On May 25,
1977 a science-fiction fantasy that redefined adventure premiered in about
thirty U.S. theaters. Most exhibitors
were reluctant to screen it. But the
film proved unstoppable. A sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, puzzled some
moviegoers with its complete title—Star
Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
In subsequent years A New Hope became
an accepted title of the original film, particularly among enthusiasts. After six years of no films, the franchise
lost considerable momentum. But the 1991
launch of new Star Wars novels sparked a revitalization that extended into
video games and memorabilia. The stage
was set for the successful launch of the 'prequel' trilogy, beginning with
1999's The
Phantom Menace. Star Wars is more than a movie, more than six
movies; it is a veritable galaxy of entertainment, by which its creator George
Lucas has profited handsomely.
The
prequel trilogy, culminating with Episode
III: Revenge of the Sith, has polarized the fan base. It has attracted legions of new, mostly
younger, fans, some of whom consider the new trilogy superior to the old. For those who recoil from the newer films,
their fight is to preserve Star Wars as they knew it in their formative
years. Some are fueled by nostalgia,
others (with opinions as objective as opinions can be) simply consider Lucas to
have taken a wrong turn. Others try to
go with the flow and reconcile the trilogies to each other. We will now consider the magnitude of their
task.
By
way of introduction, let us first take stock of six characters featuring in
both trilogies. Chewbacca, in the
Original Trilogy (OT), was Han's loyal sidekick, short-tempered, but a lovable
lug nonetheless. Now we see him as a
respected warrior, the years between trilogies shrouded in mystery. Yoda was a peace-loving guru, too cool to
fight. Now he is more—a diminutive
warrior who bears great responsibility for not checking the slide from Republic
to Empire. Obi-Wan, who briefly appeared
in the OT as a burned-out eccentric, now stands as the premiere Jedi of all six
films—steadfast and wise, he's the giant slayer who cut up Darth Maul and Darth
Vader, the latter of whom used to be a very mysterious, super-foreboding
presence quick on the kill. He was also
haunted by the vague memory of better days.
After the prequels, in which Vader (Anakin Skywalker) plays the
paramount role, he can be considered a deeply volatile man (not machine) whose
emotions are still locked in the frightful passions of childhood. He's not fully in league with the Emperor's
plans and he resents the suit that imprisons him—the cost of staying alive, and
a continual reminder of his failure against Obi-Wan. The major villain of the OT, he was
paradoxically embraced as the most popular character. Now, the prequels revolve around him.
Boba
Fett became a cult favorite for his brief contribution to the stories of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He was a cold-blooded mercenary, the galaxy's
best bounty hunter, a more formidable adversary to Han Solo than the
quickly-dispatched Greedo. Now we see
him as Jango Fett's un-altered clone, and the death of "dad" at the
hands of the Jedi has left him embittered.
Finally
we consider the Emperor. We know very
little about the OT Emperor—he was Vader's slave master, cackling from the
pinnacle of Dark Side power (best represented by the Force lightning). Like Yoda, he was too cool to fight. In the prequels, the Emperor plays a huge
part, working alternately as Darth Sidious and Chancellor Palpatine to bring
the galaxy under his dominion. He is the
top Sith (a new term) and a master political manipulator. He corrupts Anakin, but also saves his
life. Even so, he now stands as the
chief villain of the six film cycle.
Perhaps
inevitable, considering the order the films were made, little incongruities
emerge in the OT after viewing the prequels:
·
In their light saber fight, Obi-Wan calls Vader "Darth"
like it's his first name, not a title.
In this same fight Vader says, "When I left you I was but the
learner. Now I am the master." Vader may have meant that he abandoned
Obi-Wan's teachings, but it sounds like Vader is saying he left Obi-Wan
behind. We know from Episode III that it was Obi-Wan who left
Vader, smoldering and limbless.
·
In her holographic message delivered by R2-D2, Princess Leia
remarks to Obi-Wan, "Years ago you served my father in the Clone
Wars." In Episode III we see these two men commiserate once the Emperor has
taken control, but at this point the Wars are over, and we're never granted a
portrait of Bail Organa as a military commander. Yet he was a most powerful senator of the Old
Republic.
· In the intervening years, Artoo's skills have atrophied, particularly his ability to fly. This could be attributed to inadequate servicing.
·
Obi-Wan saw the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 quite a lot in the
prequels. He acts like he doesn't
recognize them in A New Hope. This could just be an example of wily Obi-Wan
pulling a fast one on Luke. After all,
he does say, "I don't recall ever owning a droid. Very interesting..." We know now that Jedi were not permitted to
own anything. More troubling from a continuity
standpoint is R2-D2's response when Obi-Wan says that Ben Kenobi and Obi-Wan
are the same guy. The droid whistles
with delightful astonishment. But where
C-3PO had his memory wiped and cannot recall the old times, R2-D2's memory is
intact...supposedly.
