Monday, April 15, 2013
Adoption Movie Guide: Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Part Three in a Series about something that happened A Long
Time Ago in a Galaxy Far Away…
You might also want to visit part one and part two
You might also want to visit part one and part two
Anakin and Padme married at the end of the last film, and now Padme is pregnant! Anakin is still bothered by the death of his mother, and continues to profess that he will never let anyone he loves die. He soon has dreams of Padme dying. In the meantime, the politician who studied Anakin in the last film has become Emporer. He seeks a private meeting with Anakin where he reveals that he practices a dark art which can prevent Padme from dying.
Although
the Jedi have become Anakin’s family, the Emporer invites Anakin to betray the
Jedi and serve at the Emperor’s side in order to save Padme. Anakin follows the
Emperor, but in doing so alienates Padme. He is badly injured in a fight with
Obi-Wan, who considered Anakin a brother. While Anakin is recovering from his
injuries, Padme dies in childbirth.
The Emperor tells Anakin that Padme's death
was a result of Anakin’s rage. Anakin cries out. Left with no one to love, he
continues to serve the Emperor as Darth Vader. Two children were born to Padme,
but they are hidden from Anakin. Their names are Luke and Leia.
How is This Relevant
to Adoption?
Anakin
never had a father and is faced with the prospect of becoming one. We aren’t
told his thoughts. Throughout the first three movies, Anakin seems to have been
looking for a father figure – first attaching to his owner, Watto; then to
Qui-Gon, the Jedi who rescued him; then to his trainer, Obi-Wan; and finally to the Emporer.
The
people close to Anakin become fearful of him because of his anger. As a result,
they choose to keep his children hidden from him. To Luke and Leia, Anakin will
become a mysterious, absent, unknown birth father. 
The children's mother dies in childbirth. One
of the children is given to a senator, who explains that he and his wife
“always dreamed of adopting a baby girl.” The other child is sent to live with
his extended family. The siblings are not told of each others’ existence.
Strong Points
Star
Wars: Revenge of the Sith can serve as a cautionary tale: about being
controlled by fear and about thinking in absolutes. It’s a darker, heavier
movie than others in the series, but it sets the stage for much redemption in
episodes IV, V, and VI.
Challenges
In
a previous movie, Yoda cautioned Anakin that fear would lead to anger, hate,
and suffering. In this film, dark-art practicing Count Dooku tells Anakin, “I
sense great fear in you... You have hate, you have anger, but you don’t use
them.” This reminds me of a scene in Meet the Robinsons, where a villain
encourages a boy to hold on to his anger and be driven by it. This movie does
show the negative impact of Anakin’s anger, but because Anakin has been the
protagonist for the first two films, the message could be confusing for some
viewers.
Anakin
gets advice from a Jedi master. Yoda starts by admirably challenging Anakin’s
pervasive fear, “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side. Death is a
natural part of life.” But then Yoda tells him not to mourn or miss for those
who have died, because “attachment leads to jealousy” and is “the shadow of
greed.” To avoid evil, Anakin must “train… to let go of everything [he fears]
to lose.” Many children in foster care and many adopted children can relate to
feelings of loss and grief. The first part of Yoda’s counsel is good: don’t be
controlled by your fear of loss.
The second part (don’t attach to anyone) could
be dangerous advice. Children who have experienced loss and abandonment often
have difficulty forming attachments. This advice, given by the wisest of the
good guys, seems to reinforce a lack of attachment. More balanced advice would be,
“Anakin, attachment is important. Without it, you are alone. But it is also
important to understand that with attachment comes loss. You must choose not to
let the losses destroy you.”
Yoda’s
advice resonates with Anakin, who thinks in absolutes. He tells Padme that the
Dark Side is for those who are only selfish, and that the Jedi are purely
selfless. Later, A Jedi advises Anakin that thinking in absolutes leads to the
dark side.
Anakin
feels excluded – or at least underestimated – by the Jedi. His anger at feeling
slighted and his fear of loss, make him more likely to side with the Emperor.
It could be helpful to explore the multiple motivations for Anakin’s action.
Weak Points
There
are some violent scenes which could traumatize some viewers: Anakin’s legs are
bloodlessly hacked off in a duel; he is left disfigured. Anakin decapitates a
defeated opponent. He attacks Padme. Many Jedi are betrayed and murdered. Perhaps the most disturbing scene is not
shown on camera: Anakin kills a roomful of children
Recommendations
Star
Wars: Revenge of the Sith is geared towards teenagers. It’s a violent, dark,
and deep movie which could lend itself to some valuable conversations. It’s
particularly worthwhile because of the redemption which occurs over the next three
movies – Anakin is reunited with his son, and their relationship is ultimately
healed. The issues of loss will likely be relevant to many children, but could
be quite painful to explore. The violence in the film surpasses the violence in
the previous film. The movie would be best suited to kids 13 and up.
Questions for Discussion after the movie
Yoda
tells Anakin that attachment leads to fear of loss, which leads to anger, hate,
and suffering. What do you think? Is there a way to attach to people or care
about them without being brought into hate?
Why
did Anakin side with the Emperor? What do you think of his logic? Of his
choice?
Who
did Anakin think of as his father? How do you think he felt about getting ready
to become a father?
Which
parts of the movie disturbed you the most? Which did you like the most?
You might also enjoy
Adoption Movie Guide: Star Wars Episode I
Adoption Movie Guide: Star Wars Episode II
Adoption Movie Guide: Jack the Giant Slayer
and why not follow Adoption at the Movies on Facebook :)
You might also enjoy
Adoption Movie Guide: Star Wars Episode I
Adoption Movie Guide: Star Wars Episode II
Adoption Movie Guide: Jack the Giant Slayer
and why not follow Adoption at the Movies on Facebook :)
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I like you more balanced advice.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori. Yoda has such awkward sentence structures that he probably couldn't get out anything more nuanced than what he said :)
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