⭐️ FEATURED
Hello all! I wrote an analysis about the deeper meaning of the ever present sunsets in the Prequel Trilogy! I hope you like it! (It's a long post but with many pictures)
In Phantom Menace, Shmi Skywalker introduces a theme what will be present in every movies in the Prequels. When she says goodbye to her son, she says: "You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting." The setting sun is a recurring symbol of change, marking milestones in the story of The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. And like almost every single symbol and theme in George Lucas' Star Wars Saga, it is pervades the whole trilogy.
The sunfall of Anakin Skywalker
When Anakin stands before the Jedi Council, the sun is setting on Coruscant, signifying the end of a chapter of his life - he leaves his old life behind, but he also loses his faith in his heroes. When night falls, the Council rejects him.
In Attack of the Clones, he returns to Tatooine to save his mother from the Tuskans: he is heading toward their camp as the twin suns sets. When dawn comes, he is not the same - he carries his mother's dead body in his arm and guilt in his heart. Anakin changed during the night and he changed forever.
Anakin and Padmé's wedding is in sunset: they are sealing their own fates. In Revenge of the Sith, their love pushes Anakin toward the Dark Side of the Force. As light and darkness clashing in him, Anakin sits in the Jedi Temple council room, alone, as the sun sets once again: only this time Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Knight will never see the dawn.
Suns are setting in the Prequel Trilogy darkness is approaching.
The setting sun of the Jedi Order
In The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan Kenobi insists on the Council's opinion about Anakin being dangerous, but Qui-Gon responds this is the will of the Force - as they are talking, the sun sinks before them, signifying the end of the universe as the Jedi know - the change is inevitable, the Chosen One is standing before them.
After Qui-Gon's death, Obi-Wan swore to fulfill his last wish, and train Anakin. Despite Yoda arguing against it, the Council had agree to allow him to train Anakin - the sun is setting outside the Naboo royal palace, and Yoda is unable to stop it, like he unable to stop change of the ear, and the call of destiny.
In Attack of the Clones, the Jedi become aware of the Sith in the Galactic Republic, and decides to keep an eye on them - however, as Yoda points out, they were unable to defeat the Dark Side and the shroud of the Dark Side has fallen upon them - just like night falls.
In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin leads the clone army to the Jedi Temple at night - the shroud - has fallen.
The nightfall of the Galactic Republic - the end of peace
In the Phantom Menace, after Queen Amidala moved for a vote of no confidence agaist Chancellor Valorum and she realizes the Galactic Republic is dying, and if she wants to save her people she needs to adapt the warrior side of Naboo, the sun is slowly sinking into the sea of skyscrapers and dusk falls.
Likewise, in the Attack of the Clones, when the war broke out, Palpatine and the senators are standing on a balcony, watching the clone army leaves for a hundred battlefields - the battleships slowly disappears into the sunset.
In the Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine summons the Senate and announces the formation of the First Galactic Empire, as the sun falls above the Senate Rotunda.
The Prequel Trilogy as a setting sun
In the Prequel Trilogy, Naboo is the world of democracy, peace and harmony - in Phantom Menace, the story ends here, as the Naboo and the Gungans, the Jedi, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé and even Palpatine are standing in bright daylight.
The Attack of the Clones also ends on Naboo, with a sunset, marking the end of Anakin's oath and the beginning something new, and the end of the peace, and the fading of the Galactic Republic.
In the Revenge of the Sith, Naboo is in darkness - the long night, the shroud has fallen upon the Galaxy.
New Hope
However, even in the darkest night, the dream of dawn is still alive: Leia founds a loving home on Alderaan, and Luke is in the arms of Owen and Beru on Tatooine. The Prequels are ending with the twins and the twin suns, an image what promises just like you can not stop the suns from setting, you can not stop them from rising either.
