I was born two years after the original Star Wars took the cinema by storm but it would be another ten years before I discovered the trilogy. My memories of watching the movies for the first time are pretty much nonexistent but I remember being swept up by the imagination of that galaxy far, far away. I collected all of the comic books and spent hours riding my book through the neighborhood pretending I was Han Solo in the Millennium Falcon (thanks, Force Awakens).
Eventually that passion faded and lay dormant until the special edition re-releases and then the long-awaited prequel trilogy. I didn't have as much invested in the prequels as some did, though I was excited to see the origin of Darth Vader. I remember the movies being greeted very favorably upon release, in particular Revenge of the Sith, which was hailed as one of the best - maybe even the best - Star Wars movie. It seems the real nitpicking of the prequels didn't begin until sometime a few years later. This post is my response to that.
After the DVD release of Episode III, I sat down and watched both trilogies in chronological order, starting with Episode I and concluding with Episode VI. I was surprised to find myself moved almost to tears by Anakin's redemption at the end of Return of the Jedi, something that previously had no real emotional meaning to me. I was so deeply moved because I had spent so much time with Anakin outside of the suit that Darth Vader became an actual character for me, rather than just a faceless villain. I guess this was a point of contention for a lot of people also, which honestly baffles me, but it is what it is. That experience opened my eyes to the real story George Lucas was trying to tell and I've been an unashamed prequel lover ever since.
It's taken me a long time to go through everything and gather my thoughts, but in this piece I'm going to be going through some of the criticisms of the prequels and presenting new thoughts, ideas and perspectives that I hope will make these movies a richer experience for some who are willing to give them another chance.
THE AESTHETIC
"If there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from."
One of the criticisms I often hear directed at the prequels is that the use of CGI gives them a look and feel that is too far removed from the original trilogy. This is true but I think the parallel works considering the state of the galaxy in both trilogies. On the surface, the prequels look bright and shiny and warm. Everything is glistening and new, a perfect reflection of a galaxy that is open, free and at peace. In contrast, the original trilogy is very minimal, dark, dirty, grey and depressing, reflecting a galaxy that is closed, crushed and oppressed. This contrast can seem a little jarring at first during a chronological viewing but it works extremely well as a type of visual metaphor.
People argue that the characters in the prequels feel cold and emotionally distant, from the audience and from each other. This is intentional and creates another parallel with the original trilogy. Emotionally, the characters in the original trilogy are warm and friendly, contrasting the cold visuals. It's their love and sacrifices for one another that drive the movies. On the opposite side, the characters of the prequels never quite connect, contrasting the warmer and more welcoming atmosphere. This coldness is a large part of what brings down Anakin, a man who never truly knew love outside of the mother he was separated from. Anakin is crushed by the selfishness of the Jedi and redeemed by the selflessness of his son, hence the themes of the two trilogies. The originals are about selflessness, the prequels about selfishness.
As far as the writing and acting goes, Star Wars was always based on old school Hollywood, which means the dialogue is always cheesy and the acting theatrical and melodramatic. The originals were based on 1950's serials so, logically, the prequels, set further in the past, are modeled after 1930's cinema and all the cheese that goes with that.
THE LIGHTSABER DUELS
Of all the criticism I am most baffled by, the difference in lightsaber duel techniques between the two trilogies takes the cake. The Jedi were partly based on the Samurai so naturally they have a saber fighting skill that is flashier and more intense than what we see later. When the Jedi die, their skill with the blade dies with them. By the time of A New Hope, the lightsaber has become an archaic weapon, its usage a lost art. Obi-Wan is now old and out of practice and Anakin is trapped in a robotic life support suit, missing all of his limbs. There's no way the saber duels could match in both trilogies. If the criticism lies with the fact that the original trilogy duels feature more emotion between the characters than the prequels, see the previous point.
THE POLITICS
For me, the politics are one of the most fascinating aspects of the prequels and one of the things that keeps me coming back. Palpatine's subtle manipulation of events to gain power for himself, scatter and eradicate the Jedi and build a dictatorship out of the Republic is deep, complex and frighteningly prescient of the world we now live in. I won't go into full details about Palpatine's plot but I almost feel like George Lucas was trying to warn us of something and we would be wise to pay attention.
