A Thousand Stars: Episode III, Part 20

The scene when Palpatine reveals his true nature to Anakin is a veritable feast of symbols, imagery, and evocative staging. Our first look at the Chancellor gives us this:


He sits in his throne, masterminding the fates of entire star systems with a mere touch of a button.


Slowly but surely, he leads Anakin into this hallway, with a striking mural carving on the wall. What exactly is it portraying? It looks like Jedi, or at least warriors with sabers, engaged in some kind of ferocious battle. And here begins, in earnest, the battle for Anakin's soul.


Anakin paces around Palpatine, almost like a dance, as he struggles to find his footing, to figure out who this man really is and whether he offers something better than the Jedi.


Briefly Palpatine's friendly mask slips away into the harsh lines of the Dark Side, as he speaks derisively of the Jedi. There is no going back once he acknowledges himself as a Sith Lord. He has been waiting for this moment for years. Has he gotten the timing right, or wasted all those carefully-laid plans for nothing?



Yet his demeanor remains calm, even with a lightsaber at his back. This is part of his plan as well, to allow Anakin the chance to strike him down (just as he will later goad Luke) because it all contributes to Dark Side-driven anger and hatred.

And the scene closes with a truly chilling smile. He already knows he has won.


Next, the demise of a pawn...