There are many instances when the passage of time can slap you in the face. For a film fan and Star Wars fan like me, the latest example is this: Revenge of the Sith is 20 years old this year. The final entry in the Prequel Trilogy charts the last steps of Anakin Skywalker’s descent into Darth Vader, and now the story is more relevant than ever. Since the film is now showing in theaters again, I think it’s time to talk about a couple of the most remarkable things about Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, 20 years later.
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Parallels to Empire Strikes Back
Critics regard Empire Strikes Back as one of the best sequels in film history. The reason is that it avoids the typical formula of a follow-up. First, it begins with a big action set piece. Han’s (Harrison Ford) rescue of Luke (Mark Hamill) from a wampa and the Battle of Hoth combine into one exciting sequence. Also, the ending is a downer, as the bad guys sort of win. Not only does Luke learn the truth about his father, but Han is frozen in carbonite.
Revenge of the Sith is similar. Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) do some rescuing of their own, retrieving Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from droid General Grievous. This sequence is full of thrills and adorable Artoo antics. By the end of the film, Anakin has become Vader, and Palpatine has put the entire galaxy under the shadow of the Empire. We already know that the Empire’s regime will last more than 20 years after this point. That’s a dark and heavy ending, even with the Skywalker twins safely delivered to their guardians.
Then there’s the romance of each film. The serotonin rush of Han and Leia’s first kiss is balanced out by Leia’s heartbroken stare as Boba Fett takes carbonized Han away in his ship. Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars film in part because of the scoundrel and the Princess. Anakin and Padme have a much more tragic trajectory. Attack of the Clones is the fluffier part of their love story, but Revenge of the Sith also demonstrates their unity. Before everything hits the fan, they are separated by distance but share an almost telepathic moment of connection. Not to mention the fact that Anakin’s motive for turning to the Dark Side is so he can save her from death. As a shipper, these moments, though they are angsty, have an impact.
MORE: Read more about Obi-Wan in our review of Obi-Wan Kenobi Part VI.
The Politics
Star Wars was always political. The opening text of A New Hope establishes the good vs. evil conflict before we even see a single image. When Leia’s ship is boarded, it illustrates the dominance and tyranny of the Empire, and the audience roots for the scrappy Rebellion to win. The Original Trilogy is about how that happens. The Prequel Trilogy, therefore, is about how fascism takes root in the first place. We Americans are getting a front-row seat for the process right now, and it’s depressing. It’s also frightening.
The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones dramatize Palpatine’s cautious first steps to total power. I think some viewers laughed at the idea of a trade war starting the rise of the Empire, but none of us are laughing at that now, are we? Revenge of the Sith is the installment where Palpatine becomes the Emperor. Many moments or lines of dialogue feel prescient when watching them now. It’s more than just Padme’s lament, “So this is how liberty dies? To thunderous applause.” It’s when Obi-Wan mentions how Palpatine managed to stay in office long after his term expired. And it’s when Mace (Samuel L. Jackson) says, “He controls the Senate and the Courts! He’s too dangerous to be left alive!” Sound familiar? Yeah, I wish it didn’t.
There are even more parallels after Anakin falls to the Dark Side, particularly the argument he and Obi-Wan have during their climactic lightsaber duel. Palpatine psychologically manipulated Anakin so skillfully, and this moment proves it. “If you’re not with me, you’re my enemy,” Anakin says. Sure sounds like a cult member indoctrinated by propaganda. Obi-Wan insists his allegiance is to democracy, and we grieve over this relationship that has been lost. We grieve for the galaxy as well. We know it will suffer under the Empire for decades before the Rebellion wins. 20 years later, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is inspiring me to do what I can to make sure real life doesn’t take that long.
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Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is now in theaters and streaming on Disney+.