·
Along the same lines, Owen does not recognize C-3PO and
R2-D2. C-3PO used to work on his
farm! Forgetting Artoo is
understandable, since probably millions of similar-looking astrotech droids
exist. C-3PO also has innumerable
identical counterparts throughout the galaxy—but each one is distinguished by a
unique voice, as evidenced by the robot that serves Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon drinks
in Episode I and the rude droid C-3PO
runs across in Cloud City during Episode
V.
·
Obi-Wan says Luke's father wanted his son to inherit his light
saber when he was old enough. We never
see Anakin express that desire. Obi-Wan
gives Luke the weapon he took from Anakin while the guy was on fire. But this is quite explainable—the films
establish Obi-Wan as a liar, and here he is telling a tall tale about Luke's
Jedi father to inspire the boy to join the Cause.
·
Returning to the light saber fight, one cannot help thinking that
Obi-Wan and Vader have really slowed down in the years since their previous
struggle. Vader is now mechanized, and
Obi-Wan could be out of practice or in bad health. Still, it's a jarring contrast to the
acrobatics of Mustafar.
So
far we've discussed elements of the story, not its techniques. The idea is to explain the two trilogies by
the story we're given, not the circumstances of their production. But for a time we'll digress slightly.
Lucas
employs straightforward narrative storytelling in both trilogies—no flashbacks,
almost no point-of-view shots nor slow-motion, and wipes are used to distinguish
narrative threads and to connote the passage of time. The most frequently discussed difference
between trilogies is the application of computer-graphics technology. When Return
of the Jedi was released in 1983 computer graphics were still in their
infancy. Models were used for the
spaceships and any animation for laser blasts or light sabers was accomplished
the traditional way.
Sixteen
years later, The Phantom Menace
introduced a new look. Entire sequences
were entirely animated, by computer.
Most of the visual effects, particularly as the prequels progressed,
were convincing enough, but do stand in distinct contrast to the OT.
The
prequel trilogy is rendered on a more expansive canvas—more characters on more
planets. We involve ourselves with the
private concerns of the main characters, see a lot of action, and are privy to
political machinations, this third component unseen in the OT. Again, this could be an issue of Lucas
feeling liberated by technology to tell a bigger story. As it stands, the prequels give us a broad
view, the OT a narrow one.
Lucas
didn't go overboard and was prescient enough to save some surprises for
Episodes IV, V, and VI. Still, some are lost, and some new questions
confront viewers of the six-film saga.
Surprises
of the OT left intact include the jump to light speed from the perspective of
the cockpit; the big space battles are saved for IV and VI; the first snow
planet we see remains Hoth, in V; we
never hear about tractor beams nor blasters set for stun until IV.
Many
surprises are lost or lose their significance in the prequels. Among these are the truth of Luke and Leia's
relationship, the first foray into an asteroid field, the Force choke, the
Death Star (plan in II, under
construction in III), the binary
sunset of Tattooine, and Jedi mind tricks.
Three more demand additional scrutiny:
·
Before, when Luke lit his new light saber in Return of the Jedi, we only knew of pink and blue. A green light saber seemed to signify a fresh
start to the Jedi Order. Now Qui-Gon and
Obi-Wan light their sabers at the same time, one blue, one green.
·
The Emperor unloads all his vitriol through Force lightning,
nearly killing Luke in Episode VI. It was a stunning surprise, but now we know
it's coming, and we know Darth Tyrannus demonstrated the same skill in Attack of the Clones, thus it's not so
special anymore.
·
Since we've seen Yoda in the prequels, his games with Luke leave
us in suspense, wondering if he has gone insane all these years alone on
Degobah, or if he's faking, testing Luke's patience before he'll reveal
himself. He surely remembers that Anakin
was impatient, too.
In
many of the above examples, suspense has been substituted for surprise. The identity of Luke's father is the ideal
example. Before, when Vader revealed
himself after his duel with Luke, the effect was stunning, becoming the most
famous moment of the saga. Now it has
been relegated to a curiosity. There was
a way out. Lucas could have shown Anakin
slipping to the Dark Side, but not revealed his 'death.' Coincidentally, the Emperor introduces his
new apprentice, the mysterious Darth Vader.
