Ah, I didn't know about that clip. I just went and looked at it and I agree with you: those lines that I dislike so much work better in your cut. You've made the scene play very well.

However, I have a hard time with these lines which state in no uncertain terms that Vader's a guy who would say: "I'd go with you if I could, but I am not able to do what I want." I can't accept them as something Darth Vader from ANH and ESB would ever say.

"He will join us or die, my master." That's how Vader talks. Cutting off Luke's hand to get Luke's attention-- that's what Vader does. This movie is about Vader changing, yes. But that change will be more effective without these lines. The impact of seeing Luke surrender this way (which Vader has admitted is a surprise to him) is HUGE. Vader should be happy, making his best pitch to bring Luke into the fold, not confessing his inner doubts.

The original scene tries to have it both ways.

You've cut it to the most effective presentation of Vader's doubts. I feel like both of these strategies fail to match up with Vader as we know him from the earlier movies.

For me, this scene could be made to match that character from the earlier movies-- if he emphasizes how great it is to be on the Dark Side and if he doesn't say "It's too late for me" and "I must obey my master."

These lines introduce an idea that isn't in the other movies-- that Vader doesn't like being who he is and that he wouldn't be this way if he had a choice. That's different than showing us how the Vader we knew is changing-- it's showing us a Vader that never was before and pretending that's who he was all along. I never met anyone who sensed that about Vader in ANH or ESB.

I hope you can see where I'm coming from. I think this is a choice about who Darth Vader is in your edit. I understand if you don't want to go my way-- but I think this is the most important scene about who Vader is in ROTJ.