Daily Dialogue — February 21, 2020

Princess Leia: I love you.
Han Solo: I know.

— Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, story by George Lucas

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Departure.

Trivia: Leigh Brackett’s first draft of the screenplay contained the revelation of Luke’s sister, her existence disclosed by the ghost of Anakin Skywalker. Referred to as “Nellith Skywalker”, Anakin explains that it was he, not Obi-wan, who separated the twins at birth to protect them from Darth Vader, and that Nellith also underwent Jedi training in another part of the galaxy so she could join forces with Luke to defeat the Sith. This concept was dropped in the second draft of the screenplay, along with the appearance of Anakin Skywalker, and replaced with a scene of Obi-wan and Yoda discussing how they must find another Jedi apprentice in anticipation of Luke’s failure. This too changed in later drafts, resulting in the more ambiguous scene in the final version where Yoda assures Obi-wan that “there is another”.

Dialogue On Dialogue: One of the most famous departure scenes in contemporary movie history.