JAR-JAR BINKS
By far one of the biggest complaints of the prequel trilogy - and The Phantom Menace in particular - is the character of Jar-Jar Binks. Yes, he is annoying and goofy and pretty much every character in the movie thinks so and looks down on him, except for Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon is the only one to treat Jar-Jar with respect and gives him the opportunity to lead his people into battle, which helps turn the tide of war to victory. It's only because Qui-Gon gave him a fair chance in spite of his grating nature that this was possible. Perhaps this could make a good lesson of tolerance parents could share with their children (or learn from themselves) while watching the movie.
"Be mindful of the Living Force."
Speaking of Qui-Gon, this is a character we should really be listening to. The name Qui-Gon is derived from the word "Qigong" (chee-gong), a form of deep martial art meditation. Qui-Gon does certainly seem to be wiser and more compassionate than the other Jedi who, as we will see later, are very much losing their way. Qui-Gon openly defies the Jedi Council when he knows they are wrong and he believes wholly in Jar-Jar and Anakin.
Qui-Gon is the only character in all of the movies to speak of the Living Force, establishing a distinction between the Cosmic Force that binds the universe together and something that is more closely related to us on a physical level. Yoda hints at this concept in Empire Strikes Back by cautioning Luke to not spend so much time looking ahead to the stars and future adventures and instead focus on the here and now.
Not coincidentally, it is Qui-Gon who discovers the secret to immortality (enlightenment) in the Force, paving the way for Obi-Wan, Yoda, Anakin and Luke to achieve the same. Pay attention to Qui-Gon!
MIDICHLORIANS
The furor around Midichlorians is one that has been tremendously overblown. Many argue that the presence of these microscopic lifeforms takes away from the mystical nature of the Force but it in fact does no such thing. It's been established multiple times throughout the movies that the Force is an energy field that exists around all things and binds the universe together, that life creates it. Qui-Gon's explanation to Anakin about Midichlorians makes it clear that they only give us a higher sensitivity to the Force and awareness of it, not that they themselves are the cause of the Force. In The Last Jedi, Luke says that the Force does not belong to the Jedi and the Midichlorians prove it. All beings are capable of tapping into and utilizing the Force, not just the Jedi. Their attitude of exclusivity just adds more to the story of their increasing arrogance, hubris and ultimate failure.
THE FALL OF THE JEDI
For thousands of years, the Jedi served as the guardians of peace and justice throughout the galaxy but over time they began to get lost in their own sense of over-confidence. So sure of themselves they become that they don't even sense Palpatine's trap being sprung. Yoda himself observes that arrogance is a trait that has become increasingly common among the Jedi. But perhaps their most grievous sin is what they've done to the Force itself. Like the Sith, they've split the Force into two separate powers and built a religion - one could almost say a cult - around it. They take children from their parents (whether they do this with parental consent or not, we do not know) at an age too young for the children to have formed attachments so that their devotion to the Jedi Order is all they know. They believe they have the right to do this, yet that they are somehow better than the Sith. This divison between the two factions and the creation of two separate "religions" around the Force is the imbalance that must be corrected. This is Anakin's job as the prophesied Chosen One, to eliminate both the Sith...and the Jedi (Note that in Episode VI, Luke is dressed all in black with a mechanical hand like his father. He is perfect balance, the light and the dark coexisting together and functioning as a whole). Compare this with what organized religion has done to God, claiming exclusive rights only to often find themselves duped by the devil.
THE CHOSEN ONE
Perhaps the greatest tragedy from the fallout over the prequels is what happened to poor Jake Lloyd. Can you imagine being a 10 year old kid who just got cast to play a young Darth Vader in Star Wars only to have full grown adults tell you you ruined their childhood and their "iconic villain"? It's horrifying. Personally, I think being introduced to Anakin at such a young age was the perfect choice. Yeah, you get the "yippees" and the "yahoos" but we needed to see that innocence to balance the darkness later. Part of why the ending of Return of the Jedi has become so emotional for me is remembering the child he once was. The story just wouldn't have the same overall impact without it.
