Reflections on 'Revenge'
Nov. 7th, 2005 12:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zouzounakiSo it's been some months since I first wandered into a theater just before midnight and first expirienced Revenge of the Sith with my good friend ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
may_child. So long, in fact, that it's come out on dvd already and I haven't written a review or even just jotted down a few thoughts yet! So, after repeated home viewings, I suppose this is the best time...
I hadn't remember just how much I LOVE this movie. When it came out in the theater, I just felt all this pressure to adore it; it was required of a PT fan. And so I did but I couldn't really appreciate that fact. The disappointments of scenes cut were still fresh in my head and I admit that I was kind of being pulled around internally, telling myself to love it while still working around some of my dissatisfaction with the cuts. Time heals, as they say, and it has, even though I've seen the scenes now and they're fabulous. I can only hope for a special edition one day with reedited footage, though it's not as important to me as, say, Sola being put back in AotC.
The editing is tight, concise and serves the story. I state this above all else because, really, the editing was the only thing that was a real letdown in AotC. The story is allowed to flow instead of jerking the viewer back and forth. Though, as I mentioned before, I think the cut scenes are a real loss; I understand he wanted to focus on Anakin's fall but, in a way, he's abandoned the core of the PT in which the political climate runs runs side by side with the characters' development. Anakin's fall wasn't the only thing I wanted to learn about in these prequels; it's the main issue but there are so many other set ups -for the Rebel Alliance, for the Jedi's fall and subsequent learning of new abilities such as retaining identity once joining the Force- that I feel should be there, and were certainly in TPM (still my favorite of the PT) and, to a lesser degree, AotC.
That said, the story as it is does not miss a beat. Emotions are at its heart and it doesn't fail me except in a few rare moments with Natalie's performance, though I freely admit she's much better in this one than she was in the last. The heart and soul are Anakin and Obi-Wan though, and Ewan is gangbusters! He is in this episode exactly what I've been waiting for Young Obi-Wan to be, exactly what I pictured a young Obi-Wan as when it was first announced. Here is a more natural progression of character, IMO, from the Padawan learner we saw in TPM to the sly but kind old man we see in ANH. It doesn't hurt that he looks amazing and seems to be having more fun than in the last; his rapport with Hayden is much more easy, more obvious in a natural way.
And Hayden. Whew. well, this is a mixed one for me because he is really, really good in it. But I don't feel, even though his dialogue is better and he has better performances to act off of, that he's better than he was in AotC. He just gave Episode 2 so much passion, so much anger hiding under the surface that I don't think he can top that. Perhaps it doesn't seem exposive enough, except, that is, until the last duel with Obi-Wan, where I really see "our" Anakin and how much he's fallen.
Nat. Well... She's better in it than in AotC. Yeah. I think because she is called for here to emote more, she seems more animated instead of the Episode 2 'smelling a fart' close-ups she was so good at. Some of it might be the best work I've seen Natalie do, as in the scene dubbed 'Padme's Ruminations' by the soundtrack (also the best piece of music in the movie, IMO; so unlike John Williams, so eerie and yet so beautiful!). She conveys so much, they both do, watching each other from afar. And it doesn't hurt that Natalie's a beautiful and I think the "mustard robe" suits her better than any other costume. That scene is one of such striking beauty, such underlying emotion, I actually get a chill even writing about it! Interesting then, that the performance was originally recorded as Padme watching the Temple burn and knowing Anakin had something to do with it. Espe4cially because the scenes that follow, well, she's not so good in. Though it's not entirely her fault; the script does tend to let the character down a bit towards the end. The shrewd politician is gone and amazingly there is no irony in her tone when she tells Bail that Palpatine has been "elaborating on a plot by the Jedi." I do remember dialogue from the novelisation of Bail asking her twice that she knew 'it was a lie, right?' and getting no answer. That little bit would have helped, IMO, to illuminate that Padme doesn't believe it, she needs to believe it.
When Anakin comes to her after the slaughter at the Temple is perhaps the worst moment. As played originally, she was scared of the insurgence because she could be politically implicated and Anakin could now protect her not only bodily but from the ramifications of her alliances in the Senate. as played in the movie, she seems like a gullible drip which is really a great shame since the one strong female character of the film has been excised (as well as Shaak Ti, Mon Mothma would have been a presence felt very strongly).
