Revenge of the Sith still owns me

[dangermousie]

All of a sudden, I have a mad urge to rewatch Revenge of the Sith and bits from Attack of the Clones. Shall I give in to it?

Oh yes I shall.

RotS is actually one of my all time favorite movies and the only one of SW ones that goes on that list (I've enjoyed the rest, with the possible exception of TPM, but it's not the same). It's also, even if you don't like scifi, or think Star Wars is overrated, or get hives at the word "Jedi" a really genuinely good one. And it's also one of the rare movies that has the courage to be bleak. Not in the falsely "we are all sad and grubby but life-affirming" kind of way that some movies that generally come out around the Fall season are, but in a Greek tragedy sense: you are watching a flawed but good protagonist brought down by his flaws. And as a nifty extra, a whole civilization crumbles.

Actually, even the fact that PT is made now when flashier tech is available than OT, which was made thirty ears later even though it's set in the future, is in keeping with everything. The glorious golden world of PT is gone, wiped out, never to be rebuilt again, no matter what will come after.

Whatever you may think of Anakin in the first two movies (I like him fine but I know MMV), in the third, he comes across as this incredibly larger than life character, in a way neither Han nor Luke were. Not that they weren't great characters in their own right, but Luke is a beginner, learning as he goes, and for most of the OT, he is just developing. And Han is awesome and all, but he is a grubby, cynical, street-smart type of hero. Not like Anakin, with that awesome power, and complete mess inside his head, a perfect golden knight gone horrifically wrong under pressures not of his making.

The thing is, RotS is so grim and yet I love it. Maybe because it really makes me feel. That scene of Anakin on his knees to Palpatine, grovelling, is sort of encapsulation in miniature of everything I love about RotS: it's painful and you cringe for him and you want to look away, but you can't and you are mesmerized and you must keep watching.

I was too old when I first saw the OT to really get emotionally invested. I enjoyed it, cheered the heroes etc etc. But I never got that breathless lump in throat, this denial that there is other reality outside, this being caught in the hyperreality of the movie world. (I've enjoyed Attack of the Clones, but once again, it was enjoyment, not obsessive giddiness). And of course I knew how it ended, too. But with RotS, it's precisely knowing how it ends, that gives the movie its power. It's interesting how Lucas made the fact that everyone knows the ending (the boat sinks! Romeo and Juliet kill themselves! Darth Vader is Luke's father Anakin!) actually make the movie, as opposed to have people lose interest because you know the ending, duh. And RotS is the one where I did get caught up in the hyper-reality. I remember walking outside the theater that first night and needing to take a breath because I'd forgotten about the real world for a moment.

It's weird, because with PT, I realized by favorite character in SW is Darth Vader and that's a rather startling change in perspective. But now I can never watch OT and see Vader stride around all evil and people-choking without feeling horribly sorry for Anakin trapped inside while still appalled at his actions of course.

Comments

[equustel.livejournal.com]

The first Star Wars movie I ever saw was Return of the Jedi, which cemented Vader as my favorite character from the start - I felt so sorry for the "old man in the suit", even at the meek age of 7... because I didn't have ANH and ESB to go on, where Vader is built up as a terror and less than human.

So, by the time the PT came around, it was a given that I'd be a sucker for Anakin. ;)

[grace-om.livejournal.com]

*nods* I had to go back and rewatch the entire original trilogy, because it changed everything. Just slightly, but significantly. I got real hooked on RoTS too. For all the flaws of these films...something about doomed Anakin/Padme captivated my heart.

[aftersolong.livejournal.com]

I don't have words to describe the depth of my Star Wars love, especially Sith. After seeing it, I bought a bird, just so I could name him Anakin. I was absolutely blown away by the perspective the new movies cast on the old ones. I have so much respect for the fact that, at the end of Sith, instead of two trilogies, it feels like six movies about Anakin. And the fact that the Anakin-centric story was buried there all along just blows my mind. I didn't talk about anything else for days after I saw it, and I absolutely count it among my favorite movies ever.

[prime_meridian]

I couldn't agree more with everything you wrote above. That is all. :)

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I <3 my troubled, tragic prince of darkness ;).

