http://www.starwars.com     

© Century Fox and Lucasfilm 2005. All rights reserved. Illustrative stuff and official dialogue sample are property of 20th Century Fox

preview-review  by dalia "gryphon_spirit" di giacomo____   

in theatres in Switzerland  on D-CH 19. 05. 2005 , F-CH 18.05.2005 , I-CH 20.05.2005

NOT  FROM  A  JEDI

"During Revenge of the Sith, the Clone Wars are still taking place throughout the galaxy,

so everyone is in full battle mode, prepared for anything to happen at any moment" 

George Lucas

Simply spectacular and action-filled. The very long Star Wars saga (lasted almost 30 years) is finally complete and in the best way. I am amazed by this judgment of mine, after all i never was a Star War freak.  Episode III on the contrary makes me reconsider deeply everything about Star Wars stuff. Now that the last chapter  of Lord's Vader epos finds its place in the galactic mosaic, and now, that the younger generations are  telling that  maybe Episode III may not su*k, I feel a certain soft spot for this modern and post decadent saga. I think that  Episode III, which, obviously, tell us how Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker  becomes  the obscure Darth Vader , leaves in me  a shadow of nostalgic feeling. Mankind needs epic stories, to have almost neglected Homer has not paid. And secondly , through Revenge of the Sith, we can fully understand that the whole Star Wars story is a clear portrait of  the quest for immortality.  The technical side is excellent and overwhelming.  Close to perfection in every detail,  there are certain moments of extraordinary beauty and involvement . Due to the progress of the techniques,  Episode III is the best of all episodes, the most vivid, the most relentless, with tons of effects. The battles and all aerial scenes are so perfect and vertiginous, yes it is quite like a 3d experience, helped also from sound effects which are perfectly calibrated in surround quality. Among the most spectacular and memorable scenes we can include the battle of Coruscant in the upper atmosphere at the very beginning .  And then the formidable duel  between Obi Wan  Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker freshly turned into Darth Vader, the new apprentice of Sith Lord Sidious/Palpatine. This fight takes place in an infernal landscape on the red volcanic planet of Mustafar among streams of molten lava and through exploding magma. In reality this landscape comes from  a footage of the spectacular eruption of Sicily’s Mt. Etna volcano, happened in 2002.  Interesting to know is that , in addition to Australia and the United Kingdom, the movie was shot in China, Thailand, Switzerland and Tunisia.

"We wanted to get the atmosphere of danger in the world around them as they duel.It’s a classic fight between two very powerful characters. The environment around them supports the menacing quality of the fight. I wanted to make it as precarious and hostile as possible, and, of course, to make it look as hot as hell. It’s sort of like the Niagara Falls of the lava world." 

Roger Guyett supervisor of  the creation of the volcano planet Mustafar

Memorable is also the "parallel" fight  between Yoda and Palpatine, now  Emperor  of the first galactic empire, proclaimed by Palpatine himself in front of a weak Senate  and in front of an astonished Padmé Amidala.  Full of temperament Artu, oh pardon R 2 - D 2, is the absolute protagonist of amazing scenes during the initial battle and the rescue of seemingly good Palpatine hold hostage in the  Grievous' ship.  Later, the definitive fight between Obi Wan Kenobi and General Grievous is another blast. The whole  episode is a well build  bridge between the first chapters and the old trilogy. We also see Chewbacca, the new battleships are forecasted as well as the Death Star.  

The forces of the Republic are under stress:  after Count Dooku, who will be executed by a still unaware Anakin Skywalker obeying Palpatine's direct order, general Grievous is the new mighty enemy. 

"There are heroes on both sides.

