For all the (valid) criticism that the prequels can be poorly acted and even more poorly scripted, there is at least one gem of a moment in Revenge Of The Sith that stands out as a terrific piece of writing and which shows off a tremendous bit of performing from Ian McDiarmid. As Anakin and McDiarmid's Palpatine enjoy a show - a hypnotically beautiful space opera taking place within some watery sphere - Palpatine tells Anakin the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise, a Sith lord that could stop people from dying. Yet to reveal his true colours, Palpatine elegantly manipulates Anakin in the scene, making promises that he knows will bring the young Jedi on his side, and McDiarmid plays it with masterful subtlety. It's the greatest single piece of acting in the entire Star Wars saga, and a "where did that come from?" moment from Lucas, who - had he written the entire prequel trilogy this well - could have had a set of masterpieces on his hands.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