Now Palpatine.. He's something else entirely. Flawless, comes to mind. Deserves an Oscar does as well. Ian McDiarmid's performance is phenomenal, among the best of the entire saga, and the underlying homoeroticism as well as the slimy parental manipulations are so powerful in his acting, it blows me away completely. He said in the online making of docs that he truly understood Palpatine and, through his performance, it truly shows! His scene with Anakin in the opera box is not only visually stunning (good call on Lucas' part to move it from his office to the giant set piece as it doesn't overwhelm the performances and gives the viewer something neat to look at whilst enjoying some of the meatiest and most powerful dialogue and delivery) but also spot on in acting. His choices, the lilt of his voice, his body language, is all so right, so natural!
I mentioned earlier Padme's Ruminations and its ability to convey so much with no dailogue and Lucas himself has said that he considers the movies almost silent in telling the story through images. Considering this, it's a little surprising and disappointing that he chooses to keep some of the more confusing aspects confined only to dialogue. I'm talking mainly of Qui-Gon and his non-appearence. at least, in AotC we heard his voice, knew in some way, some how, he was present. I think at least one scene with a disembodied voice -if not his actual ghost- would have gone a long way in helping tell that story. It is nowhere near the problem it was in AotC but it is still there (and, yes, I did figure it out -I'm not dense and those aspects of the PT have always enticed me, the little mysteries).
The final duel, well, what can I say about it that hasn't already been said? It's exciting, scary, beautiful, tragic. The acting from the two leads is at it's very highest here, and this from the fan who realized, much to her dismay, about 6 months in advance, that it was "only going to be Ewan and Hayden"; I really thought it wouldn't have the weight of what I had been waiting to see, the almost mythical fantasy of what really happened on the volcano side. Did it match what was in my head since I was little? No. It was much, much cooler and much more powerful!
And very underrated is the juxtaposition of the duel with Yoda and the Emperor. Yes, it's cool, yes, Yoda is funny jumping around and using his powers, but it's so much more than that; it's the best of the Jedi against the best of the Sith and he LOSES! Granted, much is a tactical decision, which only makes it stronger, more interesting.
Though never front and center, the Jedi are a strong presence in the film, and Sam Jackson finally comes into his own as Mace. What a wonderful character and superb perfomrance. His death has all the granduer to qualify in of itself as the death of the Jedi. Oder 66 is itself a bit of a mixed bag, some really conveying the tragic nobility of the purge (and shows that, perhaps, as much of a sweet, likable and intelligent person Amy Allen is, she's not meant for real acting...).
Padme's death is a gut wrencher and I have absolutely no problem watching her die "of a broken heart" as I watched my father do the same thing; it's not a gender thing -not a sexism thing- not to me at least. I really feel that Lucas has taken you to the point where Padme would just give up under the weight of everything that's happened. I do wish perhaps she held Leia, offered her a smile, something to remember, as she's rather tossed aside (though, again, I understand the importance and imagery of Obi-Wan holding Luke, and it is a personal dislike of mine to see the daughter 'meh, oh another one.').
I've touched on my disappointment that Padme's political scenes were cut, now I'll touch on some of the reasons why. Palpatine's manipulations were so much stronger, so much oilier originally and I think it worked better. To suggest not only that Padme was getting herself in trouble politically but also to establish Anakin's possessiveness and jealousy, as in the dialogue cut from their first meeting behind the pillar when he accuses her of there being someone else, which of course, is their baby! It's realistic of a young man to have these feelings, even if he's not a psychopath, and the bit about the baby was very potent as so many young couples go through something similar where the father resents their child. Even Anakin's attention on HER as she talks about where to raise the baby and his very Freudian dreams of the baby killing her as well as the scenes of him slaughtering the younglings merely hint at a very hidden undercurrent.
And I know fans want Padme and Ani's love to be one of the ages but I did like the small suggestion in Anakin's mind (purely in Ani's mind, I point out) that perhaps she is being unfaithful to him with Obi-Wan; emotionally, physically, politically, it doesn't matter. That jealousy would be there.
I suppose it is to Lucas' credit that he really doesn't understand how dark you'd have to become, how unremoseful, how unredeemable, to have done the things he does. Anakin is gone and some of that does come through in the film but he's also a complete power-crazed psychopath, which, because, the movie and Lucas are so focused on showing it as a great tragedy, Anakin as the victim, he backs away from that a bit too much. And I don't agree with the point of view that every evil person thinks they're doing good; some do it because they can, others because they enjoy it.
But I've rambled on and on now and my comments, my criticisms, my feelings can never convey completely the beauty and the heart break of the film. It truly is a classic and a fitting end to a saga that I've lived with literally all my life!
