Star Wars prequel trilogy
The Star Wars prequel trilogy, colloquially referred to as the prequels, is a series of epic space-opera films written and directed by George Lucas. It was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The trilogy was released from 1999 to 2005 and is set before the original Star Wars trilogy, chronologically making it the first act of the Skywalker Saga. Lucas had planned a prequel trilogy before the release of the original film, but halted major Star Wars films beyond the original trilogy by 1981. When computer-generated imagery had advanced to the level he wanted for the visual effects he wanted for subsequent films, Lucas revived plans for the prequels by the early 1990s. The trilogy marked Lucas's return to directing after the 22-year hiatus following the original Star Wars film in 1977, as well as a 16-year hiatus between the classic and prequel trilogies.
The trilogy consists of Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The films follow the training of the powerful youth Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi under the tutelage of Jedi Masters Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, his fall to the dark side of the Force and rebirth as Darth Vader. The trilogy also depicts the corruption of the Galactic Republic, the genocide of the Jedi Order, and the rise of the Empire under Palpatine. The first two films received mixed reviews, while the third's reception was more positive. All three enjoyed box-office success.
Background
According to original trilogy producer Gary Kurtz, loose plans for a prequel trilogy were developed during the outlining of the original two films. In 1980, Lucas confirmed that he had the nine-film series plotted, but due to the stress of producing the original trilogy and pressure from his wife Marcia Lucas to settle down, he had decided to cancel further sequels by 1981.However, technical advances in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including the ability to create computer-generated imagery, inspired Lucas to consider that it might be possible to revisit his saga. In 1989, Lucas stated that the prequel trilogy would be "unbelievably expensive." After viewing an early CGI test created by Industrial Light & Magic for Jurassic Park, Lucas said:
We did a test for Steven Spielberg, and when we put them up on the screen I had tears in my eyes. It was like one of those moments in history, like the invention of the lightbulb or the first telephone call. A major gap had been crossed and things were never going to be the same.
In 1992, Lucas acknowledged that he had plans to create the prequel trilogy in the Lucasfilm Fan Club magazine, and announced this to Variety in late 1993. Producer Rick McCallum reached out to Frank Darabont, who had previously written The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and The Shawshank Redemption, for possible future writing duties. He was considered until at least 1995, but as time went on, Lucas continued writing the screenplays himself. Jeffrey Boam, who had previously written Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for Lucas, was interested in 1995 to rewrite and polish Lucas' scripts for the prequels. Before Lucas chose to direct the prequels, Return of the Jedi director Richard Marquand expressed interest in directing one of the prequel films, up until his death in 1987. The popularity of the franchise had been prolonged by the Star Wars Expanded Universe, so that it still had a large audience. A theatrical rerelease of the original trilogy in 1997 'updated' the 20-year-old films with the style of CGI envisioned for the new episodes.
Films
Having been significantly anticipated by fans, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released on May 19, 1999. It sees the Jedi coming into contact with the young Anakin Skywalker and the corruption of the Galactic Senate by Darth Sidious. Episode II – Attack of the Clones was released on May 16, 2002. The story jumps ahead 10 years and finds Anakin—now a Jedi apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi—pursuing a forbidden romance, as well as the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the first film in the franchise, was released on May 19, 2005. It picks up three years following Attack of the Clones and depicts the Jedi Order being annihilated via Order 66, the Galactic Republic coming to an end and the Galactic Empire forming in its place and Anakin falling to the dark side of the Force and being reborn as Darth Vader, all under the machinations of Palpatine.''Episode I – The Phantom Menace''
32 years before the events of the original film,, two Jedi Knights—Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi—are sent to negotiate with the corrupt Trade Federation who has formed a blockade around the planet Naboo. Naboo's senator Palpatine—who is secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious—has covertly engineered the blockade as a pretext to become Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. With the help of Naboo's fourteen-year-old queen, Padmé Amidala, and accompanied by a clumsy native named Jar Jar Binks, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan escape the blockade. They land on Tatooine to repair their starship and meet a nine-year-old slave named Anakin Skywalker. Believing him to be the prophesied "Chosen One", Qui-Gon takes Anakin to be trained as a Jedi.The prequels were originally planned to fill in history tangential to the original trilogy, but Lucas realized that they could form the first half of one long story focusing on Anakin. This would shape the film series into a self-contained saga. In 1994, Lucas began writing the screenplay for the first prequel, initially titled Episode I: The Beginning. Following the film's release, Lucas announced that he would be directing the next two.
