I saw this movie, yesterday afternoon, with my father and my wife. We had the theater mostly to ourselves, with only a few people scattered hither and yon, throughout the place. I had quite a good time, I must admit. Even the dizzying barrage of questions my wife launched at me with the agility and speed of a Jedi lightsaber attack, afterwards, didn't compel me over to the Dark Side. See, she's seen only episodes 2 and now 3, so everything was a tad bit confusticating, for her.
I enjoyed this last film in the series. A lot. It was a nice improvement after episodes one and two. The special effects were out of this world--literally and metaphorically--and perhaps were the best I've ever seen. The director did a masterful job of preserving the series continuity, as well, blending the end of the third movie smoothly into the intro of the fourth installment (or the first, depending upon your perspective). The acting on the part of everyone was competent, if not inspirational. One exception is Ian McDairmid, who played Palpatine. I've always thought the man is a fine actor, and his role, here, reveals this in one of the slimiest, most loathsome on-screen villains imaginable. In the acting department, his scenes were the film's high points, though he did ham it up a bit a couple of times. It was almost as if he reveled in this final portrayal of the man, as the story came full-circle.
The plot was well thought-out and serviceable, and all questions of major significance were answered.
A few words about the director and the film's moral tone: George Lucas is an odd duck. Within his movies, we see politics and philosophy depicted in ways that send mixed signals. Throughout the series, I've noticed elements of libertarianism, conservatism, socialism, totalitarianism, liberalism, and incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo all tossed in the blender and given a good whirl. It's hard pinpointing where he stands, and maybe that's his intention. On the one hand, he strongly shows us that absolute power concentrated in the hands of one or a few people is a devastating force. On the other hand, his mystic characters spout gibberish like: "Search your feelings." Or "Look to your feelings." "Listen to your feelings." And "Let your feelings be your guide." I consider this a nonsensical and dangerous message. Emotion is a fickle beast. One moment it purrs and slinks around your leg; the next, it's biting it off at the knee. Lucas may not be aware of this; but the irony of the situation is that heeding this advice precisely is what leads Anakin Skywalker down the murky path to the Dark Side of the Force.
Waffling aside, however, Lucas is staunch on one particular moral point, which I'd like to elaborate upon, if my readers will indulge me. It is the rare film that does an excellent and convincing job of demonstrating the corrosive effects of evil. Such a film is Revenge of the Sith.
In recent memory, only The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy makes such a strong statement on the nature of wickedness. My personal belief--which is sculpted from my understanding of the holy scriptures--is that evil is the corruption of good. It is a parasite, unable to exist without good as its precursor. It is not self-sustained, but is engorged on the ruination of that which is unblemished. Satan began as the "Son of the Morning," and became the "Father of Lies." Adam and Eve were created good, but fell into sin, bringing death and a curse to themselves and the creation. Even in the literary world--again using LOTR as an example--Sauron was made good, but fell into shadow through his own greed and lust for power. And so we come back to the present film, which exemplifies this devolution with a starkness and forthrightness seldom experienced in a movie. We see this ravagement in the personal life of Anakin Skywalker, as well as in the collapse of the democratic Republic and the erection of a galactic Empire on its smoldering foundation.
In my honest opinion, this characteristic of evil's dissipating aspects--in and of itself--makes episode three worth the price of admission. It makes a worthwhile point usually absent in the Hollow Halls of Hollywood.
Are there flaws in this installment? Of course--as there are in all the other movies in the series. But they came across as secondary in importance to the greater message in this film, illustrated above. For example, Padme's belly transforms from prodigious to nearly flat, throughout the movie, as VQ noted in a review on her blog. No explanation is offered for the ballooning and leveling of her abdomen. I delved into some confusing aspects of the philosophical undertone, earlier. Though the Jedi have great powers of precognition, they are helpless at prophesying their own demises--again, without explanation. Some of the dialogue came across as stilted, though most of it was decent enough, and a little even was well done. On at least two occasions, Obi-Wan Kenobi's reactions to the transpiration of horrific events was flat and unconvincing. I consider this more a directional fault than a lapse in Ewan MacGregor's acting skills, though. Also, this was--far, far and away--the darkest and most depressing film in the series. To that extent, I can sympathize with someone not accepting it with googly-eyed rapture. In the final analysis, most of the criticism I've read regarding this film is far too harsh. One last error in judgment, on Lucas' part: Jar-Jar Binks appeared twice in the film, both times in non-speaking roles. I considered his muteness a blessing. Yet somehow, he escaped every pitfall, making it all the way through to the end, eluding dismemberment, incineration, or boiling in a vat of acid.
George, what were you thinking?
No comments:
Post a Comment