“I Know”

The Empire Strikes Back

The carbon freezing chamber scene is a microcosm for The Empire Strikes Back as a whole. The rebels are struggling to survive, on the back-foot throughout the movie, as the Empire has rallied following the destruction of the Death Star. Turns out that a triggered Empire is an overwhelming force.

Flanked by stormtroopers Han, Leia and Chewie trudge into the chamber. It’s dark, dingy and menacing. And that’s before you notice Vader alongside Boba Fett and the turncoat Lando Calrissian. Yeah, I’m throwing him in with the villains at this point.

I suppose you could argue that Threepio, broken following a surprise stormtrooper attack, being carried like a backpack by Chewie is symbolic of the broken rebellion. And beyond that, backpack Threepio and Chewbacca makes for one of the best 3.75″ action figures ever made.

Chewie struggles with the prospect of Han being frozen in carbonite – of course, all of our heroes (I’m now including Lando) do, but it’s Chewie who lashes out, pushing stormtroopers and wrestling to gain control. His efforts are futile, he’s soon cuffed and Han has to remind him that it’s now his job to look after Leia.

And that brings me to Leia. Usually so stoic, here we can see the misery etched on Leia’s face. The man she loves is about to be frozen in carbonite, potentially killed in the process, the rebellion was in tatters, the Falcon was a hot mess, and they were essentially at the mercy of Vader. Victory in the Battle of Yavin felt a million miles away.

When she proclaims her love for Han, we get the famous “I know” line. When Lawrence Kasdan penned the script, Han’s response was originally “just remember that, because I’ll be back.” Legend has it that it was a piece of Harrison Ford improvisation that saw him throw away Kasdan’s intentions for the scene and instead deliver something so distinctively Solo.

In reality, it involved meetings between Ford and the film’s director Irvin Kershner and led to drama between Kershner and Carrie Fisher, when she discovered the changes that had been made through Harrison rather than her director. Much like Solo’s approach, communication seemed a little veiled.

According to interviews, neither Kershner nor Kasdan have been particularly complimentary regarding the changes. Kasdan argues that it brings an impression of “falseness” to Han and Leia’s relationship.

But this isn’t your conventional love story. Han and Leia’s romance isn’t a love at first sight tale. These are two people who shouldn’t really be together, as perhaps the sequel trilogy indicates, but at the same time, their destinies are intertwined. There is no doubt that they love each other – just not in the way that is typically Hollywood.

Amid all of the drama of the folding rebellion, this is a moment which defines Han and Leia’s relationship. It’s iconic imagery and iconic dialogue.