A New Sith; or, Revenge of the Hope

09-Jul-09 10:01 PM by
Filed under Star Wars; 2 comments.

Star Wars is a universe divided: an excellent trilogy followed by three awful prequels. Yet this division is something that unites the fans, as rarely will you find a Jedi wannabe who favors Jar-Jar Binks over Master Yoda. I'm not of a very different mind on this matter, though I have previously argued that even the prequel trilogy has its redeeming moments. If I have to choose sides, I just can't help but root for the underdog.

What is less often considered is the six series as a united whole, and the impact the prequels have on the original trilogy. Have you ever watched all six movies not in release order, but in chronological order? If so, did you notice some things that didn't make sense before suddenly take on a whole new meaning?

One creative author has organized all those threads into a logical supposition. In Keith Martin's reconsideration of Star Wars IV in the light of I-III, two characters that have always been fan favorites are cast in unexpectedly prominent yet subtle roles. Think the heroes of this film were Luke Skywalker and Han Solo? Think again. As unlikely as this casting is to be canon, it's an imaginative — and seemingly plausible — interpretation that gives George Lucas' galaxy more depth than even he intended. If you have time to read this 2,299-word dissertation, you won't be disappointed.

One point in the above essay that I had to question: was the Millennium Falcon anywhere in the prequel trilogy? I don't remember. I know it defended Earth from the Borg, roughly a century after R2-D2 went up against the Romulans. So it's entirely possible these characters would show up unexpectedly in their own franchise.

(Hat tip to Rotten Tomatoes)

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2 Responses to “A New Sith; or, Revenge of the Hope”

  1. GeneD adds:
    10-Jul-09 2:22 PM

    Nicely done! While I agree that the original Star Wars films had better dialogue, characters, and pacing, if not better special effects, I've also enjoyed the prequels and the "expanded universe" of novels, cartoons, comic books, and games.

    My nephew and many younger viewers reacted to the much-maligned Jar-Jar Binks in the same way I did to R2D2 and Yoda more than 20 years ago — with joy and awe. Despite the adult themes, Lucas always intended his space opera to be entertaining for children first.

    As for the Millennium Falcon, as the article you linked to noted, it was shown briefly in Revenge of the Sith, and probably elsewhere as well. While I didn't find any of the essay's points to be revelations, they were well presented. May the Force be with you — always!

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  2. Keith Martin adds:
    03-Jan-11 10:01 AM

    I wrote "A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope" in 2005. A friend asked if he could host the piece on his website and from there it gradually got out and about and gathered a surprising amount of interest over the next few years.

    That original site that hosted the piece has since closed down, so I've made a new home for the article at my new blog, at:

    http://km-515.livejournal.com/

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