Well well well, look who's come crawling back...
Oh wait, it's me. Nevermind.
Yeah I'm writing in this damn thing again, it's been a month, I figured I had enough time away from it, I almost thought I had it worked out where I started this blog on the 29th of march, ended on the 29th of may, only to start it back up again the 29th of june, but I started it earlier than that, so it doesn't work.
Anyway, I just saw Revenge of the Sith for the seventh time, besting my record for most times seeing a film in theatres, the previous record holder was to everyone's amazement, Attack of the Clones.
And after seeing ROTS for the seventh time with Gabe which is where the title of this post came from, truer words were never spoken, I had a revelation. This is the best star wars, it's better than empire, it's better than a new hope. It's just the best, no other film leaves me more satisfied, more emotionally spent, and physically thrilled than this one. The images are gorgeous, the music is sumptously intense, I even think this is the best acted of the 6. I think the main reason is because it does what I personally love about a good tragedy, and they don't all do this mind you. It takes us to a terrible place full of pain, suffering, death, and loss etc. etc. But then right at the end, it teases us with a glimmer of hope. When the beginning notes of Leia's theme begin to swell which then orchestrates into a full on blast of the Binary Sunset or Luke's theme I guess you can call it, everything soars. Now you might say this is just a small part of the movie, let's just say it's one of the many things that puts me in a glazed over stupor in this movie. But what I particularly like about this ending is that it sort of encapsulates the entire saga, it visualizes the paragraph mr. A.O. Scott wrote in the end of his review. Look past the space battles and lightsaber fights, the digital derring do you might call it. And what we have is a story about a man...
...a radioactive man.
This is a story about a father and his two children. Simple as that, there's nothing new to this particular intepretation but I personally think there's something so evocative about that very simple idea And it's why I love star wars I guess, it's so simple that it reads like an ordinary fairy tale, but the kind you want to hear over and over again.
I hope this makes sense, I'm trying to sound profound so maybe I should just stop all this analysis and go back to something pure. This movie rules.
The Star Wars Saga (in order of ethan's personal preference)
1. Episode III-Revenge of the Sith
2. Episode V-The Empire Strikes Back
3. Episode IV-A New Hope
4. Episode II-Attack of the Clones-This is so close to A New Hope it's practically a tie. Actually I think Attack of the Clones is a much better movie, but in terms of personal preference, I've always said A new hope is one of the most entertaining movies ever made. So it's basically a tie, or these two could flip flop and it wouldn't make a difference. So let's add that...
3. Episode II-Attack of the Clones
4. Episode IV-A New Hope
5. Episode VI-Return of the Jedi
6. Episode I-The Phantom Menace.
Okay so that's that, I guess I needed to get the final word on this stuff, but anyway, the blog will continue and I will try to keep it to writings about films whether it be news or things that I've seen. That should be interesting. Until then...
Darth Vader: Luke... help me take this mask off.
Luke: But you'll die.
Darth Vader: Nothing can stop that now. Just for once... let me... look on you with my OWN eyes.
[Luke takes off Darth Vader's mask one piece at a time. Underneath, Luke sees the face of a pale, scarred, bald-headed, old man - his father, Anakin. Anakin's eyes are full of love as he sadly looks at Luke]
Anakin: Now... go, my son. Leave me.
Luke: No, you're coming with me. I'll not leave you here. I've got to SAVE you.
Anakin: You already have, Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister... you were right.
[Anakin slumps down in death]
Luke: Father... I won't leave you.
