Having seen Star Wars Episode III on Thursday, I posted my initial thoughts yesterday as Part I.
Today, I want to add one or two more thoughts.
The central crisis in this epic tragedy involves the small, thin line that divides "The Force" into the Light Side and the Dark Side. Jedi are are powerful in the Force and have chosen the Light Side. Sith are their opposites who have chosen the Dark Side. The question is, what is it that leads Aniken Skywalker, in the end, to choose the Dark Side?
George Lucas has chosen an appropriate and believable (although not particularly well-scripted) explanation. In short, the film tells us that evil is essentially the same as the good; except that the good is twisted around towards oneself instead of directed outwardly towards others.
Anakin loves Padme but dreams that she will die in childbirth. She is willing to accept that result but Aniken cannot imagine life without her. He is tempted by a power offered to him by the Sith lord, a Dark Side power that (and we must recognize that this offer is probably a lie) can keep others alive....at least for a time.
Anakin mistakenly believes that he is motivated by his love for Padme. It is clear, however, that his concern is for himself, not for her. He wants her alive for his own needs and he is willing to sell out his soul to get what he wants.
In his play, "Murder In the Cathedral," T.S. Eliott depicts the spiritual struggle of Thomas a Becket as he considers the various temptations he faces in deciding whether to give in the will of the King or to follow his conscience and defy him....a choice that would lead to his death.
The final tempter appears and describes that, in martyrdom, Beckett will become a Saint who will be venerated by millions. Pilgrims will flock to his burial shrine from all over the world to honor him and pray to him. Miracles will even be done in his name! "This is what you want, isn't it?" the tempter seems to whisper. "Choose death and all of this will be yours!"
Article comments
1 - Aaman
"Is that a light saber, or are you just glad to see me?"
2 - Mark Sahm
I know you're trying to make a parallel, but stop milking Star Wars as a vehicle for your religious opinions.
I mean, you don't even spell the main character's name right--- it's Anakin, not Aniken! Do your research next time.
3 - Duane
Lucas also offers us the assurance that "good" is ultimately stronger than "evil" and will win in the end.
Nothing like taking a trite little notion and trivializing it even further by interpreting it in the context of a fluff piece of science fiction. Are you sure you're not working for the Dark Side?
4 - Dimitry
What you don't understand is that Anakin's turn to the dark side was a direct result of mistrust BY the Jedi of Anakin. It was not Anakin's fear that Yoda sensed in episode 1, but the Jedis' fears of Anakin, "the one" they were looking for to balance the force (of others), etc. It is the Jedi (and Yoda's bad advice about how Anakin should deal with his nightmares, in particular) who turned Anakin to the dark side.
5 - Bird of Paradise
Memo to Mark Sahm: Thanks for the spelling correction. My error. I will correct it immeditely. I have never been very good at names. As for your reference to "milking," I have discovered that trying to find something of coherent moral or philosophical substance in Revenge of the Sith has been more like hacking through concrete. "Milking" is far too easy a metaphor for this effort. Still, simple things are useful as illustrations for more complex things. I would have it backwards should I try to use the Christian faith as an illustration to illuminate the theology of Star Wars!
6 - Reader
Great article, thank you very much!
7 - sych
In the end good and evil are concepts of the mortal human mind and are fabrications of the consensus reality of the physical world. good evil
do not exist in the spiritual plane and are barley recognized by higher beings. And whether light or dark all paths lead to enlightenment