The Prequels Reconsidered

     In my most recent watch through of the Star Wars movies I had a decidedly positive experience with the prequels, films I've treated with disdain on this blog in the past. As Disney Star Wars films have become increasingly terrible I have come to recognize that a big part of this failure lay in the way the movies present themselves as an answer to the negative reaction to the prequels. People complained about the CGI so Disney emphasized their use of practical effects in the advertising for their new films. People complained about the "boring" politics in the prequels so the new films are almost completely free of politics. Many have pointed out that the prequels seem to lack the fun and energy of the originals, so everything in the sequel trilogy is filled with canned humor and characters who are constantly hyperventilating.

     While the new films have been coming out, a lot of people online have been coming around on the prequel trilogy and defending it quite eloquently. For my own part, in doing research for my reviews of Episodes V and VI, I began to gain a greater appreciation for George Lucas as a storyteller. As I considered all of this I came to the realization that all of these complaints about the prequels were really surface level. There was not a lot of substantive criticism, even alas, in my own reviews.

     Story wise, all three prequels work really well, at least on paper. Each one tells its own story while contributing to and building on, the series as a whole. But were they well executed? For a long time I have thought not. My criticisms here largely echoed those of the RedLetterMedia reviews and other prominent critics of the prequels online. What really changed my viewpoint was watching a video by YouTuber and indie comic book writer Rick Worley, which I can't recommend highly enough. In it he dives deep into the many cinematic inspirations for Star Wars and the way Lucas drew on these sources to create his own unique visual short hand.

     I've always known that there were many ways to approach visual storytelling. When I first started to read about film as an artform, I remember reading how John Ford used camera movement very sparingly, so that it would have a greater impact when he did. Similarly, rapid editing can ruin a good action scene, but if it is used intentionally to communicate the chaotic nature of a fight or chase then it works. What's important is how a filmmaker uses the various tools at his command to tell his story and, looking at the prequels with fresh eyes, I can see how well Lucas does this.

     When you really break it down the prequels are really brilliant on a visually storytelling level. In the RedLetterMedia review for Revenge of the Sith, Mike Stoklasa accuses Lucas of laziness, particularly in the way he stages dialogue. But this isn't true at all. Lucas shoots these kinds of scenes using a variety of methods. Scenes like Anakin's conversation with Padme on the balcony are shot in a traditional straightforward style, shot reverse shot. But look at a more dramatic scene, the one where Palpatine reveals himself for example. Here Lucas moves the camera around the actors as they circle each other, heightening the sense of manipulation on Sidious' part.

     In the latest episode of The Gallery: The Mandolorian, producer Dave Filoni (creator of The Clone Wars) talks about the climatic lightsaber duel in The Phantom Menace. He explains what the real stakes are in this scene, and how it is critically important for the series as a whole. "What's at stake is really how Anakin is going to turn out. Because Qui-Gon is different than the rest of the Jedi, and you get that in the movie." When Qui-Gon dies Anakin essentially loses his father figure (Obi-Wan is more like an older brother) and it's only by becoming a father himself, when he saves Luke, that he is finally redeemed. "So the son saves the father and the father saves the son and it works out perfectly. And I draw that line all the way from Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi. That's the story of Star Wars." This really brought home something I recognized when I watched through the six movies, that there is this cohesive thematic thread, the sense that the six episodes are all a part of what is, essentially, one long movie. This, more then anything, has helped me to appreciate not just the prequels but the saga as a whole in a better light.

     If you grew up liking the prequels and were soured on them because of no-it-all internet critics like me I would like to take this opportunity to apologize. In any case, whether you always hated these films are have grown to dislike them, I would urge you to watch them again and try to put aside whatever preconceptions you may have had about their quality. Try to approach the series like you would The Lord of the Rings, as one epic story divided into smaller chapters. For my part, it was a rewarding, and enlightening, experience.