It's Not My Fault!
The Empire Strikes Back draws a series of parallels between Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, highlighting how both have matured by becoming leaders who take responsibility for others — and how both need to mature further by taking responsibility for problems even when those problems aren’t necessarily their fault.
Initially Han and Lando are linked by their shared history and roguish, immature traits. “We go back a long way, Lando and me,” Han says. The Millennium Falcon used to belong to Lando before Han won it from him, both men are referred to as scoundrels, and both are aggressive in their flirtations with Leia Organa.
And yet, both men have matured since the last time they saw each other. Han is now a prominent figure in the Rebellion — even “a natural leader,” as Leia insists. He demonstrates leadership in the film when he risks his life to save Luke Skywalker from freezing to death on Hoth, and again when he risks his life to help Leia flee from the Empire. Likewise, Lando has assumed management of Cloud City, a mining colony on Bespin. When Han listens to him talk about his job, he observes, “You sound like a businessman, a responsible leader.” Lando replies, “Yeah, I'm responsible now.”
It is because Han and Lando have become responsible leaders that they each make difficult decisions, under duress, in the interest of others. Even though Han doesn’t trust Lando, he takes Leia to Cloud City because Lando is the only person he knows of nearby who could help them repair the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive. For his part, Lando betrays Han and Leia to the Empire to protect the people of Cloud City from Imperial occupation. Lando soon learns there’s no negotiating with Darth Vader (“This deal is getting worse all the time!”), yet it’s hard to imagine what he could have done differently. The Empire would have terrorized Cloud City’s citizens — the people Lando is most responsible to protect — until Vader got what he wanted. Lando isn’t entirely wrong to say, “I’ve done all I can. I’m sorry I couldn’t do better, but I’ve got my own problems.”
Nevertheless, Lando’s angry and defensive tone indicates the lingering immaturity in his leadership. To soothe his wounded pride, he denies any further responsibility for Han and Leia’s predicament (“I’ve done all I can”) and uses his other responsibilities to deny fault (“I’ve got my own problems”). Later, when Lando helps Leia escape aboard the Millennium Falcon, this angry and defensive tone resurfaces. When the hyperdrive still fails even after his technicians supposedly repaired it, Lando fumes, “It’s not my fault!” This is another parallel between the two men, because Han said the same thing about the hyperdrive earlier in the film. Setting aside the question of whether or not the malfunctioning hyperdrive is Han or Lando’s fault, it remains their responsibility to fix it. Angry outbursts and proud blame-shifting are hindrances to the responsible leadership both men have begun to practice.
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Characters: Han Solo / Lando Calrissian
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Concepts: leadership
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