U.S. Release Date: 5/19/05 (wide)
Running Length: 2:20
MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits, Frank Oz, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl-Jones (voice)
Director: George Lucas
Producer: Rick McCallum
Screenplay: George Lucas
Cinematography: David Tattersall
Music: John Williams
U.S. Distributor: 20th Century Fox
The saga is complete. What George Lucas began in 1977 as a little movie that took the box office by storm, he has completed in 2005 with the most heralded motion picture of the year. With the arrival of Revenge of the Sith, Lucas places the missing piece of the six-film arc that tells of the rise, fall, and redemption of Darth Vader. It's a rousing and tragic sendoff to a beloved franchise, and the best installment in the Star Wars series since 1980's The Empire Strikes Back. If this is to be the last big-screen installment of the space opera, Revenge of the Sith ushers things out on a high note. Those who have disparaged the previous two prequels (1999's The Phantom Menace and 2002's Attack of the Clones) will find few things to complain about this time around. Lucas has delivered the film that Star Wars fans have been yearning for.
Revenge of the Sith exhibits its writer/director's strengths and weaknesses for all to see. Lucas, who can at best be described as a journeyman writer of dialogue, delivers plenty of clunky lines. And the romance between Padme (Natalie Portman) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) is as forced here as it was in the previous installment, the sincere efforts of the actors notwithstanding. Nevertheless, although weak in specific areas of screenplay-writing, Lucas is a masterful storyteller. That aspect of his creativity is in evidence here as he spins a tale as compelling as any Greek or Shakespearean tragedy: a man who attains power only after sacrificing everything dear to him, including his soul. There is bitter irony in Anakin's situation: by embracing the dark side of the Force, he loses the very thing he seeks to protect.
Revenge of the Sith starts out a little unfocused. While there's plenty of action in the first hour, the direction of the storyline is uncertain. By the time the film has reached its halfway point, however, and Anakin's moral compass has been shattered, the picture picks up a momentum that never flags. We are kept on the edge of our seats for over an hour. Those who doubt Lucas' ability as a filmmaker need only watch the second half of Revenge of the Sith to be convinced otherwise.
The movie's tone grows grimmer as the film wears on. This is not a happy movie. Even the victories are tinged with bitterness. There is an element of catharsis at the end, but it's only a taste. Salvation is left for the next chapter. How many people, I wonder, will return from seeing Revenge of the Sith and immediately pop A New Hope into the DVD player. It's almost a necessity. Revenge of the Sith offers little in the way of optimism. I applaud Lucas for taking this route and having the courage to believe that Star Wars fans can accept all of this darkness.
Regardless of how Revenge of the Sith is received at the box office, it represents the conclusion to an unparalleled cinematic achievement. Finally, after 28 long years of waiting that were only occasionally punctuated by the appearance of new story fragments, Lucas has ended with an exclamation point. The tale of a galaxy long ago and far away is complete. Only now can we truly step back and admire the full tapestry that it has taken George Lucas and his ILM wizards nearly three decades to weave.
© 2005 James Berardinelli
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