Personally, one of the things I enjoy most about Star Wars is the gorgeous soundtrack by John Williams. Just by listening to one of the pieces, I can be swept off to the galaxy far far way and experience all the same emotions as if I were watching the movie. The track that helps me relive the story the best is the descriptive melancholy love theme from Attack of the Clones-- Across the Stars.

The song is more of a tone poem, desribing a situation or a story; in this case the love between Anakin and Padme. During the first measures, there are only strings playing and a solo oboe comes in with the haunting melody. The oboe and English horn have always been melancholy instruments and it seems as if it's foreshadowing what's to come between Anakin and Padme. Soon, the full orchestra enters spectacularly and you can tell that the couple's love has fully blossomed.

But, soon the melody plummets and you can tell the couple is having problems such as what to do about their strong feelings for each other. The sense of worry continues but is thrown away quickly when the beautiful love theme enters once again, glorious and passionate. It seems as if Anakin and Padme are throwing their entire selves into their love and they can't turn back.

Tragically, once again, the sense of worry interrupts the melody, this time with the low brass. You can feel the couple pulling apart from each other as Anakin is slowly twisted by the Dark Side. They don't know what to do to save each other or just help each other. Both are in turmoil. Then, the melody creeps in once again, this time with the harp. Now the romance they once held for each other is drifting away; a shadow of what it once was. They both are still horribly, painfully in love but there is no way that it can last.

Finally, the melody is stated one last time through the English horn, the saddest of all instruments. Their love is gone now--Padme is dead and Anakin is fully Darth Vader. Vader still loves Padme, but the strength of that love and and the pain of their separation have ruined him.

Now, for the thin sliver of shining romance to survive, it must reach "Across the Stars."