PT Did Hayden do a good job as Anakin?

It's more so the horrible script he had to work with.

 

Thank you. This. This. This.

 

From the Lucas Quotes and Interviews thread in the Star Wars Saga In-Depth forum:

For a long time, I always found it curious that Lucas insisted on writing the prequels himself even though he admitted that he wasn't very good at writing dialogue. But reading that quote I think I understand what he was going for a bit better. He wasn't trying to go for the more naturalistic style you find in the OT, because the prequels were a very different kind of story--operatic, almost Shakespearean in comparison.

Looking at it through that lens I even find that some of the dialogue that struck me as very bad, and very wooden, comes across better than beforehand. This probably won't change the way many feel about it, but at least it might give people a better understanding of Lucas's intentions.

And I find it very curious that, even with the declarations of overwhelming inferiority from detractors, the prequels seem to contain almost as many unironically quotable lines as the originals. The most memorable lines err more on the side of the dramatic than the humorous, but they are there.

 

People expect Method acting and are disappointed when they get Flash Gordon. It's always been like that.

Watch the Crimson Pirate with Burt Lancaster or Mark of Zorro with Tyrone Power. That's what he's going for.

Hell, look at Ben Burtt's sound suite, he's got a damn poster of The Sea Hawk.

 

It's just that people are not used to that sort of acting.

 

Those poor people. I weep for them!

 

I love Hayden Christiensen as Vader, Really nailed the fall!

 

@The_Phantom_Calamari: Is this quote from Lucas about the acting true? Not that I have a problem with acting in the prequels or the OT for that matter, but what you posted sounds really interesting and kinda cool if he really went for that approach.

About Hayden, maybe I've said it before, but I can say it again. I think he absolutely nailed it as Anakin, especially in RotS. Some of Hayden's gestures and subtleties make his performance really strong for me. The conversation with Padme after his nightmare in RotS is a good example. A simple scene, but I can really feel his character.
I think he was great in AotC too. People may say some of his lines and deliveries are out of place and then blame the script or Hayden or Jesus. To me it's all part of his character. As I've seen someone say, it's only the kind of person that Hayden portrays who could've made that kind of turn to the dark side.
But maybe I'm just blinded by love And I don't care if I am, Hayden rocks as Anakin in my eyes.

 

Could not say it better myself. Spot on !

 

Thought he did a realy good job His portrail in ROTS was spot on IMO.

 

Couldn't have said it better, myself.

 

Ironically, the loves scenes between Anakin and Padme probably feature some of the most realistic dialogue in the prequels. Have you ever tried to listen to real people talk "romantically" to each other? It makes you want to rip your eardrums out.

Heck, record yourself making pillow talk with your significant other sometime then play it back later. But really, don't. It could ruin your relationship forever.

 

I remember in the early days I almost entirely blamed Hayden for his very wooden performances. However, in ensuing years I have realised a lot of when a performance works or doesn't is down to writing and how well the performer relates to the material. I still don't think Hayden did well at all as Anakin but I also realise it's not really his fault.

 

Yes he did Hayden is so underrated lol.

 

I don't think I ever put a response into this thread.

Yes, Hayden did a good job. An outstanding one, in fact.

Love him in AOTC in particular -- he poignantly communicates the essence of a callow youth on the edge, desperately trying to do good, but slowly succumbing to baser needs and impulses.

My favourite scene in any of the prequel films, ever, ever, EVER, is probably the nightmare scene in AOTC. Numerically, by chapter designation, it's the middle of the story, and an obvious turning point.

Why do I like it? Apart from the outstanding visuals, and the tentative sensuality it infuses the saga with (much more grown-up and adult than anything in the preceding films, in my opinion), there's Hayden's awesome performance of an Anakin showing a moving mixture of fear, doubt, confusion, awkwardness, agitation, and pain. "Don't go. Your presence is soothing." Two simple sentences given life with a beautiful catch in the voice. Watch closely, too, as he's stood there, fighting with himself, and you'll see him clenching his jaw, flaring his nostrils, and listen to the obvious annoyance in the line, "Jedi don't have nightmares". Followed by fear and dread when his eyes flash open after Padme rumbles him: "I heard you". Hayden gives Anakin a lot of human texture. Much more than he is credited for.

