Revenge of the Sith

[altariel]

I was alone in our viewing quartet last night in enjoying Revenge of the Sith. Consensus from Mr A., edge_of_ruin and Suffolk's Own Commander Lytton was that it was by far the worst of the prequels, and only saved (and then only in passing) by being unintentionally hilarious.

Things that did suck, and mightily (let's get them out of the way): Padme dying and the manner of it (at which I beat my palms against my forehead) and Anakin's subsequent Homer Simpson style "Noooooooooooooooo!" But neither sent me into the fit of hysterics that Octogenarian-fights-a-Dolly did at the end of Attack of the Clones.

The performances were terrible. Really bad. Awful. Yoda gave the best one. I'm being unfair to Ian McDiarmid here, at least before he got wizened and started cackling. The music didn't quite pack the punch I wanted, which was a disappointment. Perhaps the cinema didn't have the volume up loud enough.

But I still liked it, and really quite a lot. I wasn't bored at any moment (I think I was alone in this), not like, for example, during that dreary race in The Phantom Menace where I started clawing at my face. Most of all, I thought it looked amazing. In fact - and I've not got my handbag out here, I mean it - I think that it would have made a fantastic silent movie. None of the laboured dialogue, just the beautiful pictures, and the (notched up a bit) music, chronicling a society's corruption. That would have been very cool indeed.

Afterwards, I realized that mostly I'd been watching the design and background: Watching Padme's fantastic gowns grow darker and more sombre. Watching the interiors become fascistic (I loved Palpatine's office!). By the end it had all transformed seamlessly into the start of Episode IV, and that was thrilling. The people at the forefront were bits of wood, incidental to the real story - even (particularly, in fact) Anakin. The real story was the almost imperceptible corruption of the fabric of the society around them - almost unnoticed, until you realize that it's become something bad and wrong.

Anyway, it worked really well for me. I'll go and see it again sometime next week and find out if it stands up.

Comments

Yes and No

[(Anonymous)]

I agree with everything She Who Must Be Obeyed said just now - except that I also thought that, beautiful though any individual frame might have been, the moving pictures were also a mess. Badly choreographed fights, messy direction. Long, single-pace sequences that eventually start to blur into obscurity.

And the sound was loud, just not "Star Wars" sound. And a dull score. Particularly annoying when I'd been having a conversation *on the way to the cinema* with someone about the genius of SW sound design.

So, boo to that. Except for the last few minutes where it really did start to head towards Ep. 4. Captain Antilles brave little ship! Woo! Woo!

Mr A.

Re: Yes and No

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Badly choreographed fights

I can never tell with this kind of thing - but, but, but! General Grievous Mistake did have four light-sabres, and who wouldn't given half a chance?


And the sound was loud, just not "Star Wars" sound.

Perhaps the Arts might do a better job.

Re: Yes and No

[(Anonymous)]

If I had four light sabres, there would be the most terrible accident.

Mr A.

Re: Yes and No

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Good job I took them all away.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

The performances were terrible. Really bad. Awful.

George Lucas has a rare and tremendous gift when it comes to directing: he can always be counted upon to get the worst possible performance from even the most talented actors! Of course, that's not the gift a director wants if he's trying to make good movies...

Most of all, I thought it looked amazing. In fact - and I've not got my handbag out here, I mean it - I think that it would have made a fantastic silent movie. None of the laboured dialogue, just the beautiful pictures, and the (notched up a bit) music, chronicling a society's corruption.

I think that says it all about Lucas: his real interest lies not in telling interesting stories about people, but in showing the audience fantastic worlds - so the films look stunning, but the characters are wooden and the actual story dull. It's a pity he didn't team up with someone else who has more writing/directing talent. Think what the trilogy could have been if the script had been written by a capable screenwriter and directed by someone better able to coax out top-notch acting performances, and Mr. Lucas had concentrated simply on making the most lavish visuals possible.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

he can always be counted upon to get the worst possible performance from even the most talented actors!

There's a special kind of genius in getting a bad performance out of Samuel L. Jackson.


Think what the trilogy could have been if the script had been written by a capable screenwriter and directed by someone better able to coax out top-notch acting performances

I get the impression that there's no-one around Lucas willing to say, "George, that's shit - go and do another draft."

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

There's a special kind of genius in getting a bad performance out of Samuel L. Jackson.

That may qualify as the understatement of the year! :D

I get the impression that there's no-one around Lucas willing to say, "George, that's shit - go and do another draft."</i I think that's definitely true. George Lucas is big enough to have total creative control - to the detriment of the script, unfortunately. Still, I expect I'll enjoy the movie, as I'm not going into it expecting it to be a masterpiece of storytelling, and some of the stills I've seen look very, very cool. I'll happily settle for some mindless eye-candy.

[edge-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it was really the worst of the three - maybe it just seems the worst because it is so lavishly self-indulgent. I think my problem is that it takes itself way too seriously and that it's so over the top in every way without actually feeling 'real' - although that does tend towards some welcome hilarity especially as the scripted attempts at 'wit' were absolutely toe-curling. Five minutes in I was already exhausted by it all and having to turn myself off for a rest. Lucas seems to think that because he has the technology to cram every frame chock full of stuff he has to do it - I was just desperate for a bit of breather.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The review in the New Yorker is very entertaining.

Safe trip and have a wonderful time!

[vasiliki.livejournal.com]

That "noooo" made me actually laugh out loud! :D Not the reaction Lucas was trying to get from the viewer, I'm afraid!

Overall, however, I also liked it, for the same reasons. :)

I especially liked Padme's remark about how democracy is dying with "thunderous applause", and the moment when Obi-Wan renounced Anikin, turned his back, and left him to die a torturous death. (not even having the mercy to put him out of his misery! It seemed like pure revenge, especially after his speech! That scene really freaked me out!)

Most performances were HORRID, but I thought Palpatine was good. :)
The ending scenes with the babies were so cheesy, and in such a fake way, that my stomach got upset! ^^;

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Padme's line was the only good one in the whole script. And it was very shocking that Obi-Wan left Anakin to die in agony - so much for the wise and gentle Jedi!

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review, A. I think I'll try to get to see it, then. (Do you fancy that rather than K of H - or should we still aim for the latter? Sorry for having been rubbish at e-mailing.))

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm still up for KoH if you are.

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

I saw it yesterday, and pretty much agree with your review. It was horribly choppy, nothing was really given time to develop, and the characters just spoke in dislocated soundbites... but some of the visual images were great. Not just for technical wizardry, but artistry as well: I particularly remember a scene in which Anakin and Palpatine are talking together, and both walk away from a window towards the camera, their bodies becoming more shadowed until both finally appear in dark silhouette. And I thought the scenes that showed Anakin consumed by the dark side, slaughtering everyone, were very effective.

Things that did suck, and mightily (let's get them out of the way): Padme dying and the manner of it

As well as being cheesy, that seemed to go against the existing chronology, since in RotJ Leia says that she has some childhood memories of her mother. Hmm... But yes, I didn't fine the whole plot strand about Anakin trying to save Padme all that convincing. Especially Palpatine croaking 'I can save the one you love!' while Anakin is watching him fight Mace Windu - and it had been so cool when Palpatine went all super-Sith and killed the annoying Jedi Council :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

in RotJ Leia says that she has some childhood memories of her mother

Hey, yes, good point!


I particularly remember a scene in which Anakin and Palpatine are talking together

The Anakin and Palpatine seduction scenes were my favourites (except when Anakin was speaking), particularly the one at the weird performance art show with giant bubbles. I think they may even have been talking about midichlorians or some such piffle then, and it still didn't matter.