ROTS's impact on the rest of the saga......

i'm mostly thinking about TPM & AOTC here, but i wanna hear your thoughts on how ROTS is gonna affect the way you watch the rest of the films.
what brought this up was i was watching TPM with my kids last night, and watching that, knowing what i know about ROTS, is sooo much better, more fun, it just seems like a better movie now. i was really getting into it.
mind you, i've only seen a few pic from epIII and the teaser, so my info on the movie is mostly from my assumptions.
after TPM came out, watching ANH was amazing. Obi-Wan just seemed so much more badass. seeing his past and everything added so much more to his character.
i think ROTS will do this for so many aspects of the other films. especially the 1st 2.
what do you think?
will you look at the other films differently?

(hey windy & GM, do you think we can keep this HCSF?)

 

I thought about this too a while ago and this is what hit me:
ROTS will make the OT look a lot darker. Think about it. ROTS will be the most grim episode of the saga. Everything goes wrong in it. Several key characters die, Anakin turns evil(!), the good Republic is turned into a wicked Empire.... There's nothing but pitch black darkness in this movie(aside from a few good jokes).
With all this in mind, I believe that watching the OT will be so much heavier. You will have the background to it all in clear images inside your head. Watching ANH will feel hopeless, like wading through a knee-deep mud puddle with iron boots on your feet on a cold day.
When Luke destroys the Death Star you will feel SO relieved, but you will still have that hopeless feeling gnawing on the back of your mind, because you know that it's far from over. Obi-Wan has died, Luke has barely had any Jedi training and the Emperor.... Well, he's POWERFUL.

*sigh* It will be rough.
Of course, we already know that the Saga has a happy ending, but I still believe that the OT will be greatly affected by ROTS.



Revenge - it's vengeful
/LM

 

yeah seeing the republic and the way things were makes the empire seem so much more intense.
now seeing how they come to be and who they step on to get there, you'll be cheering luke and the rest of the rebels on even more.

 

I also think it will really "flesh out" the whole concept of the Empire. Originally, in the OT, we just basically knew that the Empire are the bad guys...
I think with the history that the PT provides, it will add a lot more depth.

Also, I think Vader will be affected a lot. I know I will probably see Anakin everytime I see Vader onscreen.
Especially in some scenes in ROTJ when he's up against Luke.

 

If "Revenge of the Sith" happens to be a good film, then perhaps it will, as I have previously stated, help to put Episodes 1 and 2 into a greater context which lends clarity to their larger purpose. Those who are hell-bent on regarding these films through a prism of anger and negativity are likely beyond the realm of "contextualization" - for others, they will be able to view the grand story in its entirety, and perhaps more fully appreciate its richness and subtlety. I believe that Rob Coleman has stated that the Obi-Wan - Vader duel in "A New Hope" gains significant emotional resonance due to the events which transpire in "Revenge of the Sith" (specifically as it pertains to Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship in the film, which ultimately culminates in what is being championed as "the duel to end all duels"). This should be interesting.

While not flawless, I have enjoyed the prequels thus far, and feel already that they have leant considerable depth to the OT films - partly because of their forshadowing or sense of inexorable fate, and partly due to deliberate thematic and visual references which resound quite masterfully throughout the saga. One matter which is of some interest to me, however, is the fact that "Sith" is allegedly the darkest and bleakest of all the "Star Wars" pictures. These more nihilistic qualities are what some attribute to the success of "The Empire Strikes Back"; I have my doubts. I'm not sure that everyone understands why "Empire" is a great film; it isn't great because it is dark, but rather, because it explores the depth of Lucas' "Star Wars" mythology in a reasonably daring manner that uncovers some very dark material, which in turn forces the characters to make some difficult decisions, which ultimately yield unfair and despairing consequences. Of course, "Empire" is also a grand visual feast and a gripping space opera, but it is these underlying qualities which suggest its greatness. What is fascinating is that the prequels have been specifically and intentionally anti-mysterious in their tone - since this is essentially a tale told in reverse, it makes narrative sense to begin in a time which is antithetical to the more veiled and romantic nature of the original pictures. If one weren't to do so, there would be no point of contrast; the films would lose their mythological power, and simply become tired retreads. These comments concern "Episode 3" in that this picture would supposedly link the two trilogies - therefore, it is reasonable to deduce that "Sith" would be both mysterious and de-mystified. The confirmation that the "force ghost" issue will be addressed in the film, coupled with what appears to be more of an "OT - look" to the picture, suggests that this reasoning isn't completely absurd or unfounded. What will be interesting to see, though, apart from whether Lucas is successful in bridging the story, is whether others will be willing to accept Episode 3's impact on the other (specifically OT) films in the saga. Some people have suggested that they do not wish to "think differently" about characters that they have grown to love in the "peerless" Episodes 4-6. "Meditate on this, I will."

 

Each new episode makes the other ones cooler.

 

ROTS, along with the whole PT trilogy, completely changes the focus of OT. No longer is Luke Skywalker the main character, and Han Solo is just a sidebar. Indeed, the Star Wars saga is now first and foremost the story of Anakin Skywalker. I pay much more attention to the subtleties Vader's character now, rather than just viewing him as a villain. Furthermore, in modifying the Vader/Emperor dialogue in ESB, Lucas significantly enhances Vaders personal conflict (protecting his son vs. loyalty to the Emperor and the dark side) to fit with the PT focus.
Also, Return of the Jedi will become a much more important film than it was when released. Originally considered a let down from the other two, the fact that it features the redemption of Vader - again the main character of the saga - makes it much more powerful.