The other major reason we needed a younger Anakin is because of what it means for the Anakin/Padme relationship which we will get to later.
Anakin Skywalker grew up a child slave on Tatooine (why the Jedi didn't tear the place apart because of this is just one more mark against them) and knew nothing outside of a life of servitude. With a high Midichlorian count, Qui-Gon fixates on him as potentially the Chosen One of prophecy (imagine if Qui-Gon had trained and mentored Anakin instead of Obi-Wan, who derides him as "another pathetic lifeform". Qui-Gon was the true father figure Anakin needed). Anakin is then freed and taken to the Jedi Council where he is greeted with doubt and skepticism. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan promises a dying Qui-Gon that he will train Anakin himself, but as a Padawan learner Anakin finds himself still essentially living in servitude. He misses his mother but is told feelings are the path to the dark side. "We do not mourn, we do not grieve. Attachments are bad."
No matter what he does, Anakin is continuously treated with disdain by the order he dreamed of being a part of. Here you have a child with no proper social or emotional development growing into a turbulent teenager and being told to suppress everything he feels, that feelings are bad. Then, in Episode III, the Jedi ask Anakin to spy on Chancellor Palpatine for them. Anakin, who is developing a more solid moral center, is now being asked to do something immoral (and illegal?) by the Jedi. When Anakin kills Count Dooku early in the same film, he laments that his actions were "not the Jedi way". Palpatine counters that Dooku was too dangerous to be kept alive. Later Anakin walks in on Mace Windu preparing to assassinate Palpatine. "It's not the Jedi way!" Anakin cries. "He's too dangerous to be left alive!" Windu responds. Can you imagine how confused and torn he must have felt? Is it any wonder he snapped? I think those who say Anakin's fall was too easy or didn't make sense fail to understand the torment of the character. It's actually quite complex. So Anakin goes from child slave to Jedi slave to Palpatine's slave while simultaneously inflicting the same slavery on the galaxy in revenge. Pretty dark stuff.
I don't agree at all that Hayden Christensen's performance cheapened Darth Vader. Yes, his line delivery is awkward and stilted but so is Vader's. Listen to some of Vader's dialogue and imagine it being spoken in a normal voice with the same enunciation. It's stilted and awkward. I also don't find Vader that interesting as a machine-man with no identity. The prequels make the character infinitely more fascinating because I can't stop imagining the man in the suit and wondering what he remembers of his old life or if he even thinks about it. What about Vader being on someone else's leash rather than supreme ruler of the galaxy? This was always true. He was Palpatine's servant in the original trilogy and pretty much Tarkin's dog in A New Hope. The prequels didn't change a thing in that regard.
ANAKIN AND PADME
Of all the wonderful and fascinating characters to come out of the franchise, Padme is one of those I love the most. Her character gets a lot of undeserved flack but she is one of the strongest female characters in the movies, and in a realistic way. One of the chief overriding themes of The Phantom Menace is duality. This is most clearly seen in the twin nature of Anakin, the dual roles of Palpatine, the separation of the Gungans from the rest of Naboo society, and Padme playing handmaiden to the Queen of Naboo when in fact she is the Queen. In some respects, Padme is like Anakin: sheltered and naive about the rest of the galaxy so she travels off her homeworld under the handmaiden guise to expand her horizons. She meets "pathetic lifeforms" Anakin and Jar-Jar, sees their treatment by those who think they're better (there's that tolerance lesson popping up again) and this leads her to reveal herself as the true Queen of Naboo and oversee the reunification of her people and the Gungans. In the end, she picks up a blaster and leads the fight to save her people and her planet. In the final scene, she has mostly shed the Queen makeup and stands with a bright smile, a big contrast to the cold and droning speech of the Queen persona.
