xhonzi said:
timdiggerm said:
Isn't part of the point of ROTJ that you're supposed to worry about Luke? If you don't, there's no tension in the Emperor's offer.
Luke's dance on the dark side at the end of RotJ is so convincing to me... that had Anakin's been remotely like it- had we seen something very similar, but one thing had gone another way... it would have amped up the tension for RotJ.
I'm sure Anakin turned to the dark side because he started doing a few bad things (wearing black, kissing his sister) but was still doing them for a greater cause (saving the galaxy, sounding like a separatist) to the point that no one, not even himself, was that aware of how vulnerable to the seduction of the dark side he had become.
That is how you should worry about Luke in RotJ. Luke's arc is like Orpheus- descending in to Hades to rescue a loved one without getting stuck there himself. And Vader is struggling with whether he will let Luke save him (can he be saved?) or go through with converting him.
When Luke lunges out at Vader and taps into the dark side long enough to defeat him, we shouldn't be too clear on who won the spiritual battle at that moment.
I very much hear what you're saying, but I think a compromise can be made between the emotions you wish the story to convey and the logical following of the plot...in fact perhaps it can be increased, and it largely relies on the music.
Yoda tells Luke as he's dying, "Don't underestimate the powers of the Emperor. Once you start down the dark path, etc. etc." Perhaps appropriate music at the right parts ("Vader. You must confront Vader." "Once you start..."), the music can infer that Luke is filled with bitter feelings. Similarly during his conversation with Ben, though that might take more restructuring. That could be dark foreshadowing for Luke's later entrances. If we include the Vader/Luke mental contact with appropriate foreboding music, as well as his entrance to Jabba's Palace, it may very well indicate Luke is drifting to the Dark Side. Heck, even other points, like after Luke says, "I'm with you too," and Leia asks, "What's wrong?" Or on the shuttle when, "Vader's aboard that ship." I mean, the music can take things up a few notches, but it can all begin on Dagobah with Yoda's warning. Hopefully GoodMusician is still with us, though I haven't seen him for several days.