How to watch Star Wars

Probably the greatest debate in all the world is that of "How to watch Star Wars?" Most of us watched episodes 4, 5 and 6 and then 1, 2 and three. As that is how they were released. Lucas designed it to be watched 1-6. The argument against that however is that watching it in sequence will destroy the surprises of the original trilogy.

Lets be honest. There is only one surprise that we are talking about. This is not Citizen Kane people. Theres a movie with a particular surprise that has significance. What does Rosebud mean? The entire movie is a big setup. It gives you everything you need to know, except for the overall point. And in the end, you find out what Rosebud means, and it all makes sense. Brilliant.

"I am your father" is nothing like that. It is a revalation that is not designed to answer any questions, it is just meant to be a bit of a cliffhanger. It is made just as a tease to get you to say. "Whoa, I've got to see what happens next." But so what? Its only cool because when you watch it 4-6, Luke is our boy. We love him. Vader is a bit of a side character. If you watch 1-6 Anakin is our Boy, and Obi-Wan too. Luke becomes the side note. The secondary character. At least to this point. Its much better with Anakin as the main character. And there is no shortage of alternate "whoa" moments.

On top of that, the "I am your father" moment hasn't dissappeared from being significant. It has just changed. We are just watching it from a different angle. We watch it from Vaders side. Knowing Anakin as well as we do. We are waiting for him to acknowledge his past. And he hasn't really done it to this point. Just a smidge with the Emperor earlier. So those words, while not surprising, are significantly more impactful than they used to be.

Watching it 4-6 and hearing those "surprising" words "I am your father," is the Star Wars equivalent of finding out Rachel is pregnant in the season finale of Friends. And then having to wait all summer to find out if Ross is the father. It is a TV style cliffhanger, nothing more.

But watching 1-6, having seen Anakin the wide-eyed boy. Having seen his innocence and puppy love for Padme. His desire to become something great being the very thing that helps lead him to ruin. His loss of his mother and wife, the only two people that he believes ever loved him. And the fact that he blames himself for the loss of both. Having watched him turn into a cold robotic killer. Having now spent the better part of ANH and ESB searching for any sign of Anakin within Darth Vader. We now see him face to face with his son. With all that was good about him. Luke, the product of his better self and his true love. The words "I am your father" are now as significant to Vader as they are to Luke. This is good storytelling. No its great storytelling.

Lucas made a great moment in 1980. A legendary pop culture catchphrase. Misquoted usually too, which is the mark of most great catch phrases. Luke, I'm your father...Play it again Sam...Frankly Scarlet, I don't give a damn...Rosebud...Stellaaaaaa...Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me...Make him an offer he can't refuse...We're gonna need a bigger boat...Yo Adrian!...I Love the smell of Napalm in the Morning...E.T. Phone Home...They're Heeeerrre...Just When I thought I was out, they pulled me back in...Vegas Baby, Vegas...Show me the money...I see dead people. Anything else? So I have great respect for "I am your father" as a legendary movie moment.

But GL did something amazing. He took a singular moment. A clever catch phrase, a bombshell, a cliffhanger. And he turned into something more than a gimmick. He turned it into something that actually matters within the film. Something that brings real emotion with it. Its now a moment that makes your heart leap or sink. Not just another "Oh Snap!" moment. A "whats in the Hatch?" moment. He took a moment that "rocked" and turned it into a moment that mattered and has weight. Thats amazing.

Watch it 456123 if you want. But anyone who says watch it that way because of "surprises" is just another fanboy who doesn't understand what real storytelling is.

-T