Saga Individual episode themes

Ever notice each ep seems to have sort of its own theme, or "moral of the story"?

I've been thinking about this lately and remembering back to the days of elementary school when we would read a story and be told to interpret its moral. "Everything is not what it seems." "Trust your instinct." Stuff like that

I just saw an interesting post stating that ANH has the theme of "Believe in yourself"
I find that interesting when I think of ANH alone, it really is the most "childish" in that sense - not that it detracts in any sense. I mean that its theme is the easiest to see and pull examples. Using the Force instead of the targeting computer, the concept of faith in the Force which Han lacks, etc.

TESB is a bit tougher as it's more spiritual, but out of all the eps, I think it definitely carries the most spiritual tone when it comes to the dark side vs. the good side. That's very easy to tell

ROTJ carries the obvious theme of redemption and the good in all of us, family love, etc

The PT is a bit more complicated. TPM is about inner strength, I suppose? Something like that. It's something to do with Anakin's abilities and aspirations as a Jedi, Jar Jar's growth from bumbling fool to respected leader (who still happens to be bumbling and foolish, anyways), Obi-Wan's somewhat subtle development, etc

AOTC.... you stumped me.

ROTS - I'd say perhaps a theme of thinking. Analyzing all your options before taking the wrong path. Being slow and steady. Something like that

Let's help each other grow some more saga love. Anything to contribute to this possibly fallacious idea of mine?

 

Destiny versus the freedom to choose for father and then son in ROTS and ROTJ.

 

IMO, Episode I is the lightest, simplest and most childish, not ep IV (not to say I don't love them both, I just view them differently than you). Here's my view on some of the movies:

Episode I is very dreamy. It was midway through Lucas' SW career and so it makes sense that it was very experimental. Naboo, the gungan city (even though it's just one short scene) and the podrace are just so unique, beautiful, you can see how later things like Avatar were influenced by it. Episode I is all visuals, all beauty. Naboo has a very Greco-Roman feel to it, especially the statues of people you see around and the giant statue in the throne room which to me evokes the colossus of Rhodes - fitting with SW billed as a "modern myth". It's bright, shiney, has a very "morning" feel to it, almost no night time scenes, at one point someone (QG or OW) says "good morning" even. So that's contradictory (dreams and morning) but wait until I get to episode VI and it'll make sense. Morning as beginning, this is the start of the dream/myth. There are some musical comparisons I can make that capture the general feeling but I'm not really sure if talking about non-film music is totally kosher on here.

II - theme of "falling apart". I noticed (and others have pointed out) that this is only movie where after the title crawl, the camera pans up into space - in all other movies, the camera pans down. Clones is a reversal, a "beginning of the end", all the seeds are sown that will drive the following movies. Wonderboy Anakin is now an unstable creep, forbidden love blossoms, and a fake war is launched as democracy loses it's hold. Clones (like Empire) is where everything goes wrong. Everything is reversed - Obi-Won is no longer a padawan, now a teacher. I would even get a little controversial here and argue that Anakin is a bit of an Oedipus, having lost his virgin mother he then immediately replaces her with Padme, then quickly destroys her after impregnating her. They fill the same role for him, as an older loving woman the Jedi don't allow him to see.

VI is the end of the dream. Oola and the dancers in general carry this at the start of the movie - "do that again!" because we all know we're going to start over and watch the movies one more time, her long tentacles (ears?) remind me of a multi-armed Hindu diety and her colored skin carry that as well - dancing through eternity. The foggy Endor nights and C3PO recounting their adventures as a "bedtime story" for sleepy, cuddly ewoks show this is the is end of the dream, night is falling (ep I was morning). And of course the very last scene is at night continuing the finality of it all.

 

For the OT:

ANH: Believe in yourself.
ESB: Two wrongs don't make a right and never give up.
ROTJ: There's good in everyone and prepare for the unexpected.

 

TPM is also about symbiosis, the links between the Gungans and the Naboo, masters and apprentices, the Midichlorians in your blood...

 

As it was pointed out, the symbiosis theme is big in TPM--it plays out a number of ways (Gungans & Naboo, Midichlorians and Force users, Palpatine and the Trade Federation, QGJ and Anakin, etc.)

AOTC (and ROTS) deals with attachment. Anakin is trying to reconcile the tension between his emotional attachments and the Jedi Code/direct orders. He departs from the Jedi in two ways--his handling of the sand people and his marriage to Padme.

