So much has changed in the Star Wars narrative since its debut in 1977 that the impact of 40 years of Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi could be ‘diminished’, but one should never underestimate the power of the Force.

In 1983, it was the conclusion of the Saga, right after one of the best films of all time, which was The Empire Strikes Back. At this point, Star Wars was already a cultural fever, with studios getting involved in production and several behind-the-scenes problems. I confess that I was part of the group that didn’t like many things ‘revealed’ in the story, such as Leia and Luke being twins, the Enoks, etc. But I have greater affection for him.

At this stage, a year after the Empire emerged victorious in the confrontation with the Rebels and is working on a new Death Star. With the revelation that Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) is determined to recruit Luke to the dark side of the Force and destroy the rebellion once and for all. At this point, Luke is the “last Jedi,” having completed his training with Yoda, and returns to save Han Solo. His plan is to defeat Palpatine and save Anakin, bold and risky, but exciting.

Although he was directly involved with all the details, George Lucas once again technically stayed away from the direction, which he considered renowned artists, and left to Richard Marquand. The same Lawrence Kasdan, who made Empire Strikes Back, wrote the script. One of the biggest problems at the time was convincing Harrison Ford to come back. At this point he was one of the most in-demand actors on the market, riding on successes like Indiana Jones, and believed that Han’s arc was more than complete. The difference was in some details: Kasdan also wanted to “kill” Han Solo, but at the beginning of the film to generate tension, Harrison was already satisfied with him frozen. The actor returned, but in fact, Han had less relevance in the action.

At the time of release, Return of the Jedi also generated discussion after keeping Leia dressed up to her neck in the first two films and bringing her in a metal bikini, tied to a chain and attached to the Jaba, transforming the Princess into a sexual icon (macho ) forever. Carrie Fisher made history (again) with her humor in the publicity photos and once again brought empowerment to the franchise.

The Sixth Episode became the highest-grossing film of all time for many years, making over $300 million in the United States and Canada in its first year, plus another $475.3 million worldwide, as well as securing an Oscar for Special Achievement.

Given so much content from series today on the platform revolving around the classic, here’s a tribute. May the Force always be with everyone.

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