Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith - Palpatine

I finally got to see "Star Wars III- Revenge of the Sith" on DVD last night. I had never seen the film before and was very keen to see it, having been a big Star Wars fan in a 'previous life'! :)

This film poses an uncanny depiction of what's actually happening in the world today.

Click on the image below to read the full story about Palpatine's rise to power in the Galactic Republic.

Here are some points from this that I would like to focus on:

• Palpatine secretly orders the Trade Federation to invade Naboo.


• Naboo's leader, Queen Amidala, rushes to Palpatine for aid.


• The two plead to the Senate for intervention, but are stalemated by Trade Federation filibustering.


• Queen Amidala acts upon Palpatine's suggestion, and calls for a Vote of No Confidence in the Republic's leadership.


• Chancellor Valorum is voted out and Palpatine becomes Chancellor.


• Despite Palpatine's promises of reform, the Republic continues to be attacked.


• Palpatine orders Dooku to organise the creation of a clone army on the Republic's behalf.


• Much later, Palpatine orders Count Dooku to lead a Separatist movement against the Republic with an army of droids.


• The Republic need a military and are pleasantly surprised to find that they are equipped to fight with an army of clones.


• Palpatine requires the authority to activate the Republic's newly forged army.


• Senators loyal to Palpatine motion that the Chancellor be given emergency powers to deal with the Separatist threat.


• The Clone Wars are a sham, a part of an intricate plan concocted by Palpatine as he secretly holds authority over both sides of the conflict.


• Palpatine's term as Chancellor ends during the rise of the Separatists, but that crisis allows him to extend his stay in office and enact executive decree after executive decree. He adds amendments to the constitution funneling more power to him, effectively circumventing the bureaucracy of the Senate.


• The public and the Senate willingly give up their rights and freedoms in the name of security.


• Palpatine promises that under his guidance, the war would be won, and the Republic would be safe.


• Palpatine secretly orders General Grievous to lead more Separatist forces in an assault against the republic.


• Palpatine architects his own abduction by General Grievous.


• The Jedi order's finest heroes, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are dispatched to rescue Palpatine, defeating Grievous and Dooku along the way.


• Palpatine reveals himself as the Sith Lord to Anakin and persuades him to turn to the dark side. Anakin becomes Darth Vader.


• Palpatine enacts "Order 66", a coded command to the clone army on the various distant battlefronts, causing the clone army to kill the Jedi knights in cold blood.


• Palpatine gives a stirring speech to the Galactic Senate of how he narrowly escaped a treacherous Jedi rebellion. He assures the Republic that his resolve had not faltered. He had routed out the treachery that had entangled the Republic in the Clone Wars. He would cleanse the corruption from the bloated bureaucracy and reform it, as a new, more powerful, more secure institution.


• Palpatine declares himself Emperor, institutes a military build-up unprecedented in galactic history and creates a New Order: a Galactic Empire ruled by tyranny.


• During the Galactic Civil War, Palpatine disbands the Imperial Senate, and passes control down to the regional governors and the military.

The lines that I have underlined show what the Bush administration has already publicly done in their so called "War against Terrorism".

If you have watched any of the videos that can be downloaded from the 'New Vision Society' website (as shown in my post on 2nd Dec), you might believe that more lines should be underlined!

Star Wars III is a very timely film!

I wonder... could George Lucas forsee this when he started the Star Wars saga in the 70's?