I still like him in ROTS, of course, but maybe he's less affecting than in Clones. Nae bother, though. He capably conveys a person going over the edge in ROTS -- and, more importantly, one who is obviously fatigued, physically, mentally, and even spiritually. "I'm tired of all this deception". There's an evidential yet markedly subtle change in Anakin in ROTS (apart from the more obvious physical upgrade in bulk and rumpled hair), even before his dreams kick in again, and Hayden again puts this across very well, in my opinion. The pain and torment he allows to seep out of Anakin makes for some very striking scenes: e.g., the ruminations sequence, just after helping Sidious to kill Mace, weeping alone on Mustafar, the stern and patronizing looks he gives Padme when she pleads with him to alter course, and lying there on the sand bank after his ignominious defeat by Obi-Wan, as if realizing, for just a moment, that his turn to the Dark Side has all been for naught.

Hayden made Anakin his own. I'm not sure what more one can ask of an actor -- least of all one in the digitally-dense, minimalistically-directed world of the Star Wars prequels -- really.

 

I think he is. Don't think i would want to see him in Episode 7 but if he pops up i wouldn't be complaining.

 

Hayden Christiensen was brilliant in RoTS. I won't hear a bad word said against him. As for George's writing, that's a whole entire separate discussion....

 

He captured that James Earl Jones cadence without overdoing it. An extremely subtle piece of work with bits of total Jake Lloyd naivete thrown in.

 

Did you mean bad word?

 

I most certainly did.

 

He actually said bad word. Funny.

 

He edited his post after

 

It all depends on a different persons view of certain questions:

*What makes a good actor?
*What makes an actors delivery believable?
*Can the actor convey emotion?
*Does the script work?

I say this as I have a small background in Amateur Dramatics and even voice overs on a smaller scale. I have taken classes and I have also studied performance.

There have been many films with great scripts and poor acting. There have been many poor scripts where good actors try and immerse themselves in the writing and try and make it work. However - in the case of the writings of the scripts of AOTC/ROTS and Christensen's performance and delivery - it doesn't work and i'll explain why.

If we look at the technical dialogue displayed in the OT - it is made believable. Jumping to lightspeed, incoming fighter positions, marker positions - the actors all gel with a chemistry as though it was a common thing for those characters. Despite the clunky and wooden dialogue - it works. But those actors made it believable. We've all seen it. Many of us have seen the screen tests from 1975/1976 with Lucas' own dialogue. Very clunky still - but believable. They all seem to be on the same level. The editing process helps.

If we look at the technical dialogue spoken throughout the PT - many actors attempt to deliver the same kind of dialogue but they aren't conveying emotion - essentially it doesn't work. It seems as though the actors portaraying those characters aren't listening to what the other actors are delivering. Tonal shifts are all over the place. Is it the editing? Maybe. But for characters and scenes to work, the chemistry isn't there and that seems to be a huge problem in the case of Christensen. In a few shots it seems to appear that it could work - but for the majority it doesn't.

Christensen's inexperience seems to be a key issue. But before anyone jumps to his defence - look at Hamill, Ford etc and their previous experience in working on those type of films. They had never had that before and it still works. So I have come to the decision with percentages of the problem.

Writing and direction: 10% - Yes, it's bad in places - but dialogue can work if you believe in the script you are given. Lucas has never been an actors director.
Editing: 25% - Many shots are done over and over again. They can be filmed over an hour or even across a whole week - but the editing is only as good as the footage and audio you are given.
Actor/Character Portrayal: 65% - To make a role work, you have to believe in the dialogue. You have to immerse yourself in the written page and still use your imagination. Listen, reply, listen, feel the dialogue. It doesn't matter if you are only working with or against a green or blue screen - it maybe difficult, but to be a good actor you still have to embrace everything. And that seems to be Christensen's flaw. His tonal shifts in his vocal performance suffer massively and he loses the narrative and character.

In a final note: If we were all given a shot at portraying a character in a Star Wars film - we'd all be excited. But you have to take on board all aspects of how the scene conveys. Christensen has no focus on all that is presented.