Evil is everywhere"

The council of the Jedi is put under suspicion, Palpatine shows his true intentions and advocates to himself absolute powers . Droids and Clones soon will become kind of allied  in a new order where the respective technologies will be mixed. The republic and its ideals  collapses around the Jedi. Even the bio- mechanical essence of general Grievous is a precursor of Anakin/Darth Vader 's destiny. The Jedi council lives its worst moment ever, the clone army suddenly turns into enemy.  The fact the Obi- Wan Kenobi is victor on Grievous  is no  that big joy when the Clone troopers  obey Palpatine's new rules. Many Jedi will loose their lives in a way or another. Those who survive must hide. Beyond any lightsaber, the direct duels  seem to  show that the 2 forces (Dark and Light) have equilibrated abilities, being the Dark side anyway not the mightiest.  So why Anakin Skywalker chooses the Dark side? this is the core of the whole saga and explains pretty well Lord Vader's future actions . Basically it is the same questions that Like Skywalker will ask to  Master Yoda: what side of the Force is  the most powerful one? Anakin Skywalker appears here as a true "romantic" hero, yes i can totally understand the terrible Lord Vader. He is too talented but devoured by deep terrible doubts . Anakin cannot find any satisfactory answer among the Jedi any longer.    After  his mother's death, now the poor Anakin is tortured by painful dreams foretelling a suffering and  dying Padmé, who is now waiting for his baby. He simply cannot accept the "natural" law of death. He wants to protect the persons he loves. Palpatine understands all this very well and makes a true exploitation of Anakin's fears and conflict.  Anakin wants more powers and quickly, he wants to walk the paths who bring further and ultimate  knowledge , that  knowledge which is even able to defy death. Palpatine lets him understand that the Force's Dark Side  can.  Those paths exist but  their secrets cannot be learned from a Jedi, cause those paths are considered unnatural by the Jedi. Only the Sith can teach them. Is this true or not? We will see. I personally have sympathy for the Dark Force and the Sith  but surely not when in the hands of a such miserable character like Palpatine. It  comes the moment, that Palpatine's openly manifest his true identity to Anakin:  he is that Lord Sidious that the  Jedi are in search of. Anakin still inform the Jedi about Palpatine's identity but this is his last service to Jedi's cause.   Anyway Anakin's choice is not easy,  tears and big inner sufferance are not unknown to Darth Vader. Too talented but too weak in his doubts , he will become the cruel revenge in the hand of the Emperor's perfidy. Darth Vader  knows very well which danger is running but the point of no return is reached. Maybe   he would like  to defeat the Emperor, taking his place and ruling in his own way  but only with  a beloved person at his side, for example  Amidala , but Amidala's  heart cannot walk this path.

The same offer will be proposed  later to his son Luke, but we don't know how much sincere Lord Vader  can be. Too late Obi Wan Kenobi confesses to Anakin that it is he, Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One.  Sith Emperor wants to defeat the Jedi and now can manage his  moment of glory and the revenge of the Sith's order. On the other side  the Jedi want to  defeat the Sith: Anakin's children are their only hope now in this moment of bitter defeat. But fact is that,  in spite of all Yoda's "wise" meditations, no one can help Anakin. Even not sweet Amidala.  

Lord Vader, who almost dies after the fight with  an arrogant Obi - Wan, is saved by his new master, yes, but bearing terrible pain, becoming more a cyborg than a man. Pain calls pain when the Emperor  tells him an almost terrible lie, which only  makes Vader's  hate more bitter and bigger. Finally,  Luke and Leia twins are separated from the birth by  Yoda and Obi  Wan. Luke is adopted by Owen and Beru Lars  on Tatooine  , while  Leia is adopted by Senator and  Viceroy Bail Organa of Alderaan , whose wife always wanted a baby girl. Amidala dies feeling that Anakin is still alive and that good still exists in him. Jar Jar will be among the many mourners of the quite gothic funeral (who is then the mother that Leia remembers and describes to Luke  during the final episode? ) . Is immortality possible after becoming one with the Force? Has Qui-Gon learned to achieve immortality? For Anakin this quest, begun with his mother's death, one day will end thanks to his son, or better said, thanks to  his children. Briefly: DNA. Anakin's quest is mankind's quest. And not only . It is the quest of all forms of life. 

"To wear the costumes as the character I play is wonderfully empowering," ..."It just

feels reptilian, which is exactly right for him" 

Ian McDiarmid about  his favorite costume: a high-collared jacket that looks like the skin of a snake or lizard on screen

dalia di giacomo

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