doubleofive said:
For me the "offspring of Anakin Skywalker" line comes down to it being way too descriptive, as if (a) Vader doesn't know who Luke is and (b) Vader doesn't know who he was/is (even worse in the rest of the 04SE).
It’s not that they don’t both know exactly who they’re talking about, but rather that the Emperor is describing him in the terms that are most significant to them, like General Zod referring to Superman as “the son of Jor-El” instead of “Young Kal-El.” To the Emperor, the fact that Luke is the son of legendary Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker is far more significant than his youth. Referring to Luke as “young Skywalker” sounds too casual and familiar. (I realize that the Emperor uses exactly those words to describe Luke in ROTJ, “I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker.” That conversation does indeed sound much more casual than the grandiosity conveyed during the conversation in TESB. Also during that conversation in ROTJ, the Emperor doesn’t seem at all concerned about Luke, he’s 100% confident that they’ll turn him or kill him; but during this conversation in TESB, his attitude is the opposite: he is describing Luke as their great new enemy, and it seems inappropriate and unlikely for him to downplay this new enemy as “young Skywalker.”)
By having the Emperor refer to Luke (twice) as the son of Skywalker, we underline that the identity of Luke’s father is part of the reason why the Emperor and Vader see him as such a threat, which emphasizes the reputation of Anakin Skywalker as a great Jedi Knight who during his lifetime was the Sith Lords’ greatest adversary, and therefore enhances the shock when it is revealed that Anakin Skywalker actually is Vader. I know that’s not what Lucas had in mind when he created this scene for the 2004 DVD, but it comes across that way when you strip out some of the other crap. The suggested dialog, quoted again for convenience, is:
VADER: What is thy bidding, my master?
EMPEROR: There is a great disturbance in the Force.
VADER: I have felt it.
EMPEROR: We have a new enemy: the son of Anakin Skywalker.
VADER: Yes, my master.
EMPEROR: He could destroy us.
VADER: He’s just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him.
EMPEROR: The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi.
Try to imagine hearing that dialog from the perspective of a Star Wars newbie who has (mercifully) not seen the PT and (incredibly for somebody living on this planet) doesn’t yet know that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader are the same person. I think that dialog would sound perfectly natural, and more firmly establish in the viewer’s mind the legend of Luke’s father as one of the greatest of heroes.
Episode order is significant. If the PT is seen before ANH-TESB, then some of my arguments don’t apply. If ANH and TESB are enjoyed as is without having been tainted by the PT, then I think “the son of Anakin” works better than “young.” (Even if the PT is viewed first, I think I still prefer “the son of Anakin” to “young,” but the case isn’t quite as strong if we’re not trying to set up the twist at the end of the film.)
I certainly don’t buy that it’s “too talky.” I’m only suggesting that “young” be changed to “the son of Anakin,” which adds a whopping five syllables to the conversation and keeps the focus on what matters to the speaker (that Luke is the son of Anakin Skywalker) and not muddling his speech with things that don’t matter to him (that Luke is young).
If anything it’s Vader who’s too talky when he says “He’s just a boy” right after the Emperor indicates that that’s already how he sees Luke. It makes much more sense for Vader to mention Luke’s youth if the Emperor hasn’t just mentioned it as literally the first thing that he thinks of when mentioning Luke.