Regards, Ivan
Posted on 05/08/2005 11:25:32 PM PDT by MadIvan
One of the most powerful images from “Revenge of the Sith” is that of Anakin Skywalker, having turned to the Dark Side, leading a battalion of Clone Troopers to storm the Jedi temple. In several of the trailers, we see the Coruscant skyline, Anakin rising up the stairs in dark flowing robes, with the troopers holding their blasters at the ready. The coterie ascends, and then marches through the grand hall, the clatter of clone trooper boots contrasting with Anakin almost silently flowing across the floor like a wisp of dark cloud.
We can safely assume from this scene that the near-entire liquidation of the Jedi Order follows. The temple turns from a centre of power into a tomb.
While some may be horrified by this scene, in reality it is a coup de grace, a splendid moment, a time to bid the Jedi farewell and say good riddance. The Jedi were asking to be destroyed, which becomes obvious when one looks at their incompetence, idiocy and insensitivity.
The Mishandling of Anakin
The Jedi Order’s mistakes in dealing with Anakin Skywalker are numerous and damning. First, the Order was aware from the very start that Anakin missed his mother, yet did nothing to free her from slavery, nor did they arrange to keep an eye on her.
Second, while acknowledging that Anakin might be “The Chosen One”, the Jedi entrusted his training to Obi Wan Kenobi, who began training Anakin just after having graduated from being a Padawan learner himself. Surely if the Chosen One was important enough to potentially bring balance to the Force, he was important enough to receive instruction from their best teacher, Yoda, and not be the first student of a very new Jedi Knight.
Third, the Jedi Order did not realise that they should have instructed Kenobi to be more flexible in his approach. Obi Wan was a strictly rules-based Jedi who forced his rebellious young charge to adhere to the letter of the law; this was obvious in the case of guarding Senator Padme Amidala. When Anakin prudently suggested that it would be far better to start an investigation to thwart a threat to her life, Kenobi refused to do anything further than act as a bodyguard, as that was what the Jedi Council ordered, and told Anakin to obey.
Fourth, the Jedi Order did not allow Anakin to follow his premonition regarding his mother’s torture and death. He was merely told, “dreams pass in time”; the Jedi did not send anyone to investigate, nor allowed Anakin to go to his home planet to check. It was not until Kenobi was otherwise occupied that Anakin actually disobeyed orders, and by then, it was too late.
Fifth, the Jedi Order had strict rules on denying romantic relationships, but at the same time set up a situation in which it was more than certain that young hormones would take over: the Order sent Anakin to guard Senator Amidala on his own, not paying attention to or disregarding the attraction between the two.
Finally, all these mistakes were capped off with an attitude that was largely critical of Anakin: told he was unstable and unpredictable, denied the rank of Master, and having to have the help of Chancellor Palpatine in order to get onto the Council, Anakin had a great many reasons to feel resentful of his treatment and little reason to feel kindly towards the Order. Yet it never occurred to the Jedi that these might boomerang back onto them with devastating effect.
Jedi With Attitude
The attitude towards Anakin is symptomatic of a deeper problem: the Jedi are incredibly arrogant. Yoda acknowledged that this was an issue, by saying that the Jedi were too sure of themselves, and that this included older, more experienced Jedi. However he did nothing about it.
Arrogance has deep roots in the Jedi Order: as their librarian Jocasta Nu showed in her disregard of the absence of the planet Kamino from her records (“if a planet does not show up in our records, it does not exist”) the Jedi believe their knowledge is perfect. This was by no means an isolated incident: when a Sith attacked Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn, the Jedi refused to believe it was a Sith until they had his body in their possession.
Worse, the Jedi also believe the tenets of their order are infalliable and withstand time and change: for example, the Jedi refused to believe that Count Dooku could have attempted to assassinate Senator Amidala. The Senator was admonished for even daring to think such a thing with the words: “He was a Jedi…it’s not in his character”.
Still worse, the Jedi also believe they are not accountable. When the Jedi discovered, to their horror, that they were unable to see that a Clone Army had been created on Kamino, Mace Windu sensibly and responsibly suggested that the Senate be informed that the Jedi’s ability to use the Force had been diminished. Given that the Jedi were a branch of law enforcement of the Republic and ultimately responsible to the people, they had a duty to tell the people’s elected representatives this information. Yoda, however, said it should be hushed up as it would cause their enemies to multiply. In other words, dangers might accumulate, unseen by the Jedi, but the government and the people would be unable to compensate because it was more important to maintain the Jedi myth of omniscience.
Hail Lord Sidious
In conclusion, the Jedi were simply begging to be destroyed: too arrogant to admit their own failings, and too insensitive and brainless to make wise decisions, they had set themselves up for destruction. Darth Sidious’ plans to forge the Empire were the consequence as well as the cause of the Jedi’s problems. When Anakin brought down the temple, he was purging a decrepit order, whose time and hold over the galaxy had rightly run out. When the images of his striding up the steps with the Clone Troops are played out, it should be seen as nothing more as just desserts.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
There are a few folks already camped out at the theater that is three blocks from my apartment. I couldn't get seats to the first showing, but will see it on Friday.
Apparently he makes an appearance in Revenge of the Sith. Not a lengthy one, but still.
Regards, Ivan
bump for later (sack time)
The one problem I have is in the acting abilities of Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen. Talk about telephoning in your performances, I've seen cardboard cut-outs with more expression. They don't have anything like the charm of Han Solo and Princess Leia. Even Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker was infinitely more interesting than Christensen's portrayal of his father as a young man.
Oh, well, I'll go see it and hope they've improved.:)
Hmmmm...you have a point there. Anakin is sort of like Benedict Arnold: You still know he's an evil, traitorous bastard, but when you learn what he went through, you think, "Ah, well he was justified in being ticked off, he just took it way too far."
I thought I was reading about the United Nations, what with turning their backs on slavery and general incompetence.
Will Cushing be snipped from another film or entirely computer recreated? If they can "make" Jar Jar, they can create a virtual actor based on a real person.
It's my understanding that they got a younger actor - it's only a walk on part. Kind of a pity, really.
Regards, Ivan
I've experienced many of these inconsistencies too. This provides a good explanation why I quit the Jedi and opened a little bar on an uncharted planet out on The Rim.
Now that I have groveled...can I have my lightsaber back?
...please?
best regards,
Alkhin, who is NOT a committee, btw
I've always thought it was pretty obvious that they should never have accepted Anakin in the first place, since he was destined to 'balance the force.' Look around at the first episode, the Jedi are ascendant and the only Sith we know about is Darth Maul, (and the shadowy Palpatine).
So, how does the force get balanced? Well, it's obvious that the Jedi have to be cut down to size while the Sith must grow in power. Lo, and behold that's exactly what happens. Duh.
The BIGGEST mistake the Jedi Council made was not killing off Jar Jar Binks in Episode 1...
But what is "balance" with diversity? Who are we to "judge" those who live on the dark side? Did they "choose" to be that way or is it how they are born? < /PC sounding sarcasm >
In all fairness, all of the valid points made in this critique can be laid at the feet of George Lucas' absurd plot for episode one, as it relates to the background of the anakin character and the way the council dealt with him.
Competent writing from the start with some realistic situational conflicts would have made a lot of this article null.
Unfortently Tarkin is only seen at the end. It is too bad. From what I read about him in the SW character book he is a villain up even more ruthless than Darth Vader. He once landed a Star Destroyer on top of a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people, crushing them to death.
That is by far my biggest complaint of the prequels.
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