40 years! This year marks 40 years since Return of the Jedi was released in French cinemas. On October 19, 1983, Star Wars fans discovered the end of the trilogy begun six years earlier with a film simply titled Star Wars.
If you haven’t experienced it, it’s a little hard to imagine the event that was Return of the Jedi. Upon its first release, the film earned today’s equivalent of $1.15 billion worldwide! Then it was the biggest success of the year. A colossal tally boosted by its release on American soil in 1985, it added an additional 32 million.
- Star Wars Quiz: Which Jedi Says This Sentence?
Remember that Return of the Jedi takes place one year after the events of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke returned to Tatooine to free Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, while the Empire began production of a second Death Star, a more powerful weapon than the previous one, to put an end to the Rebellion. once and forever.
Saga Episode VI is directed by Richard Marquand after Steven Spielberg, David Lynch or David Cronenberg turned down the offer. If you haven’t heard of Marquand’s recent feature films, it’s because he died of a heart attack at just 49 on September 4, 1987.
Harrison is upset
If Han Solo ended up paralyzed by carbonite in the previous film, it’s because Harrison Ford hadn’t signed on for two Star Wars feature films. He wasn’t supposed to be out of the third installment until Howard Kazanjian convinced Ford to return.
Having become a star thanks to the first Indiana Jones, Ford began to negotiate fiercely before accepting his return. He suggested his character sacrifice himself in the first third of the film, but Lucas refused, and Han Solo had the storyline we know today.
Was it well received at the time?
Today, Return of the Jedi is often the least beloved of the original trilogy, lacking the surprise of A New Hope and the climax of The Empire Strikes Back, but that was the case even after its release. Some criticize him for being there “rotten” (Pauline Kael, He is a Yorker) or “Failure and achieve a cheap and dirty crown” for Saga (Christopher John, Ares magazine).
However, other fans emphasize the film’s qualities, such as Roger Ebert, who sees it as “Feast for the Eyes”Specifying that he thinks it’s great the way in which “Lucas and his associates rise above”. Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times praised the film’s achievement “A new maturity (…) without losing the sense of humor”.
The viewer ratings for the first Star Wars trilogy on AlloCiné are low these days, with a 4.4 out of 5 for A New Hope , a 4.5 out of 5 for The Empire Strikes Back , and a 4.4 out of 5 for Return of the Jedi . The trilogy as a whole seems lovely, with Episode V being slightly superior.
Hello…and profitable!
Upon release, Return of the Jedi was nominated for 4 Academy Awards and won a “Special Prize” for Visual Effects, which went to Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Phil Tippett. As in previous parts of the saga, the public devoured the children’s books, toys, video games, novels and comics that came out with the film, allowing George Lucas to significantly increase his assets.
The film also introduces the Ewok species, small balls of fur that are powerful warriors and inhabit the forest moon of Endor. These creatures have been given their own animated series, two TV movies, and even a rap song!
He waited until digital special effects reached a level that suited him in the late 90s to begin filming Episodes 1 through 3, which ran up to A New Hope and returned to, among other things, the creation of Darth Vader.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
