A New Hope vs The Empire Strikes Back—Which is the Best Star Wars Film?

With the exception of those psychos who argue that the prequels are better than the original trilogy, most Star Wars fans tend to rank either Star Wars: A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back as the best Star Wars film of all time (There's also a solid camp of Return of the Jedi die-hards out there, but in my estimation these folks tend to be more influenced more by unchecked nostalgia than the rest of us. "Jedi is my favorite because I watched it the most as a kid" seems to be the most common argument). I've spent equal time in both New Hope and Empire camps over the years. Those first two films are the heart and soul of the entire Star Wars franchise—the source of whatever magic it is that turned this little-space-opera-that-could into a juggernaut of contemporary culture. But if we had to choose, which one is the definitive Star Wars film: the original that gave birth to the phenomenon, or the triumphant sequel that upped the ante in every way possible? Let's make the best case for both and see where we end up...

The Game-Changer: Star Wars—A New Hope

As crazy as it is to think that there was a time when Star Wars didn't exist, it's almost crazier to think that there was a time when it only existed as one single film. My Dad has told me numerous times about his experience of watching Star Wars for the first time. It was at a theater in his hometown of Logan, Utah and he was one of only three people in the whole place. In this isolated viewing situation, on the eve of the first explosions of the Star Wars phenomenon, I imagine my then-18-year-old Dad must have had a pretty clear picture of all the pop-culture ornaments from his adolescence that were coming together in this new Space saga—Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, John Ford westerns, Clash of the Titans, and 1960's hot-rod culture—it was all there, synthesized into one big-screen adventure.
And that is the genius (and charm) of Star Wars: A New Hope. To fully appreciate the staying power and cultural impact of the Star Wars franchise, you have to look back to the source and see where it came from. Star Wars is not just Star Wars. It didn't just come out of nowhere. It is an amalgam of many different cultural influences that George Lucas brilliantly synthesized in the first film, and with this synthesis changed the course of film making and popular culture at large. On top of all that, it's a hell of a lot of fun. If A New Hope is the greatest Star Wars film of all time, it is not solely because it is the original, but rather, it is an original piece of work that brought together a bunch of old things to create something new.

The Ante-Upper: The Empire Strikes Back

I tend to think that the original trilogy is much more interesting when viewed as a series of "epic retro-futuristic eastern mythology hero space westerns" than simply as Star Wars films. In other words, the further Star Wars gets away from its genre roots and becomes its own thing, the less intriguing it gets. But that doesn't necessarily mean that each film isn't worth looking at on its own merits. At the end of the day, no other Star Wars property beats The Empire Strikes Back in terms of storytelling, character development, and just about every technical aspect of film making. Perhaps the most important narrative development in Empire is the addition of Yoda. Not only is Luke's Jedi training at the hand of the pint-sized Jedi master a brilliant elaboration on the eastern philosophy-influenced Jedi mythology from A New Hope, but its setting on the swamp planet of Dagobah makes for an incredible set piece which, along with Empire's other two major locations, marks the true beginning of the saga's unique and highly influential world-building capacities.
The story and scope of Empire wouldn't be nearly as effective, however, were it not for the inspired work of director Irvin Kershner and director of photography Peter Suschitzky. Together, Kershner and Shuschitzky meet the added emotional depth of George Lucas' second act with dark atmosphere and somber mood. Even something as simple as a shot of the Millenium Falcon's cockpit is improved upon by their combined visual flare. Take a look:

Here's the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon in A New Hope...

And here it is in Empire...

There's a clear shift in visual style here. Where George Lucas and A New Hope D.P. Gilbert Taylor gave us a brilliantly updated version of 1950's sci-fi cinematography, Kershner and Suschitzky take spaceships, ice planets, and sky-cities and make them look dark, moody, and romantic. Both approaches are great, but in terms of sheer visual pleasure, The Empire Strikes Back clearly takes the cake. 

Conclusion

So, given the evidence, if we had to chose, which is the better: Star Wars: A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back?
Here's the thing—we don't really have to choose. At least, not definitively. What it all barrels down to is whether you prefer the swashbuckling, genre-mixing entertainment and retro-futuristic sheen of A New Hope, or the deeper dramatic pull and visual splendor of The Empire Strikes Back.
And for those of you who are still annoyed that I left Return of the Jedi out of the mix, just bear in mind that I didn't do it without good reason. If A New Hope is the "game-changer" and The Empire Strikes Back is the "ante-upper", then Jedi is kind of just the third Star Wars movie, no matter how good or bad it is or how much sentimental value it holds for you. It's not so much that Jedi isn't a great third act, because it is. In fact, it deserves a lot of credit for maintaining the adventurous spirit that defined the the first film as well as the drama that permeated the second. It just doesn't fire on all cylinders like the other two films do, perhaps largely because it's visually the least distinguished work in the trilogy. Had David Lynch or David Cronenberg agreed to direct Jedi when it was offered to them respectively, we'd probably be having a completely different conversation right now.

What do you think? Which is the best Star Wars film?