Then in IV, when Obi-Wan tells Luke that Vader killed Anakin, we would
believe him, just as Luke does. Even as
the series stands, many questions remain for the first-time viewer:
·
Where is Yoda? We don't see
him go to Degobah at the conclusion of III. He isn't referred to in IV. Did the Emperor tell
Vader and the galaxy that Yoda was dead?
(This would explain why Vader only refers to Obi-Wan training Luke, even
after he's killed Obi-Wan.)
·
Are Luke and Leia going to stop smooching before things get too
heavy? Don't they realize they're
twins?! After all, a first-time viewer
doesn't know if he's watching a tragedy or what.
·
Similarly, is Luke going to kill his father without realizing who
he is, only to bitterly regret his actions later?
·
Will Qui-Gon make an appearance?
·
Was the midichlorian discussion with Anakin just speculation on
Qui-Gon's part? The Jedi Council looks
down on him, so it makes sense that he would interpret the ways of the Force in
a unique and controversial manner. So
will Episodes IV, V, and VI resolve the mystery?
·
Will the Rebels build a droid army to match the plethora of storm
troopers wielded by the Empire? Or will
the Rebels just appropriate the droid army from the Clone Wars? Anakin never did carry out the Emperor's
request; he never insured they were destroyed.
On the whole, the prequels are
enriching, planting new subtleties in the OT.
Consider:
·
Obi-Wan says to a doubting Han Solo, "In my experience
there's no such thing as luck." Now
we know he's an authority on such matters.
·
Owen holds a grudge against Obi-Wan in Episode IV. His motivation
is strengthened by the revelation that he knew Anakin's mother well—she was his
step-mom! Since he knew her as a great
lady who loved his father, he figures Obi-Wan is responsible for messing Anakin
up. Consequently, he'll make sure
Obi-Wan won't get the same chance with Luke.
·
Vader blocks Solo's laser blast with his right hand. This was the metal hand resulting from his
unfortunate clash with Count Dooku in II. This may be the hand he favors and we can
speculate that the metal is strong enough to block the laser.
·
Anakin is lectured about attachment in Episodes II and III. His connection with
Padme, by then his wife, contributes mightily to his fall from grace. In Episodes V and VI we find Luke
very attached to Han and Leia. It even
seems that as he is lured to Cloud City by the premonition of their deaths, he
will succumb to the Dark Side just like his father. However, by Return of the Jedi, attachment becomes Luke's strength, and by
treating his father like a man and not a machine, he redeems him and topples
the Empire. In the end, the Council may
have been wrong about the dangers of attachment, but we can assess Anakin's
desire to save his mother and wife as a manifestation of his selfish character,
bent on control. All Luke wants is to
save Han and Leia for Han and Leia.
·
Now that we know the Sand People don't shy from torture and
killing, their appearance in Episode IV
is far more tantalizing and sinister.
·
Originally, when Yoda dismissed Luke by saying he was too old to
begin the training of becoming a Jedi, he seemed crass and egotistical. Now we know, after seeing what happened with
Anakin, who was one-half Luke's age at the start of his training, that Yoda has
the creeps about screwing things up again.
·
After all six movies, the issue of victory through fighting is
still cloudy. Obi-Wan and Yoda seem to
have nursed a bloodthirsty animus against Vader. They think Luke's idea of converting him is
preposterous. But Luke was right, and he
couldn't defeat the Emperor (and save himself from the Dark Side) until he
stopped fighting. Obi-Wan and Yoda want
Luke to mop the floor with Vader, but despite their lack of vision, he is still
the Chosen One. When Obi-Wan says,
"You can't win, but there are alternatives to fighting," he may be
thinking of Yoda's retreat from Palpatine in the Senate chamber, or the fact
that all the years the Jedi fought the Clone Wars they were only helping the
man that wanted them dead.
·
Anakin wears dark clothes in III,
just before he turned. So when Luke
sports the same style in Episode VI,
it's a bad sign. (He's particularly
sinister when he's Force-choking the guards at Jabba's palace.)
·
Trying to save his father, Luke implores, "Come with
me..." Vader replies, wistfully,
"Obi-Wan once thought as you do.
You don't know the power of the Dark Side," which means that when Obi-Wan
was imploring Anakin to stop his evil deeds, just before their titanic light
saber clash, he was blind to Anakin's inability to turn the Dark Side off, like
a switch. It controlled him. Even if he wanted to change, he couldn't.
Some new patterns emerge courtesy of
the prequels:
·
Sith overthrowing Sith / Anakin seeking a family helper (first
Padme, then Luke)
·
Anakin destroys the droid control ship / Luke bombs the Death Star
·
Lots of extremities are lost
·
Fighting a Sith seriously accelerates one's training—Obi-Wan vs.