Many find the love story between Anakin and Padme to be cringe-worthy and it is. It's supposed to be. The significance of Anakin and Padme meeting when Anakin is so young is instrumental in understanding this and shows why George Lucas chose to portray the love story in this way. When Anakin meets Padme for the first time, he has just been separated from his mother and is alone. He instantly sees in Padme a maternal figure who he admires and gravitates toward. As he grows, this develops into an infatuation, which he confuses for romantic love. In Attack of the Clones he tells Obi-Wan that being in her presence again is intoxicating. He's in love with the idea of her.
So what draws Padme to him in spite of his temper, his questionable political opinions and his murder of the Sand People? The answer can be found at the heart of Padme's character in Episode I. Remember that the original trilogy is about selflessness and the prequel trilogy about selfishness. Padme is the only truly selfless character in the prequel trilogy and she provides the link that wins the day in the originals. Padme's compassion led her to take action when her people needed her and, by her own admission, she still sees Anakin as a little boy without a mother who needs someone. We know what Anakin becomes in the future but she doesn't. We see Anakin slaughter the Sand People but she only knows that he was trying to save his dying mother. She can't help but hurt for him. Throughout the movie she actually does a pretty good job of brushing off his romantic advances until they are set to be executed on Geonosis. There she proclaims her love for him. Maybe she's mistaking her own maternal feelings for romantic love. Maybe she's telling him what she thinks he needs to hear because they're both about to die. Either way, shortly thereafter Anakin loses a limb to Dooku and there's no going back for her. Her selfless compassion will not allow her to walk away. Yes, the love story is awkward and the wedding at the end feels ominous because they aren't meant to be together in this way, yet emotionally they need each other.
Regrettably, Padme is reduced to a lesser role in Revenge of the Sith. While I wish the deleted scenes showing her establishing the first spark of the Rebel Alliance had been left in the film, the story does not abandon her character the way some suggest. First, a truly well-rounded character should not be flawlessly perfect and Padme's faults do start to show. This is a movie about failure and it affects everyone, especially the Jedi, Obi-Wan and the Republic, but Padme still stands by her sense of compassion and morality until the end. She tells Anakin that she cannot and will not follow him down his dark path but she refuses to give up on him, refuses to believe he's lost. Her dying words to Obi-Wan - "I know there is still good in him" - are echoed by Luke to Leia in Return of the Jedi. Luke, too, refuses to give up on Anakin and finds himself in a similar position to Padme, one where he too could potentially lose his life for his compassion. Luke's true selfless love - possible only because he is his mother's son - is what finally brings Anakin back and Palpatine (who spent the entire saga preying on the compassion of others for his own gain) is destroyed. It was Padme's spirit still alive in her children that saved the day. Now go rewatch the series and try not to bawl like a baby at the end of Return of the Jedi.
As a final note, there is a darker connotation to Padme's death. The Force choke Anakin gives her is not that strong and the movie establishes that she survives it. When she gives birth to Luke and Leia, the medical droid says she is in perfect health but is inexplicably dying anyway. The prequel haters roll their eyes and complain how cheesy it is that she died of a broken heart. Did she really? A fan theory that's been making the rounds posits a very different possibility, that Palpatine drained her life force from her like a vampire and imparted it to Anakin to keep him alive until he could be placed in the suit. The scene of Padme's death is intercut with Anakin's "death" and resurrection as Darth Vader and if you listen very closely, Padme and Anakin's heartbeats stop at the same time, then Anakin's restarts when Vader takes his first breath. Obviously Palpatine knows Anakin won't give him his full loyalty unless Padme is gone, so he kills her and shifts the blame to Anakin to further entrench him into darkness.
So that's pretty much it! I've gone through everything I can think of that is either a direct criticism or a point that many fans missed. Obviously there is so much more than this embedded throughout the prequels themselves, including the soundtrack (did you know the children's choir during the victory celebration at the end of Episode I is actually performing a triumphant rendition of the menacing Emperor's theme from Episode VI?) I hope this will inspire some to give these unfairly maligned movies another chance and see how much they actually enhance the overall Star Wars saga.
