The Missed Opportunity
Now, this is not the time or place to launch a full scale critique of Episodes I-III. Others richer in wit and time have already undertaken that. I will never pen a comment as insightful as Lileks on The Sith Hits the Fan (or whatever it was called), that the dialogue would be dramatically improved if delivered in Al Jolson voices (Hold me Ani! Hold me like ya did back on Naboo!). Nonetheless, here's my humble contribution.
Let it be admitted that the storywriter's task for Episodes I-III was not straightforward. He would have to tell the story of Vader's rise and fall in a way that made the audience sympathize with and understand him. The trajectory of the plot, like that of all tragedies, would be inevitable; but ideally, the audience would feel the thrill of the possibility that this time, it wouldn't really happen.
This thrill was at no point acheived in the nearly nine hours of Episodes I-III.
It hovered above the audience for one brief instant but dissipated within a few minutes. In the heady days of 2003, I sat in a darkened cinema and watched Count Dooku make his pitch to Obi-Wan. He spoke of a dark conspiracy afoot in the leadership of the republic, which his breakaway systems were rallying against. Obi-Wan of course did not believe him (would you believe Alan Lee?) and the plot ran on as we knew it would--the Jedi with their backs turned to Palpatine until he let them have it between the sixth and seventh rib.
But imagine for a moment, that Dooku had been telling the whole truth. Imagine that the breakaway systems were not just another Red Herring (that should have been the title of Episode I) but were actually aligned against Palpatine. Imagine the Jedi, faced with a choice between these rebels and the Republic they were sworn to defend, torn with indecision. The audience knows that the Rebels are ultimately the good guys--we direct all our mental energy at getting them to join the rebellion. But again, would you believe Alan Lee? So after much angst, maybe even some intra-Jedi violence, they snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory, choosing Palpatine and the status quo.
Then he sticks it to them.
You wouldn't need John Williams' score to carry that scene. You could run it with "Chopsticks" as the soundtrack and some people would still tear up.
Let it be admitted that the storywriter's task for Episodes I-III was not straightforward. He would have to tell the story of Vader's rise and fall in a way that made the audience sympathize with and understand him. The trajectory of the plot, like that of all tragedies, would be inevitable; but ideally, the audience would feel the thrill of the possibility that this time, it wouldn't really happen.
This thrill was at no point acheived in the nearly nine hours of Episodes I-III.
It hovered above the audience for one brief instant but dissipated within a few minutes. In the heady days of 2003, I sat in a darkened cinema and watched Count Dooku make his pitch to Obi-Wan. He spoke of a dark conspiracy afoot in the leadership of the republic, which his breakaway systems were rallying against. Obi-Wan of course did not believe him (would you believe Alan Lee?) and the plot ran on as we knew it would--the Jedi with their backs turned to Palpatine until he let them have it between the sixth and seventh rib.
But imagine for a moment, that Dooku had been telling the whole truth. Imagine that the breakaway systems were not just another Red Herring (that should have been the title of Episode I) but were actually aligned against Palpatine. Imagine the Jedi, faced with a choice between these rebels and the Republic they were sworn to defend, torn with indecision. The audience knows that the Rebels are ultimately the good guys--we direct all our mental energy at getting them to join the rebellion. But again, would you believe Alan Lee? So after much angst, maybe even some intra-Jedi violence, they snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory, choosing Palpatine and the status quo.
Then he sticks it to them.
You wouldn't need John Williams' score to carry that scene. You could run it with "Chopsticks" as the soundtrack and some people would still tear up.
posted by Chaka at 8:37 PM
1 Comments:
My sentiments exactly!
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