I was thinking about the scene w/Luke on Degobah&how he goes into the cave&battles Vader only to realize it was himself. Tbh, that scene has always been a bit odd&disjointed to me - almost like it’s been oddly placed. I’m not sure why, exactly... but if you ever care to take on the cinema-photography of it, I’d be most inclined to read your considerations. I figure there’s got to be more happening with the scene than I realize, which may be leading to my confusion.
THIS IS SO IN MY WHEELHOUSE!!!! A friend sent me this request a very long time ago and I'm finally getting around to it. Today we're releasing a podcast episode about it as well, so I've finally done the research!!
AND MY GOD WHAT I DISCOVERED IS BRILLIANT! This scene is so incredibly deliberate that it actually blew my mind a bit. Let's dive in.
Prepare for a long post!!
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE DARK SIDE CAVE IN EMPIRE STRIKES BACK?
Let's start with the basics.
The cave motif is a universal symbol in literature, film, mythology, etc. It is related to the symbolic heart, a place where the physical and spiritual meet. As with the heart, the cave represents feelings rather than logic or wisdom. It is a place where the subconscious creates a superficial physical reality. Therefore, Luke is not encountering the "real" Darth Vader in this scene, but his consciousness doesn't know the difference because his feelings are dictating his experience.
Caves can be passageways, both literal and figurative, that lead to enlightenment and/or greater knowledge. The experiences had within them are transformative, leading characters over a threshold from which they cannot return. Characters come out of the cave changed forever.
In Empire Strikes back, this scene takes place EXACTLY at the halfway point of the film (and therefore at the halfway point of the original trilogy). It occurs 1 hour and 3 minutes into the movie, with 1 hour and 3 minutes remaining in the film. The placement of the scene is one million percent deliberate. This is the moment where Luke stops having an outward journey (leaving his life on Tatooine, embracing a larger purpose, learning about the Jedi) and begins having his inward journey (facing his fears, understanding a higher power in the Force, learning the importance of controlling his emotions).
Caves are also representative of the maternal unconscious, nature's womb, where characters transform and are reborn. This part of Luke's story is representative of a very specific part of the Hero's Journey called The Belly of the Whale. As Joseph Campbell says in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, "This popular motif gives emphasis to the lesson that the passage of the threshold is a form of self-annihilation...But here, instead of passing outward, beyond the confines fo the visible world, the hero goes inward, to be born again."
Now that we have a background of what a cave can mean, let's dive into the actual scene and break it down.
LUKE SKYWALKER, LITERALLY CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF THE JEDI ON HIS BACK
The scene begins with Luke training, running through the swamp while Yoda whispers sweet nothings in his ear.
The thing that struck me right away is how little we see Luke's face in this entire sequence. He almost always has his back to the camera or is twisting around to look at us over his shoulder. This makes him feel unfathomable, unreachable, like something is going on within him that not even he understands.
He quite literally is carry the weight of the Jedi on his shoulders as Yoda burdens him with glorious purpose. Every question Luke asks is silenced by the Jedi Grand Master, who is clearly frustrated with Luke's lack of understanding. This plays into Plato's idea of the cave within, a symbolic prison where most people lack self-knowledge. Luke has been so focused on his outward journey that he hasn't taken time to slow his thoughts and go inward. Yoda knows that sending Luke into the cave will force him to face his inner truth.
DON'T BRING YOUR WEAPONS INTO THE SUBTERRANEAN NIGHTMARE
Real quick, for those of you who don't know, according to Star Wars Legends the Force cave on Dagobah was created when a dark Jedi died there. His death created a dark nexus or vergence, a well of Force energy, that draws Force sensitive beings in and challenges their self-perception.
Luke senses the cave quickly. "I feel cold. Death..."
See how he still keeps his back to us?
When he asks Yoda what's in there, the Jedi Master replies, "Only what you take with you." Yoda tells Luke that he does not need to bring his weapons but Luke brings them anyway, letting his fear guide his actions.
If Luke had not brought his weapons with him, he would not have needed them. But, since he allowed fear to dictate his behavior, he created a scenario in which he would need to use his lightsaber. As stated in the section above, Luke's emotions created the experience.
INNER DEMONS EMERGE IN SCARY CAVE WOMB
I would like to point out some fun cinematography here. (Empire has BRILLIANT cinematography!!!!!!!!!!)
In this moment, after Luke descends into the cave, at first he moves as though he's going to walk toward us. But there are so many vines and branches and snakes in his way that he turns and walks away from us, like we might lose him forever as he goes deeper into the darkness.
He continues to explore, not sure what he's going to find. As he comes into the cave's core, we see Luke's inner transition reflected in the cinematic lighting. His face is mostly in darkness (representing his lack of self-knowledge) and as Vader's form appears, light blooms across Luke's face (representing the sudden awareness of his deepest fears).
He duels with Vader (a superficial physical reality). The Sith Lord represents all of Luke's deepest fears, even his subconscious fears:
- That he'll fail at redeeming his father
- That his fear will lead him down a dark path
- That he is no different than the evil and darkness he despises
- That he'll fail at becoming a Jedi
- That he will lose his humanity
After he defeats Vader, we see Luke symbolically cross the threshold into enlightenment as his lightsaber passes over his face.
Vader's helmet bursts open, revealing Luke's face in place of his enemy's, foreshadowing that if he continues to be led by his passion, he will become what he fears.
This painful, frightening encounter has given him self-knowledge. After this experience, Luke will never be the same. He is reborn.
I hope you enjoyed this very long post. Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk.
Reblogging this because it is one of my favorite things I’ve ever analyzed.