I'm not certain if I really have a favorite among the SW films (ANH though literally changed my life) but I think ROTS has a fair argument being the best on an artistic level.

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

The first time you watch the original trilogy after the new one, it changes everything. Never did I think Natalie and Carrie really looked all that alike, but as soon as Leia is being dragged to Vader in "A New Hope" I was like, "Oh my God! NO!"

[autumn-yaar.livejournal.com]

Mars and Silence own me. I'm up to episode 8 of silence (be still my heart) and episode 4 of Mars. I can't seem to get the subs to show up on Windows Media Player Classic for that silence episode though. :( It's really wierd, it showed up for episode 7. :\ Ah, the forces are against me.

*begs you to upload more silence episodes*

[autumn-yaar.livejournal.com]

and yes my post is totally random, i'm sorry.

[and---irocket.livejournal.com]

When Palpatine calls his clones to "execute order 66", complete with the soundtrack, and the Jedi's reactions/deaths gets to me everytime. It's just so sad!

But ITA RoTS is amazing, my brother and I went and saw it every week for like the first month it was out, after we went to the midnight showing! heh, SW does that to people. :)

[fivil.livejournal.com]

This post made my dig up my own Episode III post. I also really loved it. I actually cried in the theater, the shots of various Jedis getting killed all over the place were too much. Also loved the main fights.

And what you said is true, there's an incredible darkness and sadness to the whole movie. It's a tragedy, probably why it moved me so much. Here's my post from way back when, btw: http://fivil.livejournal.com/116824.html

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

*off to read the write-up*

The fights WERE amazing and the story was devastating and the whole thing rocked.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

When Palpatine calls his clones to "execute order 66", complete with the soundtrack, and the Jedi's reactions/deaths gets to me everytime. It's just so sad!

I know.

We went to midnight showing too. There were people in SW outfits and it was awesome.

Once upon a time (around the time of ROTS) this lj was a SW only zone :P

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That icon is gorgeous! I am going to ul more Silence probably this weekend. We have been moving so stuff has been crazy.

Btw, all the subbed so far eps are on d-addicts and i the shubs thread they have mu files...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know. And Luke and Anakin look scarily alike in RotJ and RotS.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

ROTS has a fair argument being the best on an artistic level.

Agreed. There is just so much THERE. It's amazing how something this bleak can be this addictively watchable, but...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thanks...I am hooked on RotS.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I felt rather sorry for Anakin in OT but he was a minor character in my eyes. I loved Luke and liked Leia and Han. And Yoda was cool. But Vader? Antagonist blah blah.

But then I saw PT and my worldview on these characters completely changed.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

something about doomed Anakin/Padme captivated my heart.

Oh yes. I became such a shipper for them. It just they sacrificed so much for each other, and all to no effect.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

And the fact that the Anakin-centric story was buried there all along just blows my mind. I didn't talk about anything else for days after I saw it, and I absolutely count it among my favorite movies ever.

Word. Totally word.

[and---irocket.livejournal.com]

haha we only saw a couple people dressed up because we somehow passed everyone in line and got inside right when we got there. We were an hour early, though, so my brother and I listened to these guys list off tertiary rebel fighter pilots. It was amusing :D

[mimesh.livejournal.com]

Not like Anakin, with that awesome power, and complete mess inside his head, a perfect golden knight gone horrifically wrong under pressures not of his making.

Oh, I got goosebumps reading that whole paragraph. Perfectly put! I have said this before but I love your movie reviews/meta.
When I watched the OT for the first time as a kid I remember feeling strongly for Luke but those feelings were mostly reactions to his bodily harm when he lost his arm or Sidious tortured him - I guess that's most impressive when you are 10 years old. The PT gave Anakin's character so much depth I can't watch any of the movies anymore without feeling emotional pain for that tragic character.

And I agree with you that knowing exactly how it ended was one of the facts that made ROTS so powerful. I just couldn't help myself but hope during the first half of the movie that Anakin would make the right choice and everything would turn out alright - although I knew the end was inevitable. Perhaps it made it all the more painful to watch it unfold.