Marathon

I just completed 17 hours of Star Wars. The entire saga. It was very interesting. It is so hard, for someone raised on the original trilogy, to divorce "Star Wars" from the original films. Like, it's hard to integrate the ideas generated by the prequels into the images you already have ingrained in your head. The time gaps between the episodes also make for some strange feelings. The original trilogy, and Episodes II and III felt very much integrated, as they were close in time. Overall, I think I found a way to reconcile the saga. The prequel trilogy is the story of how the good can become evil, and how someone falls from the good. The original trilogy is the story of how good triumphs, and someone's struggle to not only remain good, but bring another to be good. True, it is about fathers and sons, masters and apprentices, etc, etc, etc. But I think that's what it boils down to. When Darth Vader is allowed character development in V and VI, the prequel experience adds so much to understanding what his motivations are, and why he does what he does. When Padme died, he lost the will for anything. His love was gone, his best friend into exile, his way of life shattered. He just gave up on the light, and pitied himself into thinking he was enslaved to the dark for the rest of his life. My friend came up with that, I thought it was interesting. It's also interesting to see how Obi-Wan weaves in and out, as well as Yoda, and some of Qui-Gon's ideas. All these influences, first upon Anakin, then for a second round on Luke. One of the best ways to spend 17 hours I can think of.