"Only what you take with you," answers Yoda, as Luke asks what may await him in the dank Dagobah tree-cave. It's been over 25 years, and people are still talking about the significance of the domain of evil from
The Empire Strikes Back. Whatever the interpretation of Luke's baggage, this scene is definitely a stylistic departure from the rest of the film. The build up is great, with creepy shots of chatty lizards accompanying Skywalker's descent into darkness. John Williams eschews his traditional orchestral music and actually uses synthesizers to underscore this scene, and it's one of the rare instances of slow motion in a
Star Wars film. As Vader collapses, and his helmet rolls to a stop, the explosion that reveals Luke's face within is one of the most convincing, chilling yet underrated visual effects in the film. When Yoda said to Luke, "you will be... you will be..." afraid, he wasn't kidding.
