After watching a cut last night, him talking about his Empire here doesn’t not track, I think.
Anakin’s politics are still his politics. I use some version of Hal’s political-focused structure after all. But in this edit Anakin views it more as a neccessary evil. His authoritarian proclivities come off as naive and/or blind in the theatrical, but by showing him tempering this side of himself in the first half of mine, I feel I’m able to convey a more nuanced relationship with those beliefs.
By killing Dooku of his own accord, it establishes that he himself believes Dooku was “too dangerous to be alive.” He regrets it, because he’s a Jedi. He believes in Palpatine when the Jedi don’t, but he tempers that because he’s a Jedi. He is upset with the Jedi for committing treason but he goes along with it, because he’s a Jedi. Because he’s a Jedi, he will act against his instinct. It’s his duty.
Theatrical!Anakin has every authoritarian preference manipulated into him by Palpatine, and doesn’t bother not acting out in front of the Jedi. His fall is a foregone conclusion.
It was almost an accident, but by trying to make him more likeable and heroic in the first half, I gave him more dimensions than his original character. You can’t fully remove what’s in the original film, but the restraint that is depicted when trying actually worked pretty well. Anakin is trying to be good, which makes him sympathetic, but when the Jedi Order show themselves to be hypocritcal, a disillusioned Anakin feels he can make a selfish choice for once.
Anakin’s visible excitement over ruling the galaxy and feelings that Padme would be too, are what was a bridge too far for me. He’s not supposed to be insane. But he can still believe the Empire is an efficient government while being cognizant of the horrible things required to secure it. When he starts talking about it to Obi-Wan, he’s justifying his choices in a way that is relevant to the Jedi/duty aspect of Anakin’s turn. Obi-Wan is explicitly a part of that subplot, where he had nothing to do with the Padme nightmares.
It’ll make sense when you see it I hope.