Maul / Luke vs. Vader
·
Leia follows a path similar to her mother's—first film, big-time
political leader, no time for private life; second film, she still has some
power, but she's willing to let herself be swept away by a man; in the third
film she's marginalized (Padme pregnant, Leia a slave girl)—but things are much
easier for Leia since she doesn't have to worry about Han going to the Dark
Side
Two
major complications remain, thorny problems.
In what used to be the best scene of the OT, Luke tells Leia he is her
brother and Darth Vader is her father.
Luke, thinking he is about to die, tries to learn about Leia's mother,
her "real mother." She says
she died when she was very young and she has nothing but images and feelings,
particularly that this woman was very beautiful, kind, but sad. That description fits Padme to a tee, but
their mother was dead before the twins were out of the womb five minutes. The Force could definitely aid Leia in her
recollections, but as to why Luke doesn't remember anything...well, this is a
persistent mystery.
Even
more troubling to the integration of the two trilogies, after Luke leaves
Degobah to take on Vader, Yoda says, "Told you, I did—reckless is he. Now matters are worse. Obi-Wan replies, "That boy was our last
hope." Yoda: "No...there is
another."
Before,
we could assume Obi-Wan knew nothing about Leia's origins. He does address the issue in VI, but his oblique syntax indicates no
interest in giving Luke the straight truth—typical Obi-Wan: "Hmm...to protect you both from the
Emperor you were hidden from you father when you were born. The Emperor knew as I did, if Anakin were to
have any offspring they would be a threat to him. That is why your sister remains safely
anonymous."
So
even with the benefit of this priceless nugget, we still don't know what Ben
knew. Yoda hints in V that there is still one more Skywalker in the bullpen to take
down dear old Dad. This worked well and
generated a lot of suspense for Episode
VI, regardless of how we interpret Ben's revelations to Luke.
But
now any chance of explaining this away is gone.
We know that Obi-Wan was present at the birth of Luke and Leia. He knows the whole story. If Yoda and Obi-Wan are talking about
destroying Vader (and not the Emperor) their exchange makes little sense. Even if Obi-Wan dismissed Leia as not up to
the challenge, Yoda would say, "No, there's still Leia." He wouldn't say, "No, there is
another," because this implies someone Obi-Wan is not familiar with. Maybe they're talking about destroying the
Emperor, and Yoda is gently hinting that Anakin could be redeemed, that he is
'the other.' But Yoda says in Episode VI, "You must confront
Vader." He doesn't say you must reason
with him. And when Luke tells Yoda that
he knows Vader is his father, Yoda is discouraged—which only makes sense
because he wants Luke to kill Vader, a task more difficult now that Luke knows
too much. And if Yoda wants Luke to kill
Vader, then he doesn't think Vader can be the mysterious 'another hope.'
What
was one of the great mind-benders of the OT is now a sorry morass of
improbability.
In
time, all six films will probably be seen as a cohesive unit. Their origins will be forgotten, and they
will stand on their own to be analyzed by new generations of film critics.
Still,
whatever Lucas's intentions, his word is not cinematic law. Every movie is its own world and can (perhaps
must) be interpreted without the burdensome knowledge of its origins. For those who detest the prequels, with willpower they can be forgotten, and personal speculation on what transpired before
A New Hope can launch new flights of
fancy with each viewing of the OT.
Some
others, a minority indeed, only
enjoy the original Star Wars and see in its one film
all the story they desire to know.
And exactly what is the story we're talking about,
anyway?
We
know what happens, but what it is all about has changed along with much
else. The OT was about Luke—the callow
farm boy turned brooding
hot-head in Episode V, then the
burdened new Jedi facing a certain death in Episode
VI. It's a fascinating character
arc.
The PT is all about Anakin, and since Anakin does
feature in the OT (in the guise of Darth
Vader) and he does destroy the Emperor, the films are probably about him.
Luke just helps his father fulfill his destiny as the Chosen One.
However, the powerful scoring of John Williams now enters our consideration. The famous Star Wars theme, heard over each film's opening crawl, doubles as Luke's theme. When he appears in Episode IV it is played and it is played to herald his arrival in Episode III, produced some 25 years later. Since the film score is, in effect, a built-in commentary on the direction of the story, the Star Wars theme is Luke's theme...so Luke is the hero of Star Wars. He got it right where his father went wrong, and though Anakin killed the Emperor, he couldn't have done it without the example of Luke's sacrifice. Without Anakin there would have been no Empire. Without Luke, the Rebellion against the Empire would have failed. This is what Star Wars is all about, and so it shall remain.