AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: INSIDE THE CARBON FREEZE CHAMBER!

It may be hot on set but relations between Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are very frosty indeed at this point in the filming.

The scenes set inside the restrictive, steam-filled, temperature-soaring Carbon Freezing chamber are dramatic enough, but behind the scenes for the week that the main cast and crew of The Empire Strikes Back are filming the possible last goodbye between lovers Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa, things are even tenser. Carrie Fisher in unhappy with continuing dialogue changes decisions affecting her character being made without her knowledge, and often at the last minute, by Irvin Kershner and co-star Ford. And there is a general air of friction on and off between the actress and her former affair instigator in Ford, strained relations going back to their original liaisons from 1976. Kershner also feels the mood swings of Fisher during the dramatic sequence, of which producer Gary Kurtz acts as a friendly barrier between their clashes. 

Kershner meticulously checks his script for the upcoming filming.

Carrie Fisher has some rare on-set fun on the Carbon Freeze Chamber.

Conferring with Peter Suschitzky.

Dark times for the doomed lovers?

The cast in breaks between long bouts of filming.

Carrie gets ready for her sad scenes as Leia.

Kershner gives Peter Mayhew advice on deepening Chewbacca's character moments in this memorable scene.

Kershner with Williams, Jeremy Bulloch and Milton Johns as an Imperial Officer.

Fett, Lando and the Imperial Officer watch the horror unfold in the chamber in this superb still shot.

Rehearsals continue for the main actors.

Trying to keep things upbeat, Dave Prowse talks to people about his newly released keep- fit book whilst Jeremy Bulloch suffers from the heat inside his costume but gamely delivers a memorable performance as the deadly Boba Fett.

Directing Billy Dee William's now out of his depth Lando Calrissian.

Lucas and Kershner together, likely discussing the story/character mechanics of the scene ahead.

British film publicist Alan Arnold charts a brilliant behind the scenes look at the entre filming of the all-important Carbon Freezing goodbye scene within the engrossing and illuminating pages of his 1981 released book, Once Upon A Galaxy - a Journal of the Making of The Empire Strikes Back.