Idea for a radical edit of ROTS:
Move the reveal of Palpatine’s real identity to as early in the movie as possible and show Anakin’s struggle to stay loyal to the Jedi, because he knows that they would kill his only hope to save his wife and children.
The aim is to portray Anakin’s downfall as a result of his incapability to make a choice out of fear of the consequences and his unwillingness to accept his lack of control.
To achieve this I would open the movie on Coruscant with Palpatine’s scheming and the spy plot up to the opera scene, but minus any mention of Anakin’s nightmares or Yoda’s department to Kashyyyk. Directly after Palpatine’s “not from a Jedi” line soft transition to Anakin and Padmé talking at night and the following scene with Yoda.
After this cut to Anakin visiting the chancellor to ask him to hear Padmé’s plea to let diplomacy resume. Add implying dialog to the beginning of Palpatine’s reveal as the Sith Lord. Directly afterwards play Anakin’s second nightmare scene. (maybe I can make Anakin imply that the chancellor won’t react to the senator’s appeal)
After this we see Yoda leaving coruscant and show the third scene from the seeds of the rebellion plot line.
Then use Dooku’s arrival on Coruscant from AOTC as a transition to the separatist attack. Use Grievous’ “our hostage has arrived” line from the Malevolence arc and add “with Count Dooku” or something like that.
Then tweak Palpatine’s dialog before Anakin beheads Dooku to make him more “sith-y”.
After they have crashed on Coruscant cut most of Anakin and Obi-Wan talking and Anakin’s reunion with Padmé, cut directly to Grievous arriving on Utapau and the council discussing on who they are going to send.
I would like to keep Anakin’s wish to go, but without any advice from the chancellor. Ideally he would say something like “I want to go”, because he looks at it as an opportunity to escape the influence of both Palpatine and the Jedi.
It would also underline that the Jedi do not grant Anakin an opportunity to face his inner darkness for which Grievous serves as a beautiful allegory, since he is a literal proto-Vader and more machine than man.
Last but not least, change the councils reason to make a move against Palpatine. Let him create the Empire to force the Jedi to go against him and force Anakin to pick a side.
I hope I managed to express myself somewhat comprehensible, I would like to hear some of your thoughts on this slightly overambitious idea for a bad editor like me 😄
Well, you grow with the challenge, right?