The Phantom Menace

Image #1

Image #2

The Attack of the Clones

Image #3

Image #4

Revenge of the Sith

Image #5 (see the movie)

Image #6 (must I repeat myself?)

A New Hope

Image #7

Image #8

The Empire Strikes Back

Image #9

Image #10

Return of the Jedi

Image #11

Image #12

The Phantom Menace

Image #1: Schmi Skywalker’s willingness to release her only child to an unknown destiny (one only the audience can foresee, even back in ‘99) effectively primes the tears which the following films will release.

Image #2: Questioning young Anakin about his feelings, the Jedi council discovers that he fears losing his mother. When Anakin testily rejects his anxiety’s relevance, Yoda rebukes him with the epigrammatic caution, “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” In this way, Lucas neatly addresses the audience’s central question: how can such an innocent become a murderer?

The Attack of the Clones

Image #3: Here’s an example of a companion movie’s totally changing the way one reads a scene in another, earlier work. The significance of Yoda’s words here among the Jedi younglings—“Truly wonderful, the mind of a child”—will never resonate quite the same once you’ve seen the third movie.

Image #4: Anakin’s tortured mother dies in his arms, precipitating his descent into darkness.

Revenge of the Sith (you’ll have to see the movie for these images)

Image #5: Padme and Anakin’s most effective moment of communication in the prequels occurs without the exchange of words, touch, or glance.

Image #6: Yoda’s prescient words about hate and suffering gain new weight in a fatally injured man’s curse.

A New Hope

Image #7: The solar system’s twin suns beckon to Luke . . .and dreams of adventures which he assumes lie forever out of reach.

Image #8: Luke looks over his devastated homestead and mournfully realizes he got what he asked for: all ties to the old life of responsibility and family have vanished with his guardians.

The Empire Strikes Back

Image #9: Witness the brief kiss that precedes Leia’s declaration of love and Han’s infamously macho acknowledgment of said affection, a clarification of affection that immediately proceeds their heart-wrenching separation.

Image #10: Darth Vader’s climactic revelation of his parentage gets more recognition than any other scene in the original films, but a far more important event occurs just seconds later. Faced with the offer to join his father and the dark side, Luke opts instead to lose his life.

Return of the Jedi

Image #11: Luke’s fear for his sister’s well-being drives him briefly into darkness.

Image #12: Luke interrupts his spiritual suicide at the last possible moment.