Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

—Overview
—Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections

First off, let me begin by saying that I truly and unabashedly just plain loved this film. It tied the entire series of six movies together for me and brought out several messages that I think are important for all of us in the here-and-now and in a galaxy far-far away.

I have to start by admitting that I am old enough to have attended the first Star Wars movie, in my 20’s, when it first came out in May of 1977. Then it was just called “Star Wars� (before being re-titled to “Star Wars: New Hope� in 1981). I had read George Lucas’ book even before the movie came out and could hardly wait for the movie’s release. Though I tried not to let myself get too excited, as I had not really expected the movie to live up to the book’s storyline, I was pleasantly surprised as I sat glued to the screen from the opening shots by the Imperial Star Destroyer to the final scene where Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are awarded metals by Princess Leia and General Dodonna for destroying the Death Star. I have been hooked ever since.

The range and depth of characters in all three of the original trilogy movies made these more than just your run-of-the-mill 1970’s sci-fi flicks about futuristic technology. And when the second trilogy was announced I was ecstatic. Admittedly, Episode I was not everything I had hoped for, but then again, Lucas probably had one of the toughest jobs in the industry. He not only had to produce a fourth movie based upon a subject already exposed in three previous movies, but he had to provide all the functions necessary for a good story (build-up, climax, suspense) when everyone already knew what was going to happen in the end.

Regardless, I felt that while Episode I and II had not lived up to my expectations, I have to disagree with most Critics who complain that in the three Episodes Lucas did not develop his characters and instead just focused on the special effects.

I believe that Lucas has accomplished, with the three Episodes, exactly what was needed to flush out the entire series. It is true that in the original trilogy we learned to love (or hate in some cases) the many characters, but in the end we were left to only guess at how the situation came to be in the first place. How did Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith, become the Emperor? Why was the bounty hunter Boba Fett so intent on hunting down Luke’s friend Han Solo? What would have driven Darth Vader to the Darkside? What was the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and Luke (not to mention Yoda)? These are all left unanswered at the end of the original trilogy, yet Lucas comes back to answer all these questions, and more, in the new trilogy (Episodes I – III).

And to answer the question about character development, through intense painful scenes we see how Anakin in Episode I is faced with the loss of the only person he had truly loved until then, his mother, and how this carries over into Episode III as a driving factor in his transition to the Darkside. We see that it isn’t just an instant conversion from Jedi to Sith. There are many stresses in his life; which are brought to light in great detail throughout all three of the Episodes.

We are shown the relationships between all the main characters and are led to understand how the interactions between them mold the various characters’ personalities and subsequent actions. What more could you ask for in a series of movies! And speaking of interactions between characters. The biggest complaint I have heard is that the dialogue was stiff, especially between Anakin and Padmé. Well, give me a break, they are teenagers. And though we all know how verbally adept Romeo and Juliet were; it would not have been believable for our Star Wars’ teenage lovers to drone on about the depth of their love and passion. For one thing, it would have been totally out of character for Anakin who through the first two Episodes was a boy/man of action, not of words.

SPOILER WARNING

Rather than dialogue, it was much more in Anakin’s character to see his reaction when Padmé tells him that she is pregnant. One of my colleagues saw the movie at 12:01 the night it opened in a theater full of college students. He told me that when Padmé broke the “exciting� news, the audience burst into laughter after seeing Anakin’s expression. My friend heard several of the people around him making comments like “Oh geez, he’s probably thinking now – I have to get a real job!� The typical reaction you might get from a teenage or young adult male who finds themselves in the same position. But definitely not a lot of “dialogue�.

END OF SPOILER

So beyond the quality of the film; which is up for individual interpretation, what else might we get out of the movie? Back to the old question of what is the Message in the Movie. In this case, to get the full set of Messages, you need to look across the entire spectrum of the six films. Assuredly, for anyone who has seen Return of the Jedi there is the concept of redemption. After everything that Darth Vader has done in his life he finally comes to the realization of what is truly important. Love, duty, truth. In this moment Vader disappears and Anakin returns momentarily before his death (i.e. Return of the Jedi). Redemption is confirmed when Anakin is revealed to Luke from the beyond along side Yoda and Obi-Wan, Anakin in his pre-Vader state (an important symbolism here). Joining his mentors and friends, he is finally forgiven and at peace. And after seeing his dastardly deeds in Episode III, you must truly believe that no matter what I, or you, have done, there is always the hope of forgiveness and love out there waiting for us.

Beyond the redemption factor (though not something to lightly be glanced over), there were other major Messages to be found. But to focus on just Episode III I wanted to bring up something that struck me personally and is probably one of the reasons I really got into Episode III. It’s a little thing called stress. I asked earlier how could someone like Anakin transform into Darth Vader. There were many factors that contributed to this, but one is definitely the stress applied to him by everyone around him. Friend and foe alike. Anakin felt trapped in a world not of his making. The difference between him and many of us is how he responded. He felt he had no outlet except for the one offered by the Darkside. A quickly made decision, and unfortunate mistake for everyone concerned, especially himself. This struck a chord with me as it related to one of my favorite verses from Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.� Remember, there is another avenue then the Darkside. We just need to turn 180 degrees and look for the Light! “Come to me…I will give you rest.�

—Overview
—Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections