A fitting finale to a classic saga

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2005)

After almost three decades of speculation, the reasons behind Vader's fall have finally been revealed to us. To say that it should fulfil fans expectations is an understatement. The fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin is a mythic duel that has been collectively imagined in all our minds since 'A New Hope' was released, and ROTS delivers this as though Lucas dived into our thoughts and put it on screen. The choreography of the battle is breathtaking, and the emotion from it heartbreaking.
But Sith is far more than its climactic third act. Despite being sold to us as the darkest film of the saga (which it is), it also raises the most laughs from the all of the prequels. Not only that, but it also throws a new light onto Episodes I and II, and shows that Lucas had all his themes laid down from the beginning. The groundwork for Anakin's fall to the Dark Side is woven throughout, and in ROTS especially there are a number of overlapping and subtle reasons for the choices he makes.
And that is perhaps one of the strengths of the story in Episode III. The tragedy of a man who has a destiny he is meant to fulfil, yet is unwittingly a victim of circumstance. Senator Palpatine has played the puppeteer for many years on the young Jedi, and all of the Chosen One's supposed choices have been manipulated by the Dark Lord.
But of course the most important question that all true Star Wars fan will ask is 'does it tie into the original trilogy'? Happily, yes. There will always be those who try to find plot holes, but ultimately this creates a fitting link to the two trilogies. In fact one day there will probably be no talk of 'trilogies'. The next generation of fans will rightly know it solely as a saga.
Which raises an interesting question. For future fans who will no doubt watch Star Wars in chronological order, I-VI, how will they judge Episode III and will that affect their viewing of Episodes IV-VI? Most likely Episode III will seem even darker, as the world and characters they had watched thus far are irreversibly changed without prior knowledge. Vader will certainly seem a more tragic figure rather than an iconic villain. The battle between Obi-Wan and Vader in 'A New Hope' will be filled with even more emotion. The revelation in TESB will hold a very different meaning, because the audience will have known of it since the end of ROTS. And ROTJ will not seem as happy an ending to the saga, rather bittersweet. The majority of the characters we begun the saga with are dead. Instead of a whole Jedi Order, we have just one lone Knight. And the character we started this journey with, Anakin, is redeemed, but the moment is now tainted with the realisation that he could have been so much more. We knew it before the new trilogy was made, but now we really feel it.
There are those who look upon the original trilogy as the 'Holy Grail' of movies, with every moment cinematic perfection. Anything that deviates is sacrilegious. And those people were probably never going to be truly satisfied with these new films. Which is a shame, because most of the flaws in the new films are usually just as evident in the old ones.
To nitpick like this though is to miss the entire point of 'Star Wars'. For these films are fun. Its a lot of fun from start to finish and a great joy to lose yourself in them. And ROTS is great fun and a great joy. Ask the casual viewer at this time to name their favourite Staw Wars film and they say 'Revenge of the Sith'. There is something to be read there. For they are not blinded by nostalgic love. The next generation will probably also have one new argument- 'Sith' or 'Empire'?
Certain people need mentioning by name. First is John Williams. This is his strongest score to date for the series. His theme 'Battle of the Heroes' perfectly encapsulates exactly how we feel when it starts to play. Alongside all the past themes from the other films, they combine to make a tragic and operatic score.
Hayden Christenssen puts in a fine performance, showing an arrogant and ambitious young man who believes he is doing the right thing despite the fact his acts are inexcusable. He holds his own against McDiarmind, who as the Emperor relishes his role, and so will the audience. McGregor gives us his best portrayal of Obi-Wan by far, and is clearly enjoying himself. The other players all give commendable performances. They serve the story though Oscars will never be won.
And finally George Lucas himself. The man who directed the first two prequels has disappeared. He is so confident with this film that it feels as though he has been just aching to make this movie, so he could tell this part of the story. Though some of his dialogue is difficult, it is often only in the romantic scenes and these are brief. But the man sure can tell a good yarn, and 'Sith' fits into the whole puzzle nicely.
So the story of Anakin Skywalker is complete. The saga is complete. The first time I saw ROTS my heart was probably beating just a little too hard to critique it fairly. After the third viewing however the film stands up extremely well. It even stands up well on its own, away from the series. So go see this film, and not just because of the hype. Or even because it's a moment of cinema history. And even put aside the fact that it really is a fitting finale to a classic saga. Go see it because it's fun. Go treat yourself.