4. This Is A Great Shot
What a shot this is. For many, the key shot of this sequence is
this one, which is similar to my example but for the fact that Luke and Vader have their lightsabers out and are in battle. For me, though, this trumps it, the characters deeper in shadow, the electric blue mist engulfing them as they size each other up upon the platform which pulses that lava-like orange glow. Notice how the window looks like a tunnel, an optical illusion designed to reflect the difficulty of Luke's task. Notice too how Luke is ready to draw his lightsaber first (the left arm is slightly cocked), a sign of his eagerness, of his immaturity as a Jedi (look how calm Vader, the more experienced warrior, is). The Star Wars saga is replete with great shots and beautiful tableaux, and this, as shot by Kershner and his cinematographer, Peter Suschitzky (the regular DoP for David Cronenberg), is one of its finest; the calm before the storm, the light against the dark, the blue that binds it all together.
