CELEBRATING TWENTY GLORIOUS YEARS...

Sunday, 3 August 2025

'EPISODE III' AT TWENTY: LIGHT VS DARKNESS!

The Duel of the Fates continues..

Now returned to Coruscant in the aftermath of the brutal slaying of their fellow Jedi during Order 66, Obi-Wan goes off to find Anakin Skywalker via his connection to Padme, whilst Yoda confronts the evil and repulsive Darth Sidious, their intense lightsaber duel taking them into the heart of the senate audience chamber. Though Yoda's impressive skills in the Force almost win the day, it's ultimately the Emperor/Sidious who wins through, as a defeated and depressed Yoda realises that he will now have to begin a life of exile on a mysterious alien world later revealed as Dagobah.

A thrilling CGI sequence that once more makes effective use of John Williams supreme score, originally composed for Episode I but reused here: Duel of the Fates.

The Emperor's hideous cackle must not deter Yoda from combat.


"Fighting Frank (Oz) - fighting Yoda - was a joy. And then I got to experience the full beauty of CGI. In other words, actors in battle with invisible people. Although it was a very precise choreographic sequence - it would have to be, you've seen it - which we did do. Then I sensed, in fact George asked for it in a polite way, he wanted a few sort of improvised strokes. So basically I did a rap to thin air at the end of the choreographed sequence and then collapsed with exhaustion and hysterical laughter on the floor. I don't know if any of those movements are in the final cut... That wasn't difficult, that was great fun."

Ian McDiarmid - Episode III DVD press launch interview - 2005

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