DALLAS, May 22, 2005/ FW/ --- Our fascination with Darth Vader started 3 decades ago, first as the indestructible villain of Episode IV: A New Hope, then the harrowing realization by Luke Skywalker that Darth Vader is his father in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Finally, in Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader’s redemption courtesy of his two children, Luke and Leia.

In Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith, currently showing in theaters, the audience witnessed the devolvement of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight to Darth Vader, a Sith controlled by an evil emperor.

In a story, juxtaposed to see the ending before the beginning, we knew the fate of Darth Vader from the very beginning. The accepted reason of what kept the audience enthralled for 30 years are the masterful storytelling and the magic of Hollywood that showed great battle scenes that were all digital technology.

Yet, it is more than that. It is the story of redemption of a flawed hero, the story of humanity in general, wherein no one is perfect. Because how many of us have made mistakes and then forgiven? And, in the Judeo-Christian religion, isn’t it that God’s capacity to forgive all humanity’s sins the center of its teachings?

Anakin Skywalker is at the center of the story of Star Wars. A young boy born in slavery, father unknown. His talent as a pilot is rivaled only by his ability to fix things. He believes he can fix everything and anything!

A young boy who dreams of places faraway from the slave conclaves of Tatooine, a better life for himself and his mother; he escapes slavery but his mother was left behind. He meets a young queen, someone who was unreachable to for him at that time; they fell in love against all odds.

A very troubled young man, haunted by the memory of his mother, Anakin went against the teachings of the Jedi that he should not fall in love, yet he did. He should not get married, yet he did that too! If Anakin Skywalker were born in our society, he would have been in therapy!

His superb abilities also became part of his downfall. Both sides wanted and needed him. He chose his love for Padme in the end. But he made one fatal mistake – he justified the end with the means. To save Padme, he went into the dark side, resulting to his loss of Padme and his humanity.

Anakin Skywalker fell from grace and became Darth Vader.

And that is how Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith ended. As moviegoers, we know that in Episodes IV, V & VI, which we saw long before Episode III, Darth Vader took center stage until his son Luke brought him back to the Jedi.

Anakin came full circle before his death. Redemption and forgiveness, plus love, this time from son to father and father to son.

Most of the movie reviewers, in their rush to join the bandwagon in Bush bashing saw only the political references in the movie. Some of the reviewers, like the New York Times, only touched on the politics and discussed more the fall from grace and redemption as the true message of the Star Wars.

And I have to agree with the New York Times because for those who saw Episode IV: A New Hope on the big screen when it came out in 1978, it was the center of the stories of the first trilogy.

As George Lucas had been quoted in news reports said, he wrote Star Wars right after the Vietnam War, making references to it. As a moviemaker, he had to make the issues more current, and more relevant. So, it is understandable that the political references in the movie will be in the sitting administration.

Yet, if we focus only in the political message, then we would miss entirely the message of Star Wars. Instead, like Anakin Skywalker, we would devolve into Darth Vader, living in the dark side.

Focusing on the redemption and forgiveness message will bring us “A New Hope!”