everyone.

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

Harrison sets out on a quest to detail the cultural and social presence the second (or fifth in story-order) Star Wars film offered the US, and a little on its UK impact. I'm very glad that Harrison was the one writing this, and she gives some startlingly relevant and overlooked points throughout the book. My reservation is that it feels awfully like a university essay, references crowding every paragraph, well-selected but leaving little space for Harrison to input herself. I also think there was some evidence that was in there 'because it fits' rather than because Harrison genuinely believed the point she was making with it (hence the essay-feeling - we've all done it). Overall, a good read from a fresh perspective, and a nice addition to the BFI Classics collection - though perhaps it would've been nice to have some comment on the actual film and its craft as well as the world's response to it.

This is a great book about the history and making of a very great movie. It is an easy book to like because it discusses the best star wars movie of all time and just one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. On top of that, the book is well-written and engaging. I will definitely recommend this book to my sci-fi and movie loving customers.

Absolutely brilliant! Loving all of these new Star Wars novels and novellas. This one is a great addition to the story

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange of an honest review.

This academic paper is pretty interesting but repetitive. As an academic myself I’m used to this style of writing, but I found explaining the plot of the movies slightly redundant. Perhaps we are to assume the reader knows nothing of Star Wars but I feel that anyone reading an academic paper about it likely knows the plot. Or this could have been included as references. References were fairly light in my opinion, and I found some of the discussion points a little of a reach. At no point did we focus much on the sexualisation of Leïa in the second movie even though we acknowledged her increased role in the series.

Either way, still thought provoking but an academic paper I ultimately found repetitive and redundant in many ways.

An interesting read at times, written by a self confessed fan, however a lot of Harrison’s arguments don’t make sense or are easily counter argued. She makes some good points and arguments for representation, sexism and racism. Overall it was interesting, but not quite what I was expecting

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

As one of the best films in one of the most famous trilogies, Rebecca Harrison's study on The Empire Strikes Back is a brave undertaking. What Harrison manages to do is provide her perspective of the film, introducing themes and perspectives, not at the forefront of the film or even the trilogy as a whole. I found that there were leaps taken which felt a little tenuous but important all the same. This is a good book for anyone who wants to look at this famous film with a different type of gaze.

A brief non-fiction critical examination of Episode 5 as a cultural phenomenon, looking at the publicity around its production, its reception among the public and critics, and examining it with a feminist, multicultural, and queer lens. Written by a fan who recognizes that Empire and its times weren't perfect, it is both loving and critical about its issues. Generally a good read, although the queer reading of Empire didn't really make any coherent sense to me.

Huge thank you for the chance to review this piece of work. This was a thoughtful and cleverly researched celebration of one of the most iconic films ever made. As a huge star wars fan I was excited to take a look and see how Rebecca Harrison explored this world and I was not disappointed! With subjects such as gender and race examined, we are given a short essay that is well researched and provides the context and background of the social and political climate of when the film came out. With this in mind I would highly recommend for all who are Star Wars fans and studying media.

Interesting insight into the follow up film in the original Trilogy, putting across an under-represented view point.

I found it intriguing to read about some of the factors that nearly derailed production (the fire on the shining set and issues filming in Norway etc).

There were plenty of good points the author makes and some point which should have been delved into or fleshed out a bit more.

Interesting read but fell a bit flat for me.

Review posted on goodreads.

Interesting and thought provoking critical look at the celebrated sequel to the cultural phenomenon that is Star Wars. There are also important explorations of race and gender in the film and how they were viewed and reported on by film critics at the time. I like that she connects that to the way some white men have become so attached to the films that they are resistant and in later years hostile and abusive towards characters that represent otherness. I really enjoyed the different gaze that she brought to the film being female and queer. This is a short essay that is well researched and it was good to be reminded of the social and political climate of when the film came out. I wanted more of her thoughts about the early and later trilogies, although I guess those films have benefited from having a different gaze and she is filling an important gap by examining one of the original films in this way.

With thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a review.

I’m one of those Star Wars fans who hoover up with gusto anything to do with that galaxy from far, far away. But as a liberal feminist, I know that it has flaws. Harrison shines a light on possible deeper interpretations of the characters & storylines of one of the best sequels with discussions about the film’s content and production in an accessible way. It’s clear that she is a fan and it’s to her credit that mixes in comments about the fan experience of the impact of the film as well highlighting the names of the women that never properly received recognition for their work in the production.

An interesting read with delightful artwork on the cover.

