1. The Happy Ending Is Suspect In Light Of The Force Awakens
If it wasn't for the knowledge of The Force Awakens' imminent arrival, the dénouement of Return of the Jedi would be one of the happiest of all time: balance has been brought to the Force; Han and Leia are partying, in love; the Force Ghosts are together; and Luke, after burning the last remnants of Vader, looks over to see his father join Obi-Wan and Yoda, not as the Sith Lord, but as Anakin Skywalker. For over three decades this ending, this party-scene, has been the Star Wars end note, a confirmation that the light beat out the dark; that good, cliché as it sounds, triumphed over evil. There was loss along the way, but these last scenes helped to end the original trilogy in a way which rendered the ultimate tragedy of the series (and, as I've argued throughout these articles, Star Wars is primarily a tragedy) as a means to an end, the rain before the rainbow. But, with what we know about The Force Awakens and all its possible allusions, the ending of Return Of The Jedi becomes a little more subdued, and a sense of disquiet drapes itself over the proceedings. The music is muted, the dancing ceases, the party, whilst not quite stopping, slows down a bit. If Star Wars has taught us anything, it's that the past is only prologue, and endings, happy or not, are rarely absolute.
Did you enjoy this recap series? Which Star Wars movie have you most enjoyed rewatching? Share your thoughts on the whole saga (so far) down in the comments.