Peace, Ghani
may_child. So long, in fact, that it's come out on dvd already and I haven't written a review or even just jotted down a few thoughts yet! So, after repeated home viewings, I suppose this is the best time...I hadn't remember just how much I LOVE this movie. When it came out in the theater, I just felt all this pressure to adore it; it was required of a PT fan. And so I did but I couldn't really appreciate that fact. The disappointments of scenes cut were still fresh in my head and I admit that I was kind of being pulled around internally, telling myself to love it while still working around some of my dissatisfaction with the cuts. Time heals, as they say, and it has, even though I've seen the scenes now and they're fabulous. I can only hope for a special edition one day with reedited footage, though it's not as important to me as, say, Sola being put back in AotC.
The editing is tight, concise and serves the story. I state this above all else because, really, the editing was the only thing that was a real letdown in AotC. The story is allowed to flow instead of jerking the viewer back and forth. Though, as I mentioned before, I think the cut scenes are a real loss; I understand he wanted to focus on Anakin's fall but, in a way, he's abandoned the core of the PT in which the political climate runs runs side by side with the characters' development. Anakin's fall wasn't the only thing I wanted to learn about in these prequels; it's the main issue but there are so many other set ups -for the Rebel Alliance, for the Jedi's fall and subsequent learning of new abilities such as retaining identity once joining the Force- that I feel should be there, and were certainly in TPM (still my favorite of the PT) and, to a lesser degree, AotC.
That said, the story as it is does not miss a beat. Emotions are at its heart and it doesn't fail me except in a few rare moments with Natalie's performance, though I freely admit she's much better in this one than she was in the last. The heart and soul are Anakin and Obi-Wan though, and Ewan is gangbusters! He is in this episode exactly what I've been waiting for Young Obi-Wan to be, exactly what I pictured a young Obi-Wan as when it was first announced. Here is a more natural progression of character, IMO, from the Padawan learner we saw in TPM to the sly but kind old man we see in ANH. It doesn't hurt that he looks amazing and seems to be having more fun than in the last; his rapport with Hayden is much more easy, more obvious in a natural way.
And Hayden. Whew. well, this is a mixed one for me because he is really, really good in it. But I don't feel, even though his dialogue is better and he has better performances to act off of, that he's better than he was in AotC. He just gave Episode 2 so much passion, so much anger hiding under the surface that I don't think he can top that. Perhaps it doesn't seem exposive enough, except, that is, until the last duel with Obi-Wan, where I really see "our" Anakin and how much he's fallen.
Nat. Well... She's better in it than in AotC. Yeah. I think because she is called for here to emote more, she seems more animated instead of the Episode 2 'smelling a fart' close-ups she was so good at. Some of it might be the best work I've seen Natalie do, as in the scene dubbed 'Padme's Ruminations' by the soundtrack (also the best piece of music in the movie, IMO; so unlike John Williams, so eerie and yet so beautiful!). She conveys so much, they both do, watching each other from afar. And it doesn't hurt that Natalie's a beautiful and I think the "mustard robe" suits her better than any other costume. That scene is one of such striking beauty, such underlying emotion, I actually get a chill even writing about it! Interesting then, that the performance was originally recorded as Padme watching the Temple burn and knowing Anakin had something to do with it. Espe4cially because the scenes that follow, well, she's not so good in. Though it's not entirely her fault; the script does tend to let the character down a bit towards the end. The shrewd politician is gone and amazingly there is no irony in her tone when she tells Bail that Palpatine has been "elaborating on a plot by the Jedi." I do remember dialogue from the novelisation of Bail asking her twice that she knew 'it was a lie, right?' and getting no answer. That little bit would have helped, IMO, to illuminate that Padme doesn't believe it, she needs to believe it.
When Anakin comes to her after the slaughter at the Temple is perhaps the worst moment. As played originally, she was scared of the insurgence because she could be politically implicated and Anakin could now protect her not only bodily but from the ramifications of her alliances in the Senate. as played in the movie, she seems like a gullible drip which is really a great shame since the one strong female character of the film has been excised (as well as Shaak Ti, Mon Mothma would have been a presence felt very strongly).
