Chronicle of the Life of Anakin Skywalker by C-3PO George Lucas’s iconic sci-fi “Star Wars” saga stirred the public immediately after the release of the debut film, later designated “Episode 4 – A New Hope.” For 1977, Lucas’s ideas seemed unimaginable, unreal and simply crazy, but once the tape came out on the big screens, all the forecasts of skeptical analysts sank into failure. The story of the opposition of young idealists against the despotic policy of the Galactic Empire is easily transferred to the real earthly realities, reminding each viewer that in any situation of the current situation, even when everything falls out of hand and the light is removed to inaccessible infinity, it is worth believing in your own strength, fighting to a victorious end. This is the only way to change the world for the better by challenging a mothballed system that does not recognize qualitative change. This is exactly what George Lucas himself did, virtually single-handedly leading a revolutionary movement that changed Hollywood for the better. With the help of Star Wars, the director brought to the audience the important thoughts inherent in passionate idealists, who from era to era drive progress, develop culture and blur the boundaries of thinking and fantasy.
Already in the first film of the Saga, George Lucas laid the indestructible foundations of Star Wars, based on a huge cultural heritage borrowed from many sources. The concept of the Great Force, the images of the heroes of Light and Darkness, the comic and reckless supporting characters necessary for the story, and much, much more were taken from the story and transformed into an absolutely attractive form that still attracts millions of viewers around the planet. "Star Wars" is not only high-quality special effects, dizzying action scenes and attractive actors. This is a philosophical trend, understandable to everyone. Each subsequent film, to which Lucas had a hand, developed his ideological developments, revealing all the original depth that the creator originally laid in his script sketches, but for certain reasons could not implement within one film. There are no random events or characters in Saga. All the components are in their place, nothing can be taken out of there, otherwise the thin structure of Star Wars could fall apart. One of the most important characters of all the episodes are at first glance unsightly droids C-3PO and R2-D2, appearing in the most key moments of the plot. It may seem that Lucas introduced these characters solely in order to sometimes defuse a tense environment, allowing viewers to distract themselves with simple humor after epic battles, but this is only a fraction of the truth. In fact, the Star Wars creator introduced the inseparable droid duo as a tribute to the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, whose work served as one of Lucas' most important sources of inspiration. In many films Kurosawa, telling about the difficult time of the samurai, there was a mandatory pair of comic servants, always close to the main characters in the center of events. They did not have much influence on the plot, but acted as a kind of storyteller, on which the viewer did not pay much attention. From the point of view of art, this is a quite traditional course of building history, only in cinema it did not receive wide development, becoming the very original feature that Lucas used after Kurosawa.
As regular participants in the galactic confrontation, C-3PO and R2-D2 along with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo became favorite heroes of Star Wars fans. Lucas himself stated that inseparable droids will appear in every episode until the very end of the cinematic history of the Saga. So it is not surprising that after a long break in the filming process, Lucas returned his characters to the long-awaited prequel trilogy. C-3PO and R2-D2 may not get as much screen time as they did before, but it’s worth remembering that the new Trilogy describes the formation of many of the key characters of past Episodes, including C-3PO and R2-D2. We meet droids under extraordinary circumstances and see the birth of their extraordinary friendship, later tested for decades of joint adventures. The 1999 “Covert Threat” revealed the mystery of C-3PO’s creation, how R2-D2 got into history, and by what miracle they learned of each other’s existence. It is also gratifying that Lucas has brought back Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker, the only artists who have gone a long creative path with him, becoming one with all Star Wars. As before, C-3PO and R2-D2 are near the main events, emphasizing their presence. The growing wave of attention to the Saga did not pass by them, allowing to expand the popularity of the characters, who are too crowded within the framework of only feature films.
The uniqueness of the cultural influence of Star Wars is remarkable because fans of galactic history do not just watch events on the big screen, play themed games, read books, and also shoot various short crafts based on their passion. Often, independent enthusiasts shoot films that complement the main plot of Star Wars, there are also charming parodies. Director and screenwriter Sam Harvitz felt it necessary to make the leading characters of his film C-3PO and R2-D2, and the role of the first was invited by none other than Anthony Daniels, forever turned into a golden droid, which does not regret. The project, titled Star Wars: Connections, is in the form of a tragic story, which tells the story of Anakin Skywalker’s path to the image of the sinister Darth Vader and his long-awaited return to the Light during the decisive battle with Emperor Palpatine. Anthony Daniels once again dressed in the gold armor of the droid, and with him in the frame appears a faithful ally of R2-D2. With C-3PO, we return to the galaxy far, far away, first to the planet Tatooine, where the audience first saw young Anakin, being enslaved by a malicious old-timer Watto. A fateful meeting with the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn allowed Anakin to throw off his shackles and fly to the stars, where he will have to become both the greatest hero and a terrifying villain. The golden droid describes for us the most important stages of Anakin’s life. Skillfully selected video confirms every word of the narrator, showing the maturity of Anakin, his conflicts with his teacher, his love for the charming Padmé Amidala and, as a consequence, the transformation into Darth Vader, a dark Sith who destroyed everything he previously loved. But as with every fairy tale story, which is also Star Wars, the forces of good must prevail. Remember, C-3PO took part in the epic battle of Endor, in which Anakin returned to the light and destroyed the Emperor, restoring the balance of the Force.
The short film “Star Wars: Connections” was released shortly before the release of the second episode of the Saga, “Clone Attacks”. And it suggests that Tom Harvitz could not use footage of the final installment of the Prequel Trilogy, leaving key moments of the story beyond the narrative. Nevertheless, “Star Wars: Connections” looks quite worthy chronicle of events, which will be useful to both fans of “Star Wars” and the casual viewer.
7 out of 10