I am so excited! This year, for my resolution project, I’m rewatching the Star Wars franchise. I chose it because I love Star Wars, and I thought it would be fun to re-watch the movies in order of release date, with perhaps a bit more of a critical and appreciative eye than I have before.
This month’s installment: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Premise:
Three years into the Clone Wars, the Jedi rescue Palpatine from Count Dooku. As Obi-Wan pursues a new threat, Anakin acts as a double agent between the Jedi Council and Palpatine and is lured into a sinister plan to rule the galaxy.
Spoilers for a 15-year-old film ahead.
After Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, I must admit I dreaded watching this one. I was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn’t say it was a great movie, but it was definitely the best of the three prequels.
There are two moments that will forever be my favorite. The first is, of course, the theme music. I took my dad to see this movie in the theater, and I remember thinking that this would be the last time we heard that glorious theme in surround sound, because at that time there was no prospect of more Star Wars movies in the future. I love that music. I loved the score. The choral parts were magnificent. John Williams is a master at his craft.
The second moment is when we first hear Darth Vader breathing. That sound was so iconic in my childhood, and it thrills me every time. Just that in and out (imagine I’m making the sound), and then James Earl Jones’s voice. Och, so good!
I’d say Revenge of the Sith‘s greatest strength was that it didn’t try to do too much. It intertwined Anakin’s story line with the political drama, making him a part of the action, rather than shoving him off to the side to look after Padme and waffling between being the main plot and a subplot.
Probably the biggest plot issue I had with this movie is that the Jedi Council already sees — and feels — how troubled Anakin is. They know he’s moody and arrogant. And yet they reason it is fine to make him a spy and close ally of the Chancellor. Granted, they apparently aren’t aware that Palpatine is the Sith Lord. Then again, if they can “feel” emotions and “sense” a disturbance of the Force, you’d think they would be aware that Palpatine isn’t a great guy, and therefore it’s maybe not the best idea to entrust moody arrogant Anakin with spying.
I hated the whole prophecy and Anakin being the “chosen one” business. It’s a tired fantasy trope that was already over-done in 2005 when Revenge of the Sith came out. Another misstep in creating the mythology. Misstep or laziness, maybe? I can almost guarantee George Lucas was staring at the blank page thinking, “Why Anakin? Why is he more important than any other? It can’t just be that he’s super talented. Or that Obi-Wan has a fondness for him because of the situation he’d grown up in as a kid. Oh! I know! It was prophesied. He’s the chosen one. Yeah. That’s it. The Jedi won’t discipline him for his tantrums, they’ll just ignore him and give him great responsibility because of the prophecy. Everyone will cheer for him no matter how insufferable he is because he’s the chosen one.”
Padme’s role was once again disappointing. Though this time I thought there had been potential to make her more of a dynamic character. She spends most of the movie fawning over Anakin, worrying that the Jedi will find out they’re married, and ecstatic that she’s pregnant but afraid to tell anyone. She’s still a senator, though, and she has two important moments that are completely glossed over. The first is when she’s talking to Anakin, questioning the status of the Republic, fearing that it is no longer the democracy it is supposed to be. She is politically astute, and a fighter. Her questioning things should have been the start of a major point of tension for her. However, her doubts fit nicely into the narrative that turns Anakin to the Dark Side.
The other moment for Padme that I love is when Palpatine declares the Republic the Empire and she says, “So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.” It is a heart-breaking moment.
Also, I love her hair. The length and curls are incredible, and yes, I know it’s a wig.
Let me get back to Anakin’s arc, because I think that when we finally get to it, it was a decent look at someone’s descent. It wasn’t like Anakin becoming Vader wasn’t foreshadowed early on (presuming you hadn’t watched the original trilogy). He was a talented kid, he was moody and couldn’t control his emotions, and from the start of Revenge of the Sith he’s wearing black.
Palpatine knew how to play on Anakin’s fears of loss to convince him that he, Palpatine, could teach Anakin to be so powerful Padme wouldn’t die. Palpatine also played on Anakin’s insecurities and frustrations with the Jedi. And quite frankly, being treated like such a close confidant by someone so powerful can be rather persuasive. Obi-Wan and the Jedi do nothing to show Anakin that Palpatine might be wrong. They essentially push him away, when clearly he needs more mentoring than others. Throw in Padme’s doubts, the fact that she’s pregnant, and Anakin doesn’t see a way back to the Jedi.
If George Lucas had done more with that, if he had taken his time (which he had plenty of) to focus in on the core of the story, of Darth Vader’s origins, without all the extraneous characters and scenes, he could have had a good prequel. And it could have been done in one movie.
In conclusion: This wasn’t the worst of the prequel movies. There were a few moments I enjoyed. I could have done with a lot fewer fighting scenes, but I would love to be able to shoot lightning out of my fingertips. I mean, I kind of can. In winter. When it is super dry and I’ve walked on carpet for half a second, but that isn’t really shooting out lightning, its more electric shocking people and things.
Up next: The Clone Wars
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