Star Wars: The Prelude Problem

Your Current Location is Chaos Keep : Off the Cuff : Star Wars: The Prelude Problem

Star Wars: The Prelude Problem
Or how George Lucas Could Destroy 'Empire' With 'Episode 3'

George Lucas has publicly stated that at the end of "Star Wars: Episode 3" we will see Anakin Skywalker done the mask of Darth Vader. We can further guess, as how nothing is being hidden in these movies, that we will not only see the birth of Anakin's children, we will see them named Luke and Lea, and also see the pair of them passed to Lars Owen, and Bale Organa.

This has the net effect of destroying the whole end of "The Empire Strikes Back". That single revaluation of Vader reaching out his hand, and saying the Words, "Luke, I am your Father."

See, we will KNOW this already. it will be old news, no revaluation. Nothing but a yawn, an annoyances. There's a lot more then that though. In "A New Hope" will watch Ben lying to Luke about his father, we will know it's a lie. The honor of his character will be destroyed.

Then we have the case of Luke and Lea, there family, something we are already privy too. Makes the kiss in Empire even more of a winch now doesn't it?

The last Twenty minutes of Episode 3 has the potential to ruin pretty much the rest of the story. Throwing away everything built up that made the original trilogy great. Thus prompting the idea the best way to watch them is in the 'Original' order.

To be honest, a lot of E2 and E3 will have to be carefully choreographed to prevent destroying all that comes after. In fact, if done right, it can also make that one Line of Vader's even more powerful then ever before.

Out of the many ways there are to do this, the best is to write it while totally ignoring that E5 and E6 were ever written. This may sound strange, but hear me out. Base the story of Anakin only on what Ben said in E4.

That Vader was an apprentice of Ben's, who he failed to train. He turned to the Dark Side, and in the end killed Anakin before becoming Vader. Or rather make things appear to go that way. Make the final scene between Anakin, and the apprentice ambiguous, not really saying who actually died, and who survived. Kind of imply that it's Anakin, but never say who.

So lets lay this out over E2 and E3, give an example of how it would work.

Episode 2, there's not much here that needs to be changed. First there is the introduction of this other apprentice. Lets call him Darth A for now. He may not have more then a few minutes of screen time, no more then twenty at the most, mostly at the end.

He should be mentioned early in the movie. An apprentice Ben took, and failed to train well. More then likely because he was distracted by Anakin. This man will fall to the Dark Side, and under the training of the Sith.

Near the end of E2, Darth A will show up in a big way. When Anakin is starting to fall, he'll be right there, he will guide him to the Dark Side, he will temp and lead him there. E2 would end with Anakin marriage, and his decision to follow the Dark Side... yes, the start of the fall.

E3 is where the fun begins. I'm not sure what the main plot is, but a big part of it will be Anakin's fall from grace. With Darth A leading him down farther and deeper into the Dark Side.

It's the last twenty minutes of the movie that things will get powerful. Anakin and Darth A end up in a fight, maybe over the almost infamous lava pit. Above Ben is watching in horror, unable to do anything. Somehow this fight is about who will live and who will die, and in this place Anakin is fighting to protect his family. Once more has he become the hero he was during the Clone Wars.

Around this set of scenes, we also see Amidala giving birth to the twins. Offsetting one set of images aginst the others.

The fight go on, getting stronger and harder. This is where Anakin can truly show his training and skill with the light saber, skills he'll lose once events finish unfolding. They fight each other hard and long, both getting damaged, both getting hurt badly.

Finally, in one last move by Anakin himself, he grabs Darth A, and sacrifices himself, the pair of them fall down into the Lava pit. Ben is still watching, and almost in position to help when it happens. He lets out his trademark "NO" scream one more time.

He runs over, looking into the pit, there is no sign of either of them. Perhaps left behind is the distorted form of a ring Anakin has been wearing (his wedding band perhaps?), half melted, and bent.

Ruefully Ben has no choice but to belive that Anakin is dead. He morns for a moment, then rushes to Amidala's side as the twins are finally born. Sadly at the cost of her life as well.

In the darkness, we would pan down over the pit, slowly pulling to the far side as the darkness clears. Palpatine walks into the frame. He looks down the side of the pit, the camera twists and points over his shoulder. Below we the see badly mangled form of a man, half his body destroyed. Hanging on with one hand, burnt and singed.

We zoom down as Palpatine reaches for him, taking the broken hand in his. We get a good view of the hand, showing a burnt and distorted ring of flesh on the ring finger. Hinting that it could have been from the lost ring. Hinting, but not saying, that it IS Anakin.

This sequence of events is important. We can not know in E3 who survived this battle. We can not know who will become Vader. This is vital to the end of E5. We must think and suspect that it's Darth A, but leave the evidence behind that it really is Anakin.

Next, we cut to Anakin's and Amidala's funeral. There's not many there, it's quiet. Even though he was once a great hero, he has fallen from grace, and few people attend. Though he did redeem himself in many peoples eyes with the last battle.

After the funeral, we finally see the _man_ himself. Darth Vader walks out, in his slow menacing stride, his cape flowing behind him. He and Ben meet, glares flying between the two of them. Finally, breaking up the sound of his breath, Vader speaks. He says something that states he survived the pit, once more implying the possibility that he could be Anakin.

Ben leaves, knowing that the threat that he thought was destroyed was still alive and well. The twins we're still at risk. Ben makes the hardest decision of his life. He goes to the group of people that had fought with him in the Clone Wars, those he trust the most. He tells them to take the girl, who's name is not given yet. To hide away from even his knowledge.

He takes the boy to Anakin's home on Tantooie, hiding him there with Lars Owen, who names him Luke. And that shot of Ben walking away, with the Owen's holding Luke as the closing credits fall in.

This is the right way to end it. Maybe not in these exact moves and actions, but in the ideas and sprits. We set up E4 to E6, and as we see the Death of Anakin, and we know he is Luke's Father. We've seen him rise, fall, and redeem himself at the last minute.

It makes the closing in E5 even stronger. We have set up Anakin to be a fallen, but restored hero. To find that he really is Vader, after all that we saw before. It makes that scene even MORE powerful then it originally was.

Lets just hope Lucas keeps this in mind when the movie is made.

--Fox Cutter

09/07/2000

Your Current Location is Chaos Keep : Off the Cuff : Star Wars: The Prelude Problem
Page last updated: 04/05/2008