ROTS is really the descent into hell (figuratively and literally). Sometimes you become the very thing you were fighting against. A Republic fighting an insurrection becomes an Empire; the Jedi were galactic peacekeepers and are now war generals; by attempting to save Padme, Anakin destroys her; Anakin turns to the dark side, etc.

Agree that ANH is about believing in yourself, becoming part of something bigger, beginning the hero's journey--accepting the call to adventure. A farm boy becomes a galactic hero, a self-interested scoundrel acts in a selfless way to help his friends, etc.

I'd have to give more thought to TESB. Part of it is this concept that sometimes your friends are made to suffer. Both the rebellion generally and Han/Leia specifically are enduring hardship because Vader is pursuing Luke. Leia also suffers because Jabba is after Han. The characters are being used as bait and traps are being set. Luke has to confront his demons (in the cave/Vader's revelation).

ROTJ: Redemption. Vader/Anakin is redeemed and by extension the failure of Obi-Wan. The traitor of Cloud City--Lando also helps rescue Han and destroy the second Death Star.

 

TPM: Sometimes you have to break the rules
AOTC: Things change
ROTS: Power corrupts
ANH: Do something with your life
ESB: Sometimes life sucks
ROTJ: Everyone has good in them

 

TPM: everyone can be a hero

 

I tried to boil a theme from each movie down to one word. From this word (and of course the movie) I came up with a fortune cookie of sorts.

TPM: Youth - In this movie we see several main young characters (Anakin, Padme, Obi-Wan, and although Jar-Jar may not be young in age, he comes off as young in spirit). They aren't just part of their galaxy, but actively shaping it (Padme ruling Naboo, Anakin blowing up the Trade Federation battleship, Obi-Wan killing, um, defeating Darth Maul, and Jar Jar helping to unite the peoples of Naboo).
Fortune cookie: No matter how young you are, your actions can change the worlds.

AOTC: Growth - The most obvious growth is of course that the characters are ten years older. Also, Padme and Anakin's feelings for each other have grown, and both have matured to some extent. Obi-Wan is no longer an apprentice, but a Jedi knight. On a galactic scale, problems have also grown as the galaxy shifts from internal squabbles to all out war.
Fortune cookie: Unexpected events can lead you to unexpected places.

ROTS: Endings - There are many endings in this movie: many people's lives end (particularly Jedi, and also Padme), the end of the Jedi Order, the Republic, Separatists, the Clone Wars, and of Anakin as a Jedi.
Fortune cookie: Choices are like ripples in a pond; a seemingly small choice can have great consequences.

ANH: Beginnings - The beginning of Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie's adventures, the beginning of the end for the Empire, and the beginning of Luke's training as a Jedi.
Fortune cookie: Everyone has the potential for greatness.

ESB: Loss - Pretty obvious (okay most of these are to fans, but...), Luke lost to Vader, and lost his hand. Han was lost to the Rebels.
Fortune cookie: The right path is often the more difficult path.

ROTJ: Returns - Han is released from the carbonite, Vader's return from the dark side, and straight from the title, the return of the Jedi.
Fortune cookie: Never give up.

 

TPM: Innocence
Anakin, Padme, are both young and innocent, Jar Jar, although not young, is about as innocent as you can get. The Phantom Menace feels like the adventure before everyone's problems really begin. So while their is some dark foreshadowing, the whole film seems pretty light-hearted.

AOTC: Growth
Ten years have passed since The Phantom Menace, and our heroes are now ten years older. Obi-Wan discovers that a Clone army has grown without the Republic knowing about it. Anakin and Padme's relationship quickly grows into romance. Palpatine's power grows, and peace quickly grows into war.

ROTS: Distrust
The Jedi council members don't trust Anakin, Anakin doesn't trust the Jedi council members, and Palpatine uses that distrust to lure Anakin to the dark side. And of course the Jedi don't trust Palpatine. Padme also at one point voices a lack of faith in the Republic.

ANH: Discovery
The film starts out with the discovery of Death Star battle plans. Luke discovers the Force and starts his path on towards becoming a Jedi.

ESB: Loss
Luke loses the duel with Vader, as well as the image of his father he held and his trust in Obi-Wan and Yoda. He also losses his hand. And they lose Han Solo on Bespin.

ROTJ: Redemption
Luke redeems Vader.