CONTINUED FROM PART 1...

This film is the greatest "final showdown" between good and evil that I've ever witnessed in the history of the cinema. You can really feel the monumental weight and drama of what's happening. As a kid, my favorite part was the space battle over Endor. I just love the moment when Admiral Ackbar (Tim Rose) says, "It's a trap!" Because I didn't have any of the actual Star Wars toys (aside from a few action figures), I always tried to create my own starships and stage the battles using the toys and materials I did have. The sequence remains the most exciting and spectacular spaceship battle ever made, truly embodying the name Star Wars.

The ground battle on Endor, when the Rebels team up with the Ewoks to defeat the Empire, is pretty great too. The Ewoks have always been my favorite alien species of Star Wars. They initially seem too cute and diminutive to pose a serious threat, but they prove themselves to be fierce and clever fighters. This battle shows how strong a determined band of warriors defending their homeland can be, even if they're facing up against a larger and technologically superior army. The Imperials on Endor made a big mistake in overlooking and underestimating those little creatures. It doesn't matter how big they are or what weapons they have; what matters is the spirit and the belief in what they're fighting for.

The battle also showcases the ancient conflict of nature versus technology. With skill and ingenuity, nature can overcome technology because it is more pure and "of the earth." It may seem hypocritical then that the turning point of the battle occurs when Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) steals one of the Imperial war machines and uses it against them. I think the underlying meaning here is that technology isn't inherently evil. After all, the Rebels use technology all the time. Rather, technology can be evil if you solely depend on it and use it for negative purposes (as the Empire did).

While the film clearly excels in the two big battles, the personal battle that Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has with Darth Vader (David Prowse) and Emperor Palpatine in the throne room of the second Death Star is even more thrilling and significant. This is not only the battle for Luke Skywalker's soul, but also for his father Anakin's, who is still encased somewhere in the shell of Darth Vader. One could make the argument that it doesn't really matter if Luke converts to the Dark Side or not because the Rebels are going to succeed in destroying the second Death Star anyways. But, if Luke did convert, he and Palpatine would escape the Death Star before it exploded and Luke would fulfill his father's lost potential as the greatest Sith who ever lived. The Rebellion would be eventually destroyed (especially since Luke was one of their high-ranking members) and the galaxy would be lost forever in darkness.

Two of my favorite scenes of Star Wars (actually, two of my favorite scenes of all movies) occur in this section. The first is when Luke is hiding from Vader. After Vader tauntingly says that maybe Luke's sister will convert to the Dark Side, Luke comes at him in a fury. Composer John Williams' score at this moment until Luke defeats Vader is quite possibly the finest in the whole saga. Palpatine tells Luke to finish off Vader, but he refuses, saying one of the best and most triumphant quotes in Star Wars: "Never. I'll never turn to the Dark Side. You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

The second scene occurs moments later, when Palpatine uses his Force lightning to torture Luke. Luke calls out to his father for help, but initially Vader does nothing. As Palpatine is literally killing Luke, Anakin regains control of his mind and kills Palpatine. What makes this scene so great and remarkably intense is that you can almost see the psychological conflict between Vader and Anakin through the black mask with nothing more than body language and subtle camera movement. This is the scene that the entire saga has been leading up to: Anakin finally fulfills his destiny as the Chosen One by destroying the Sith forever. I first watched the saga in order (one film a day for six days) when I was 21 and it was nothing short of a revelation. The power and importance of these two scenes (and the movie overall) were increased in such a substantial way. I didn't think it was possible for me to get so much more out of this film than I already did, but it's true.

Watching the saga in order also gave so much resonance to the galaxy-wide celebration at the end. Seeing all of those planets (from both the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy) reveling in jubilation, as well as the characters on Endor, almost brought tears to my eyes. I also got misty-eyed when Luke sees the ghosts of Anakin (Hayden Christensen), Obi-Wan (Alec Guinness), and Yoda (performed by Frank Oz). Knowing what all these people had to go through to finally attain peace and harmony was truly heartening. John Williams' beautiful, transcendent score also contributed largely to my emotions. These happy feelings have retained in my subsequent viewings of the movie as well. The only other film that has achieved such grand euphoria for me would be It's a Wonderful Life. Overall, I'd say that this is the most satisfyingly triumphant movie ever made. I have so many wonderful memories surrounding this film, both in childhood and adulthood. Return of the Jedi means more to me than any other movie (past, present, and future).