The original Star Wars trilogy is a classic for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it exploited the traditional storytelling method (setup, conflict, resolution) in quite possibly the most effective way ever. A New Hope establishes the Rebellion’s fight against the Galactic Empire and Luke Skywalker’s desire to become a Jedi. The Empire Strikes Back chronicles the Rebellion’s losses and the revelation that Luke’s enemy is his father. Return of the Jedi concludes the story of the Rebellion’s triumph over the Empire and Luke’s redemption of his father.
The Star Wars prequels attempted to recreate this same structure, but with much less success. The Phantom Menace establishes that there is some ambiguous threat to the Republic while Anakin Skywalker is recruited to become a Jedi. Attack of the Clones chronicles the Republic’s war with a group of separatists and Anakin’s descent into evil. Revenge of the Sith concludes the story of the Republic’s transformation into the Galactic Empire and Anakin’s fall.
Beyond their basic stories, the two trilogies follow a similar narrative structure, as well. In the first film, the main characters go from one location to another, picking up new companions along the way. They all pretty much stick together until the climax when they split apart for a short time only to reunite in the end (minus one Jedi knight). In the second one, the main characters are split into two camps and they have their own separate adventures until they converge at the end. A lot of romantic tension is present, too. The third film has the most somber tone of the trilogy as the heroes try to end a war once and for all and the Emperor is fully revealed. Plus, we get to see a planet full of Teddy Bear-like creatures (Ewoks and Wookiees). Continue reading →
