AFTER THE DERRING-DO of the original trilogy, Star Wars fans didn’t necessarily expect “taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems” to be a major part of the prequels. But when you think about it, it shows commendable ambition. The means by which a republic could fall into fascism was something that clearly fascinated George Lucas, and it’s chilling to see Palpatine undermine democracy from within. Across three films, the fiendishly clever Sith Lord outplays the well-meaning Chancellor Valorum and his allies. Worse, he persuades every good guy to support him at some key moment. Watch the trilogy from his point of view, and this is a triumph of Machiavellian manoeuvring, not a tragedy, and all our favourite heroes are in fact his unwitting patsies.
HELEN O’HARA