Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Last night was the first time I’ve seen a Star Wars movie at midnight on the day of its release: I had no idea what I was missing. I actually saw a Wookiee in person last night.

Revenge of the Sith did not disappoint in any significant way. Maybe it’s a result of reduced expectations over the past six years, but I really enjoyed myself at the theater last night. That is to say, I almost cried a few times, but I walked out smiling.

Revenge of the Sith is really, really sad. There’s something to be said for the fact that the story was told backwards: there’s a feeling of inevitability to the whole thing, but we know it’s going to turn out OK in the end. Darth Vader, we now know for certain, is not pure evil, and he does not take joy in the destruction of life. He’s a pathetic character now, consumed by his love for Padmé and his twisted quest for “peace” in the galaxy. The true villain is not Vader: it is Palpatine/Sidious, whom I grew to hate more and more with his every word and action.

And ROTS is sad because of the failures of the characters to which we feel such a great attachment. Obi-Wan, Anakin, even Yoda fail in ways that scar them so deeply that we cannot help but be scarred as well. For all the talk of Anakin Skywalker as an annoying, whiny teenager, he shows real humanity here, and seeing him turn to the Dark Side is genuinely upsetting. We know there is good in him, but still he becomes a murderer and a monster. In seeing the suffering that he endures and causes, his ultimate redemption becomes even more poignant and meaningful. Revenge of the Sith not only stands on its own as awesome cinema, it makes the entire Star Wars series better.

May 19, 2005 - 09:42 AM

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