My dear wife, Mrs. Pickles, has already blogged about Revenge of the Sith, but I have yet to join in the fun and express some of my own thoughts. So here they are (FYI, spoilers ahead).
1.) I must also agree that Anakin's final conversion to the Dark Side was unconvincing. I kept trying to work over the scene in my head, attempting to see the scene from a different angle. Everytime I do I keep coming back to the intuition that something was missing from the scene. It was great to hear the thoughts from my mother in law (comment posted in my wife's blog), as she exactly described what I thought was missing from the scene.
Despair over our sin--the thought that God's mercy could never consum our sin--is what turns people over to the "Dark Side". It is one of the greatest tools of the Prince of Lies--convincing us that there is no longer any hope for us. Anakin had no obvious sense of despair over his sin, and that sense of despair would have made the tragic elements of film even more potent. Anakin obviously had great courage: courage as star pilot, and courage as a Jedi. His lack of courage in facing up to his wrong doings could have been a great and wrenching part of the plot. If only Lucas would have included another couple lines of dialogue, then the scenes could have been complete.
2.) At other times in the film you see that Anakin shows a tinge of regret for his actions. There was one memorable moment when he was crying on the lava planet. However, in relation to comment #1, there were no other actions on the part of Anakin to show that he was struggling with his decision. His tears were a sign that "there is still some good left" in him, to quote Luke in Return of the Jedi. Unfortunately, there's no sign of a struggle with the lingering sense of a conscience that remains. Once again, that was another weakness.
3.) I'd like to watch the Clone Wars cartoons to learn about Grievous. I think that it was a bit of a weak point in the film to say next to nothing about who the character is. He was certainly a very interesting character, so it was disappointing not to learn more about him. I suppose that that peaked interest is all part of Lucas' plot to sell yet more merchandise (such as the Clone Wars cartoon which, I believe, is now available).
4.) There were some intensely moving moments in the film, which is a characteristic I certainly did not expect considering Episodes I & II. (To give you an idea about my opinion of Episode I, I call it "The Phantom Plot".) If I remember correctly, Obi-Wan's fight with Grievous was intercut with Mace Windu's confrontation of Darth Sidious and Anakin's betrayal. As Obi-Wan attempted to kill Grievous and end the War, another man was being prepared to take his place--Anakin Skywalker. With the death of Grievous, Anakin concurrently set his place alongside the Emperor, and, as Grievous' heart burned and was soon destroyed, Anakin's heart (that is, his soul) was also shattered. As one soldier's heart perished, hope was born to the galaxy for an end to the war, yet at the same time another man's heart also perished and a dark cloud would rise to ruin that newly won hope.
That scene showed an amazing touch for visual metaphor that I didn't think Lucas possessed. I, at least, was very moved by it.
5.) The end of the film showed the death of the Jedi. The movie cut between different planets as you watch the Jedi perish. I couldn't help but think of the final scene in Return of Jedi, during which you see different planets celebrating the fall of the Empire. There was such joy in that scene, yet such sorrow in the comparable scene from ROTS. I was saddened by the death of the Jedi, yet I also had certain hope knowing how the series would finish. The music was also perfect for the mood.
I have other thoughts, but I need to wrap up this post. Maybe I can post more later.
6.) Finally, I really, really enjoyed this film, and I definitely want to see it in the theatre again, which is not something I said about either of the first two prequels. Hopefully I'll enjoy it just as much a second time--and maybe get a better seat this time.
Mr. Pickles
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