''Episode II – Attack of the Clones''
10 years later, an assassination attempt is made on Padmé Amidala, who is now serving as Naboo's senator after finishing her term as queen. Jedi Knight and his apprentice, Anakin, are assigned to protect her; tracks the assassin, while Anakin and Padmé secretly fall in love. Meanwhile, Chancellor Palpatine schemes to draw the galaxy into the Clone Wars between the Republic army of clone troopers led by the Jedi, and the Confederacy of Independent Systems led by Darth Sidious' Sith apprentice, Count Dooku.The first draft of Episode II was completed just weeks before principal photography, and Lucas hired Jonathan Hales, a writer from The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, to polish it. Unsure of a title, Lucas had jokingly called the film "Jar Jar's Great Adventure". In writing The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas initially considered that Lando Calrissian was a clone from a planet of clones which caused the Clone Wars mentioned in A New Hope. He later came up with the concept of an army of clone shock troopers from a remote planet which attacked the Republic and was resisted by the Jedi.
''Episode III – Revenge of the Sith''
Three years into the Clone Wars, Anakin becomes disillusioned with the Jedi Council and begins to have visions of Padmé dying in childbirth. Palpatine reveals himself as Darth Sidious and convinces Anakin that the dark side of the Force holds the power to save Padmé's life. Desperate, Anakin submits to Sidious and assumes the Sith moniker Darth Vader. Sidious then orders the Jedi's extermination while declaring the former Republic an Empire. Vader engages in a lightsaber duel with on the volcanic planet Mustafar which results in Vader becoming disfigured; losing both legs and left arm, while Padmé dies after giving birth to twins.Work on Episode III began before Episode II was released, with one scene shot during the earlier film's production. Lucas originally told concept artists that the film would open with a montage of the Clone Wars, and included a scene of Palpatine revealing to Anakin that he had willed his conception through the Force. Lucas reviewed and radically reorganized the plot, having Anakin execute Dooku in the first act to foreshadow his fall to the dark side. After principal photography was completed in 2003, Lucas made more changes, rewriting Anakin's arc. He would now primarily turn to the dark side in a quest to save Padmé, rather than just believing that the Jedi are plotting to take over the Republic. The rewrite was accomplished both through editing principal footage and filming new and revised scenes during pick-ups in 2004.
Themes
Dramatic irony and parallels
Long term members of the audience who had seen the original trilogy knew many things the protagonists did not know; most significantly the seemingly benign Palpatine's true identity as the phantom menace, Darth Sidious manipulating events and using people to help him accomplish his goals of galactic domination. So there is much dramatic irony throughout the prequel trilogy. During the end credits of The Phantom Menace, Anakin's theme ends with The Imperial March theme and Darth Vader's breathing. This reminds the audience that Anakin's portrayal as an innocent boy does not change what follows; his inevitable transformation into the Sith Lord, the audience knows from the original trilogy. Prior to the film's release, the 1998 teaser poster showing Anakin cast Vader's shadow behind him echoes this.Each victory for the heroes does very little to nothing to stop Sidious from achieving his objectives. When the Jedi and heroes find out what the audience knows it is too late. The Battle of Naboo and the Clone Wars have been further steps forward in Sidious' plans to take control of the galaxy. After Qui-Gon Jinn and Shmi Skywalker's deaths, Anakin seeks out a new parental figure. His desire for a parental figure would not allow him to see Palpatine's true nature nor realise that Sidious has been using him as his tool and that his "sympathy" has been false. While Anakin takes his first fateful steps away from his loving mother in The Phantom Menace, his new parental figure creates a metaphorical bridge for The Chosen One to cross over to the dark side in Revenge of the Sith. This proves Yoda's statement to Anakin right. Anakin starts off as an intelligent and kind boy but is hesitant to leave his mother behind. His story arc in the prequel trilogy concludes with being encased in a life support suit and having Sidious and the dark side as his only companions - thus contributing to his suffering and isolation from the galaxy.
Although the prequel trilogy ends in tragedy with the fall of the Republic, the Great Jedi Purge, Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader and the heroes facing an uncertain future, the audience knows what the future holds for the survivors; Anakin, Luke, Leia and the rebellion defeating Darth Sidious and the Empire. The hope is symbolised in the last scene of the prequel trilogy which resembles the scene of Luke gazing out into the sunset; both scenes feature Luke, the same music and set in the Lars homestead. While the original trilogy adds dramatic irony to the prequel trilogy, the prequel trilogy adds new perspectives and backstories to established characters in the original trilogy. The prequel trilogy significantly expands Ben Kenobi's backstory of Anakin from Return of the Jedi. While Vader's role changes from villain to redeemable character in Return of the Jedi, the prequel trilogy adds another perspective to his character; a tragic fallen hero who would eventually find his way back and fulfill the prophecy of The Chosen One at the end of the original trilogy.