Now Palpatine.. He's something else entirely. Flawless, comes to mind. Deserves an Oscar does as well. Ian McDiarmid's performance is phenomenal, among the best of the entire saga, and the underlying homoeroticism as well as the slimy parental manipulations are so powerful in his acting, it blows me away completely. He said in the online making of docs that he truly understood Palpatine and, through his performance, it truly shows! His scene with Anakin in the opera box is not only visually stunning (good call on Lucas' part to move it from his office to the giant set piece as it doesn't overwhelm the performances and gives the viewer something neat to look at whilst enjoying some of the meatiest and most powerful dialogue and delivery) but also spot on in acting. His choices, the lilt of his voice, his body language, is all so right, so natural!
I mentioned earlier Padme's Ruminations and its ability to convey so much with no dailogue and Lucas himself has said that he considers the movies almost silent in telling the story through images. Considering this, it's a little surprising and disappointing that he chooses to keep some of the more confusing aspects confined only to dialogue. I'm talking mainly of Qui-Gon and his non-appearence. at least, in AotC we heard his voice, knew in some way, some how, he was present. I think at least one scene with a disembodied voice -if not his actual ghost- would have gone a long way in helping tell that story. It is nowhere near the problem it was in AotC but it is still there (and, yes, I did figure it out -I'm not dense and those aspects of the PT have always enticed me, the little mysteries).
The final duel, well, what can I say about it that hasn't already been said? It's exciting, scary, beautiful, tragic. The acting from the two leads is at it's very highest here, and this from the fan who realized, much to her dismay, about 6 months in advance, that it was "only going to be Ewan and Hayden"; I really thought it wouldn't have the weight of what I had been waiting to see, the almost mythical fantasy of what really happened on the volcano side. Did it match what was in my head since I was little? No. It was much, much cooler and much more powerful!
And very underrated is the juxtaposition of the duel with Yoda and the Emperor. Yes, it's cool, yes, Yoda is funny jumping around and using his powers, but it's so much more than that; it's the best of the Jedi against the best of the Sith and he LOSES! Granted, much is a tactical decision, which only makes it stronger, more interesting.
Though never front and center, the Jedi are a strong presence in the film, and Sam Jackson finally comes into his own as Mace. What a wonderful character and superb perfomrance. His death has all the granduer to qualify in of itself as the death of the Jedi. Oder 66 is itself a bit of a mixed bag, some really conveying the tragic nobility of the purge (and shows that, perhaps, as much of a sweet, likable and intelligent person Amy Allen is, she's not meant for real acting...).
Padme's death is a gut wrencher and I have absolutely no problem watching her die "of a broken heart" as I watched my father do the same thing; it's not a gender thing -not a sexism thing- not to me at least. I really feel that Lucas has taken you to the point where Padme would just give up under the weight of everything that's happened. I do wish perhaps she held Leia, offered her a smile, something to remember, as she's rather tossed aside (though, again, I understand the importance and imagery of Obi-Wan holding Luke, and it is a personal dislike of mine to see the daughter 'meh, oh another one.').
I've touched on my disappointment that Padme's political scenes were cut, now I'll touch on some of the reasons why. Palpatine's manipulations were so much stronger, so much oilier originally and I think it worked better. To suggest not only that Padme was getting herself in trouble politically but also to establish Anakin's possessiveness and jealousy, as in the dialogue cut from their first meeting behind the pillar when he accuses her of there being someone else, which of course, is their baby! It's realistic of a young man to have these feelings, even if he's not a psychopath, and the bit about the baby was very potent as so many young couples go through something similar where the father resents their child. Even Anakin's attention on HER as she talks about where to raise the baby and his very Freudian dreams of the baby killing her as well as the scenes of him slaughtering the younglings merely hint at a very hidden undercurrent.
And I know fans want Padme and Ani's love to be one of the ages but I did like the small suggestion in Anakin's mind (purely in Ani's mind, I point out) that perhaps she is being unfaithful to him with Obi-Wan; emotionally, physically, politically, it doesn't matter. That jealousy would be there.
I suppose it is to Lucas' credit that he really doesn't understand how dark you'd have to become, how unremoseful, how unredeemable, to have done the things he does. Anakin is gone and some of that does come through in the film but he's also a complete power-crazed psychopath, which, because, the movie and Lucas are so focused on showing it as a great tragedy, Anakin as the victim, he backs away from that a bit too much. And I don't agree with the point of view that every evil person thinks they're doing good; some do it because they can, others because they enjoy it.
But I've rambled on and on now and my comments, my criticisms, my feelings can never convey completely the beauty and the heart break of the film. It truly is a classic and a fitting end to a saga that I've lived with literally all my life!
Peace, Ghani
