Star Wars 'truly spectacular'
2005-05-17 13:42
Cape Town - As one of few non-Stars Wars fans - who has never taken a liking to the Jedi clan, I must confess that George Lucas has totally overwhelmed me with a spectacular visual treat of pure cinema.
Revenge of the Sith has been in development for nearly 30 years, since George Lucas first sketched out his ideas for the saga of the Skywalker family, a story set against a tumultuous war raging in a distant galaxy.
Greatest storyteller of our time
Lucas is undoubtedly one of the greatest storytellers of our time.
In creating one of the most important stories to date, the Star Wars, space-opera saga - which he wrote out of a burning desire to reconcile differences between him and his own father and write the ultimate "father-son" tale - Lucas has changed perceptions, challenged technology and found a unique way of captivating the imagination of all age groups for generations to come.
He has also done the unimaginable, to begin the saga at its tail end.
Although the world knows the ending of Revenge of the Sith, Lucas magically bewitches his audience and offers an exciting journey that is fresh and invigorating.
Spectacular visual effects
The battle scenes of the first Star Wars in the seventies have evolved from models and miniatures, and is now firmly footed in the digital arena, offering spectacular vistas. This offers terrific backgrounds that enhance the dramatic sequences and plunge the audiences into the war zone.
Revenge of the Sith has more than 2 200 visual effects shots, surpassing the records of the previous Star Wars movies and dwarfing those of other visual effects spectaculars, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
If George Lucas is the father of Star Wars, the JAK Art Department is the nanny - nurturing and helping Lucas' ideas to grow. On the third floor of a grande Victorian-style mansion at Skywalker Ranch, the words Lucas writes or the ideas he voices spring to life as sketches, drawings, paintings and sculptures.
On Revenge of the Sith, the work of the Art Department provided a critical visual framework for production designer Gavin Bocquet, costume designer Trisha Biggar and the entire team of effects artists at Industrial Light & Magic.
Led by concept design supervisors Ryan Church and Erik Tiemens, the Art Department began its work on Revenge of the Sith even while Attack of the Clones was still being finished.
The group of 12 talented artists shaped the production by envisioning everything from Anakin and Obi-Wan's final lightsaber duel, to the sinkhole planet of Utapau, to the hairstyle that Anakin would wear.
In contrast to other effect-laden films, Revenge of the Sith never allows the visual impact to destroy the narrative or drown the characters.
Add to this some terrific performances by the entire cast, particularly Ewan McGreggor as Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, and you have characters that dominate the larger than life world of Star Wars.
We enter a world we want to be a part of; a world where there are no boundaries and the imagination is set free to explore the intricate details that fill each frame.
Emotional impact heightened
Equally impressive, and a refreshing separation from the mundane Matrix mode, are the fight scenes, particularly the clash between the evil-minded Chancellor Palpatine and the impassioned Jedi Master, Yoda. This fantastic battle between two mentors is brilliantly contrasted with a fight between the rebellious young Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, and the earnest Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In 100 years of cinematic history, there have been countless epic battles between heroes and villains. But none has been as hotly anticipated or will be as closely dissected by moviegoers as the final showdown between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi that forms the climax of Revenge of the Sith.
Lucas shows his genius by using contrast as a devise to build tension and drive the narrative into a frenzied twirl; he also uses this technique to heighten the emotional impact of the birth of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.
Lucas skilfully draws us into the heart of his story and meticulously manipulates our senses. He allows his audience to not only enjoy the experience, but to become a part of the emotional fabric.
The dramatic tension and intense emotional warfare that dominate Revenge of The Sith are magnificently balanced with a perfect dose of humour, particularly from the hilarious C-3PO who does its mechanical best to protect his masters from attacking warriors. When he teams up with R2-D2, the Laurel and Hardy droids of Star Wars make a charming couple, amusing the audience with delightfully funny antics.
Another contributing factor to the success of Revenge of the Sith - as with other episodes in the saga - is the imaginative creatures that inhabit Lucas' universe. One of the most intriguing creations is surely the lizard-like creature that Kenobi uses as transport.
The birth of Darth Vader
The highlight for any Star Wars enthusiast is without a doubt the birth of Darth Vader. This awesome moment is brilliantly orchestrated and executed by Lucas; you could in fact hear people hold their breath during this remarkable sequence.
Through this sequence Lucas brings the epic battle between good and evil to a resounding climax; he allows us to have empathy with the dark forces that control the antagonistic forces. Without taking sides, Lucas clearly illustrates that when all hope is lost, the dark side of human nature prevails.
Anakin Skywalker's journey to the dark side of the Force lends Revenge of the Sith a darker, more tragic tone than any of the other movies in the saga.
Most of all, Revenge of The Sith proves that the tale that Lucas has given birth to is not only one of the greatest stories ever told, but indeed one that we want to see, over and over, without ever growing tired of it.
Go behind the scenes and explore the Star Wars magic: www.writingstudio.co.za.