Star Wars: Visions S2's Take On Luke & Vader's Story Amps Up The Heartbreak
The second season of "Star Wars: Visions" features some gripping stories by some of the foremost animation houses around, making it an all-around enjoyable watch. Although, some shorts stand out just a bit more than the rest. Take, for instance, "The Spy Dancer" from Studio La Cachette, which focuses on a part-time dancer and full-time rebel, Loi'e (Camille Cottin). As her fellow Rebels face off with Imperial Stormtroopers, she comes face-to-face with an Imperial Officer (Rudi-James Jephcott), who's revealed to be the son the Empire took from her as a child many years before, now fully indoctrinated by the fascist system.
It's understandable if this story sounds familiar in its most basic elements. A parent and child reuniting on opposite ends of the war between the Rebellion and the Empire before parting and remaining as adversaries? That sounds a lot like the now-iconic Bespin confrontation between Darth Vader (David Prowse and James Earl Jones) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in "Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back." The feared Sith reveals he's actually Luke's father, prompting to young Jedi to cry out in utter disbelief — the same feeling moviegoers felt back in 1980 when the twist first reached the silver screen.
Still, while the Luke and Vader scene is undeniably legendary and one of the biggest moments in all of "Star Wars," "The Spy Dancer" really amps up the heartbreak in comparison.
The Empire Strikes Back goes for shock, The Spy Dancer goes for emotion
When Darth Vader reveals himself as the true father of Luke Skywalker, it's an incredibly shocking moment. In a time before the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy existed, finding out that the franchise's big hero was the son of its biggest villain was truly blindsiding. While there is an element of sorrow to this entire scenario, given what Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) little had told Luke about his father up to that point, the real goal of the scene isn't necessarily to move audiences to tears. Rather, it's to leave them speechless while adding a new, intriguing layer to the Vader and Luke dynamic heading into "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi."
Meanwhile, "The Spy Dancer" seems to go for a different approach. Unlike Vader, who chose to become an Imperial and Sith, the Imperial Officer was ripped from his mother Loi'e's arms at a young age. He was forced to become an agent of evil, with the Imperial machine forcefully removing any remnants of his old life from him. Thus, it's immensely heartbreaking when he and Loi'e finally reunite after so long. Both of them have changed so much since they were last together, and the lives they've lived separately have made them enemies in a war much bigger than them. Nevertheless, the love they shared is still present, as evidenced by the episode's conclusion.
"Star Wars" projects can struggle to resonate sometimes, but based on these two scenes alone, "The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Spy Dancer" are proof that when the franchise hits, it hits.