Plot & Story:

The film begins with a fantastic, awesome battle over the capital of the Republic, Coruscant. This is my favorite opening of any of the films. The music, the stakes, the atmosphere. Everything is perfect. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has been kidnapped by Count Dooku and Droid General Grievous. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi reach Grievous’ flagship and duel Count Dooku. Obi-Wan is knocked unconscious and Anakin disarms Dooku and has him at his mercy. The Chancellor urges Anakin to execute Dooku. Anakin is conflicted. It is not the Jedi way, he says, yet he complies, killing Dooku. In short, this is the character of Anakin Skywalker and the essence of Star Wars: the conflict between good and evil, love and duty, within us.

After Anakin safely lands the ship on the surface, he reunites with his wife, Padmé Amidala. She tells him she is pregnant. This is a sweet scene between them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last. Anakin begins having visions of his wife dying in childbirth, just like he did with his mother. He resolves to never let that happen again. He will save her, no matter what he has to do….

He asks for advice from Yoda, who tells him to let go of attachment. This is not what he wanted to hear. Simultaneously, the Jedi Council asks Anakin to spy on the Chancellor, who has become increasingly under suspicion as he has clung on to power far after his term has expired. The Chancellor detects this, telling Anakin that the Sith and the Jedi are equally moral. Anakin rejects this, exclaiming that the Jedi are selfless. The Chancellor recounts a Sith legend to Anakin. A legend that Darth Plagueis had the power to prevent those he cared about from dying. This is exactly what Anakin wanted to hear.

Darth Sidious instructs the separatist leaders to flee to Mustafar as the walls close in on the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Obi-Wan travels to Utapau to fight Grievous as Yoda travels to Kashyyyk to aid the Wookiees.

Master Windu instructs Anakin to inform the Chancellor that Obi-Wan has killed Grievous. Anakin must discern whether Palpatine intends to return power to the Senate now that the war is coming to a close. Anakin confronts the Chancellor, and all the hints and tension throughout Episodes 1-3 come to a head. Palpatine tells Anakin that only through him can he save his wife from certain death. At last, the Sith lord is revealed, and the extent of his powers become clear. He has manipulated the war and inexplicably knows that Anakin has been dreaming about his wife’s death. It is left to audience interpretation if Palpatine was manipulating Anakin’s thoughts through the Force or simply had the power to know.

Anakin leaves and tells Windu that Palpatine will never give up power and is the Sith lord. He wants to join Windu, but Windu says no. Windu senses great conflict in Anakin. Windu duels Palpatine and wins, and has him at the end of his blade. The Jedi code forbids him from striking him down. Anakin, who followed Windu in secret, exclaims that Sidious must stand trial. Anakin wants to keep him alive to learn the secrets of Darth Plagueis and save his wife. However, Windu refuses. Then, Anakin strikes Windu’s hand and Sidious kills Windu with Force lightning. Anakin collapses, “What have I done?”

Anakin, in a corner, pledges himself to Sidious as long as he can save Padmé.

Order 66 and the march on the Jedi Temple occurs. Roughly 10,000 Jedi are gunned down and slaughtered. Anakin kills many, including children in cold blood. Anakin tells Padmé he is doing it for her, but saves her the details. He travels to Mustafar to kill the Separatist council and end the war.

Padmé follows him. Unknown to her, Obi-Wan is stowed away in her spaceship. Anakin explodes in anger and chokes her with the Force. She is left unconscious as Anakin prepares for a duel. He exclaims, “don’t make me kill you,” showing he still cares about Obi-Wan. However, violence is inevitable. The greatest sword fight in all of cinema ends with: “You were my brother Anakin! I loved you!” A charred Anakin Skywalker goes to metaphorical hell for his sins. Burned and maimed, he is put in the figurative coffin of the Darth Vader suit.

He asks his master, Palpatine/Sidious, if Padmé is alright. Mysteriously, Sidious claims Anakin killed her with his Force choke. Vader/Anakin breaks down, now a man who sacrificed his soul and lost everything.

Concurrently, Padmé gives birth to twins, Luke and Leia, visually contrasting the “death” of Anakin Skywalker and the birth of his children. Padmé dies, her last words being “There’s still good in him.”

The film ends the Star Wars saga with the following scenes: the funeral of Queen Amidala on Naboo, the start of construction of the Death Star, and the hiding of Luke and Leia on Tatooine and Alderaan.

Music Score:

The music in Episode III was written by the iconic composer John Williams, who composed many great scores in cinema like Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter to name a few. My favorite piece from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is “Battle of the Heroes.” It plays when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) are dueling on Mustafar. With the trumpet solo in the beginning and the orchestra pumping the tempo, the audience can feel tension between the two characters. Especially when the choir joins, the audience understands that something huge and extremely significant will occur. This work of art allows the audience to feel like they themselves are dueling to the death. That every second counts. The changing of tempos and crescendos, or an increase in volume and intensity, as the piece goes on is exquisite as well.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Between Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, I love the third episode the most. The character development from Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader and how he betrays his master is why I love this film so much. There is depth and the music adds so much to the value of the movie. There is more to come, as I’ll be reviewing the other Star Wars episodes every month, so stay posted! I hope you enjoyed this blog and please watch the movie if you haven’t before!

– Sophia B.