Humanising Lord Vader

Rating: 9/10 (21 May 2005)

Finally a prequel that is effective. Return of the Sith not only makes a satisfying bridge into the A New Hope/The Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi storyline, but in an important way also changes it substantially.
Make no mistake about it, Sith is not a film without flaws. The sequence where Anakin gives his allegiance to the Chancellor should have been stronger, as should Anakin's inner struggle over his choice. Christoper Lee has the dubious honour of dying in the early going in two major movies (besides this, the Special Edition of The Return of the King). I still find it hard to believe that Obi-wan bested Anakin in the climatic battle - although this might be due to the original story - and in any case there had to be a cause for the mask and outfit of Darth Vader.
The wrapping up of the story in Sith seemed too contrived (although this is from hindsight), especially in the way the Jedi are summarily despatched off, after years of sensing a disturbance in the Force AND fearing the growth of the Chancellor's powers; it wouldn't have taken much to put two and two together.
And finally Sith shows that special effects by themselves will not make a film. The first sequences of a large-scale spaceship battle are majestic and beautifully-done right down to minute detail. But it doesn't awe me, because there is no backstory to it. It is easy to appreciate, but it wouldn't have made Sith the solid film that it is without what follows in the next two hours.
But the film as a whole fulfils what most movie-goers would have expected. The strength of Sith lies in tying up the prequels to A New Hope. So we see the Death Star, the separation of the twin Skywalkers and the turn of Anakin. The betrayal of the Jedi shocked. We know it's all coming - six years ago - but Lucas makes it work because of the sheer tragedy in the telling. Sith shares the same dark mood with Empire, yet like it offers hope for the future. Sith works because it is essentially a moral story, not a grown-up's fantasy about spaceships and light saber fights.
Sith also changes our interpretation of Episodes 4-6. To some degree, that story is now less of Luke Skywalker but of Darth Vader, of Anakin fulfilling the prophecy of being the Chosen One, who would restore balance to the Force. The accusation that the prophecy was false, shouted in anguish by Obi-wan in the final battle, connects well with Luke's battle with Vader and his final stand against the Emperor in Jedi. Of course the perspective in 4-6 is still the Rebels', but the moral thread is now much stronger. There is good in Anakin, Padme insists at the end, and this is no less than what Gandalf said wrt Gollum. Smeagol did not redeem himself, but Anakin did, right at the end where all else would have fallen otherwise. I would never be able to see Vaderin the same light again.
Managing to have a prequel change the story that follows (and one which we had seen first) is a great achievement. The many flaws of the three prequels, now they should be forgiven. Pop A New Hope into the player.