A bit frustrating, this one. The author fires out loads of ideas, some of which land and some of which don’t, and also teases out lots of threads for discussion. The problem for me is that most of these threads just don’t get tugged on enough. There are seeds of some really worthwhile discussion here, but it all gets passed over very quickly. It’s partly a failing of the monograph format, I guess, but I would have preferred a book of this length to concentrate on fewer things and follow through on them a bit more. It doesn’t help that the whole thing is written in an academic style, which a) brings back terrible memories of my own dissertation, and b) adds a layer of unnecessary verbiage to a book that’s already chafing against size restrictions. It's interesting, but not what it could be.

Thank you to Net alley for a Arc of the book.

The Empire Strikes Back by Rebecca Harrison, published by the British Film Institute is a far deeper examination of the second film in the original trilogy, considering the books small size. Harrison reaches deep into film archives finding other wise lost, ignored or just specialist articles and interviews describing the important roles or women and other marginal people in both production and reception of the film. Harrison approaches the movie with both fandom, her introduction to the film will be familiar to quite a few, and a strong view on what could be done to bring more diversity to coverage of the entire film series. A very interesting critique.

*Sorry for the long review, but I speak from a perspective of growing up in the 80s and watching the trilogy throughout my life. I can practically quote all the lines. Thus, I had a heavy Star Wars background going into this critique.*

This novel puts into perspective the impact of the film on a cultural and social level. It highlights the anticipation, the reviews, the impact on sex, race, and sexual orientation. However, while compelling points were raised, they weren't always followed through on and thus came across as half-formed ideas. And some analogies were based on incorrect scene choreography which rendered the analogy false. Harrison states that she loves this film and watched it growing up, but the startling inaccuracies of how scenes and dialogue played out caused her arguments to lose validity in my eyes.

For example:
(1) According to Harrison, in a clash of old versus young, there is a moment when Luke attempts to wrestle away a torch from Yoda symbolizing "a tug of war between the generations." This is simply not true. Luke swipes for it, but Yoda holds it away from him. Then it is R2 that struggles to get back the torch with Luke reprimanding R2 (twice) to "let him have it." If anything, its a battle against 'man/alien' versus machine or organic versus synthetic.

(2) After Leia "remonstrates" Lando for giving away their location to the Empire, according to Harrison, Lando reassures Leia that "Vader is only interested in Luke and Han." This is to reinforce the argument that the black-coded male villain only wants men and is queer. However, that's not how the scene plays out at all. Lando responds to Leia that Vader is after "someone called Skywalker" (which, ironically, does include Leia after the ROTJ reveal). Leia's response is "And we're the bait." We're. Lando agrees. Vader isn't after Luke and Han, only Luke. That's why they are both being tortured, to lure Luke to their rescue. If Vader wanted Han, why wouldn't he just take him away instead of keeping him at Cloud City? The argument doesn't hold water.

Harrison also proposes this is due to the idea that the Dark Side is coded as queer with two homophobic stereotypes, "the two Sith Lords are notably older men who seek to lure the young handsome Luke to the Dark Side--the queer side--of the Force." Thus, Han and Luke are thrust by the Empire into 'queer time.' Sadly, I was completely lost at this point. Harrison didn't convey this point well, and I'm unsure what the disrupted 'queer time' and 'queer greed' mean. I don't see a strong argument of her point at all. To clarify why, let's sort this out.

The Jedi (the light side) have been eradicated by Vader and the Emperor (Order 66)...or so they thought. The light side of the Force is growing stronger, which can upset the balance of power. Notably because its Anakin Skywalker's, aka Darth Vader's (sorry if that was a spoiler), son. Vader until this point was under the impression that he had killed a pregnant Padme. Now he finds out his son is alive and learning the Force. (If he learned this earlier in a graphic novel or new-canon novel, apologies for my inaccuracy) Who's teaching Luke and how powerful is he?

Lucas did not create the empire to be 'queer' and turn people away from the 'straight path' in a disruptive way (and thus illustrates the empire as being "deviant"). This is about power and holding onto that power. And could Vader be turned back to the good side and thus turn against the Emperor now that his son is alive? The Emperor is on RED ALERT! So of course they're going after Luke instead of Leia and Han. They want the bigger fish who could potentially use the Force to take them down.

(3) I agree on the points of gender, sexual orientation, and racial inequality. There's an especially disturbing amount brought forth in 1980s movie reviews. However, to illustrate the film's racism, Harrison uses a scene on Cloud City where Leia takes Han's proffered arm over Lando's, which "makes her appear safe rather than endangered" in keeping with "white stereotypes of black men threatening racial purity."

In fact, the scene plays out with Leia taking Lando's proffered hand at first. When Han offers his arm, she takes it. Why? Probably because they're in a relationship. She also states with suspicion how "very friendly" Lando is acting and thus doesn't fully trust him yet. Additionally, Lando's attempts to garners Leia's attention is a way to illustrate Han and Lando's old rivalry. You can see it in Han's face too. He's not disturbed as this is just his old buddy Lando.

