Well, I've never been to a film which received a round of applause... until last night (that was despite the fact that the audio channel for the dialogue and sfx went a little wonky at one point).
I went to Amistad and Saving Private Ryan, but the reaction was a fitting, revered silence in those cases.
The scale of the space battles was awesome. The manipulation of Anakin as he turned to the Dark Side was disturbing, being told the only way he can save the one he loves from death is to join the Dark Side, while ironically the result of making that choice was the catalyst for her death. In that respect, the Emperor was just like the serpent from Eden. Masking the true outcome of a decision with a possible benefit. There were clear parallels between the politics of the film, and the ones we find ourselves exposed to today. Liberties being reduced in the name of stamping out a terror, when the real terror is the one who is assuming authority.
I shall say no more on that, I promised a lighter entry!
I was really depressed as the Jedi were systematically betrayed and taken down. I really felt sorry for the blue twilek jedi who was killed... she was really fit! Why did they kill her?
The climactic battle between Obi Wan and Anakin really set my pulse racing. Anakin is more powerful, but Obi Wan is wiser. The pain of having to take down your own student is immense, but the right thing has to be done.
The ending with the binary sunrise sent a tingle down my spine, it perfectly mirrored the binary sunset in "A New Hope".
I was watching the critics attack it a little on Newsnight Review. Sometimes I respect what they say, but I find a lot of critics fall to the temptation of being snobbish. Take the current situation with Rolf Harris being commissioned to paint the Queen. Nice move! Popular choice, someone the British public can relate to. However, the critics have begun to frown on the appointment already. Why? Rolf has done a lot for classical art in the past few years, he has used his popular appeal to front programmes about the classical artists, and revealed a genuine fondness for there work. These critics are a lot like the popes and cardinals of old, who tried to prevent the translation of biblical texts into the common tongue. In the same way, these critics want to keep the semiotic messages and themes within great works of art to themselves, believing that only "well-educated" people should be allowed to translate these works, because it gives them an air of superiority.
I fundamentally disagree with this entire attitude, every man woman and child has the right to be personally enriched by satisfying their own thirst for knowledge. They should not be held back by the learned, no it is the responsibility of the wise man and the scholar to pass on his knowledge... to empower others... to facilitate the student, not restrict them. This is the problem I have with the antiquated church, but the attitudes are not confined to the church, no modern culture is also rank with it.
A lot of the critics are dismissive of blogs you know. They see them as self indulgent. I personally see nothing wrong with sharing your perspective of the universe, it's equally as valid as any philosopher or renowned writer. Every life makes an impact on the universe. You never know who you might influence by just sharing your opinion.
I've always believed our actions are more life and death than they appear on the surface, but again that's a subject for another time.
I'm looking forward to the Chronicles of Narnia at the cinema, which will be released at Christmas. The trailer on T4 this morning looked impressive!
May the force be with you...
...always.