(4) Harrison points out that Leia's dialogue about kissing a Wookie and calling Han a scruffy-looking nerf herder are examples of racism and upper-class elitism as she attacks a racially 'other' species (meaning Wookies) and low-class laborers.

Yet, what about when, in that 'nerf herder' scene, Leia kisses Luke instead of Han? Which is extremely disturbing as they end up being siblings. This point is not touched upon. To that end, ignoring the odd sibling kiss but pointing out that Leia is elitist in itself disrupts Harrison's own argument. Yes, Leia tried to offend Han by calling him names. They've got sexual tension that's so thick you could cut it with a lightsaber. She's deflecting, just as Han does. Leia's good in political situations. In more personal situations, its difficult for her. So isn't this just an example of being an awkward human? Don't we all, as humans, call each other names at times? I struggle to see the argument here when so many things that can be easily explained are being minutely picked apart.

In summary:
Harrison's ultimate goal is to celebrate the fandom's diversity. That point is appreciated. It was also sad to read about the censoring of queer fanfic by Lucasfilm. Its not entirely surprising though as George Lucas had to approve all novelizations and adaptions of his work in the 80s and 90s.

For me, the first movies I saw in the theater were "E.T." and "Return of the Jedi." After that, I couldn't understand why so many women stood around and screamed while waiting for a man to rescue them. Carrie Fisher's role as Leia was groundbreaking for young girls like me. She gave many girls a look at a future where men and women could be on the same stage equally. I always wondered why Leia was the only strong female in the series, but she was groundbreaking for me and many others.

When "She-Ra" was being produced, writers and animators were told She-Ra could not punch anyone. The male characters could, but the women could not do that on TV. Thus, they invented She-Ra's famous roundhouse kick. This is just another example if 1980s sexism. And yet, look how far we've come since then. I had action figures of women not just male characters! Why do I bring this up? Because many arguments against "Empire" were not counterbalanced with a positive impact. Looking at and analyzing how far we've come is a great way to demonstrate why this film has been classified as a classic despite its flaws. This is absent in the book.

As a whole, Star Wars does offer a lot of diversity in its varied characters, both alien and human. While ROTJ did delete scenes of women in the space battle flying x-wings, the fact they were filmed was a small step in the right direction.

Overall, the book has a good foundation in historical mindsets and setting details. However, I found the points to be very loosely supported and not always based on correct movie scenes or dialogue. Thus Harrison's validity fell short for me. I learned a few things, but I don't believe this critique will stick with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an early copy of the novel. This has no way affected my review.

This is the first BFI Classic about a sequel, though its not exactly the first time anyone has written about The Empire Strikes Back. There is a tension at the heart of the subject matter that Harrison grapples with, not always successfully. She is more than confident that it is a worthy subject of a book (she's right), she is certain that there should be more writing on this film saga from diverse writers (absolutely), though there is enough protesting in the intro that she might not be sure it should be her. Some of that nervousness comes across in the structure of the book. Its 25,000 words, which is not enough to cover everything, and she is much more interested in the marginalised voices and the fandom reception of the film than retreading some of the more well known byways of its gestation. So as we hang on the one female cinematographer there is a sense that her was a thread to be pulled, interogating queer and feminist themes equally could have possibly been teased more. But as is the case with any addition to Star Wars scholarship this is one that sits between canonicity, quality and fandom. Empire is many people's favourite Star Wars film, but to discuss this you need to talk about other films in the sequence and there just isn't room for that.

There is a lot of anecdotalage here, as you would expect from films which have been poured over. Talking about a sequel necessitates talking about its predecessor, talking about Star Wars also means talking about marketing strategies and toy sales. And I can't judge this monograph on what I would like to see in the book, my Empire Strikes Back experience is seeing it without having seen Star Wars, knowing the characters from how friends played with the toys, being shocked by the lack of ending (almost as much by the seeming lack of beginning). There is a moment where Harrison floats a theory about loving the trilogy that was yours as a child, and her being twenty years younger than me that's the prequels. There are fascinating threads there - and if there was every a BFI classic full of jumping off points for further study, this is one.

If there is a flaw to this Classic, it is that it is trying to be too much to too many people. It wants to defend its approach, which as someone who has read a lot of these books, is in no way controversial. But, like the Star Wars BFI Classic, its quite possible this will be the only one of the series that someone will read, you get gifted read the Classic of your favourite film, and Empire is a lot of peoples favourite film. In which case her handholding on the methodology makes a lot of sense, not least with the state of Star Wars fandom. I think she has added well to the texts out there, but there is more depth hinted in here, perhaps to be followed up in something with a bigger focus. I really want to read her book on The Phantom Menace after all...