Did Padme love Anakin?

Padme probably did not have the money at her disposal to free Shmi. She may have also figured that if Qui-Gon tried and failed, there was nothing she could do. She was obviously horrified at Shmi and Anakin's position as slaves, based on her comment about the anti-slavery laws.

 

I think it's more likely this is GFFA and what we might consider common sense and easy to do may not be in their world.

I don't know why none of them thought that freeing Shmi was that big a deal, but they obviously discount her after TPM. It's as if Tattoine is so remote and so alien to them that to go back there or to keep in contact is unfathomable.

Doesn't Padme say something to the effect that she shouldn't have come back, when her ship is blown up. Does that mean, she hasn't been to Coruscant in the intervening 10 years? This could explain a lot, perhaps communication and travel isn't as easy or accessible to the far reaches of the galaxy as we assume. Though, remembering a chart I saw I believe Naboo is much closer to Tattoine than Coruscant is.

 

Though, remembering a chart I saw I believe Naboo is much closer to Tattoine than Coruscant is.

Quite a bit so, which is why Padme's ship ended up on Tatooine when the hyperdrive was damaged in TPM--it wasn't too far from Naboo. Coruscant, however, is in the Deep Core, more than halfway across the galaxy. Naboo, Tatooine, and Geonosis are all in the same general area, right off the Corellian Trade Spine.

 

No it's not relevant.

Yes, it's relevant to Padme's characterization.

Shmi's part of the story is over.

AOTC is over but we're still discussing it, so I fail to see your logic there.

She was there for a reason. No need to ruin the whole point of Anakin being free but no Shmi.

I don't understand that sentence.

And there was a point to it. Anakin in TPM said he would come back to free his mother. In away he did free her.

Cliegg freed her from slavery, not Anakin.

Padme probably did not have the money at her disposal to free Shmi.

A slave costs approx one pod racer, are we meant to believe that she couldn't scare up such a small amount of money or goods? For 10 years?


She may have also figured that if Qui-Gon tried and failed, there was nothing she could do.

But QG 'bought' Anakin out of slavery, therefore proving it entirely possible. In fact the one thing about slaves is - they can be sold. I mean how difficult is it to send someone to Tatooine and buy Shmi? Cliegg managed it. It's close as well.

g

 

A slave costs approx one pod racer, are we meant to believe that she couldn't scare up such a small amount of money or goods? For 10 years?

Yes. The money of the Naboo government was not money at her disposal. Where else was she going to get money?

But QG 'bought' Anakin out of slavery, therefore proving it entirely possible. In fact the one thing about slaves is - they can be sold.

But Watto was not willing to sell Shmi at the time.

 

There's not point in this. Padme not freeing Shim has nothing to do with the Love Story any ways. Padme freeing her or not is not importent to the story and I don't care to talk about it any more.

 

There's not point in this. Padme not freeing Shim has nothing to do with the Love Story any ways. Padme freeing her or not is not importent to the story and I don't care to talk about it any more.

Actually, yes it does. It is very relevant to Padmé's characterization, which is very much relevant to whether or not she is likely to fall in love with Anakin.

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Actually, yes it does. It is very relevant to Padmé's characterization, which is very much relevant to whether or not she is likely to fall in love with Anakin.

So she does not free Shmi that means she does not love Anakin? ? Yeah sure.

 

Yes. The money of the Naboo government was not money at her disposal.

It's directly because of Shmi's actions that the Naboo people have their planet anyway. Do you really think they'd object to Padme freeing the woman who helped them and their Queen?

Where else was she going to get money?

Elected leaders don't earn money? I thought you considered her intelligent. The films certainly portray her as intelligent. Here's a woman who managed to fight off the Trade Federation, are we suddenly meant to think she became incredibly stupid shortly after TPM and until AOTC?

g

 

There is a thread where anyone can discuss this at the TPM forum.

 

Maybe Padme assumed that the Jedi would help her. She had her own problems. She was a 14 year old girl with a whole planet to run. Don't you think the Jedi should have been the ones to do that? Isn't that thier job? They had the money to free her too. Yet they did nothing.

 

I think its very clear that Padme loves Anakin, and for all the normal reasons. But this isnt a Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie love. This is intense love along the lines of Romeo and Juliette. It actually amazes me that people can accept Shakespere's teen agnst romance tragdy without any question but dismiss the AOTC love story as "unbelivable".
Padme is someone who has put duty and resposibilty ahead of everything else her whole life. More than likely she has not had alot of experience with the opposite sex and what experience she does have has prolly been more the result of suitors wanting Senator(or Queen)Amidala and what she can bring to them. This has never been true with Anakin. He has loved Padme, not her political alter ego, but the REAL her. This is prolly very important to her.
She also finds him physically attractive. This, even from naysayers, has never been questioned. He is, in a word, gorgous, and Padme notices this instantly. Yes she may try to deny her feelings but that "out of the blue" kiss came from somewhere and that place is called Desire,Attraction, or lust if you will. Purely a female response to a good looking member of the male species.
She also genuinely LIKES him. Anakin sets out from the very begining to charm and woo her..and it works. He amuses and entertains her with stories of his life as a Jedi,matches wits with her on more than one occasion and turns a show off stunt into a lighthearted wrestling match. There are a couple tense akward moments...but those all seem to stem from Padme's unsuccessful attempts to deny her true feelings for him.
These three things would be enough to build any relationship on. Add to this two very emotional, life changing events shared together(Shmis death, Battle of Geonosis), the added urgency of love in a time of war, and maybe a little yearning to do something for THEMSELVES instead of someone else for once that leads to the thier Wedding.
Yes, she loves him. He is handsome, charming and brave. He is extremely passionate and slightly dangerous. He is strong and protective and ultimatly forbidden. I'm not seeing anything here not to love.

 

It actually amazes me that people can accept Shakespere's teen agnst romance tragdy without any question but dismiss the AOTC love story as "unbelivable".

The reasons why it comes across "unbelievable" has been discussed many times. Shakespeare lays out the character personalities, motivations, and emotions PERFECTLY. So no one reading Shakespeare questions why Romeo and Juliet fell in love. It amazes me that you could even compare Lucas's writing with Shakespeares...

 

He has loved Padme, not her political alter ego, but the REAL her. This is prolly very important to her.

Oh c'mon, he's been fantasising about her for 10 years, I'd hardly call that loving the "REAL her".

She also genuinely LIKES him. Anakin sets out from the very begining to charm and woo her..and it works. He amuses and entertains her with stories of his life as a Jedi,matches wits with her on more than one occasion and turns a show off stunt into a lighthearted wrestling match.

It seems to me that anakin is always coming off worse in these conversations, she's much sharper than he is.
I'm sure she does like him, they seem to have a fun picnic together, then dinner, and then he starts getting all obsessive with his speech about his insides and she becomes very uncomfortable.

Where's the love?

Maybe Padme assumed that the Jedi would help her.

And never asks about it for 10 years. [rolls eyes/] So she's heartless and an amnesiac, that's not what I see in the films.

g

 

It seems to me that anakin is always coming off worse in these conversations, she's much sharper than he is.

Oh yeah, she is. He took courting lessons from Mace and Yoda and Ki-Adi Mundi. And he's nervous as hell. That doesn't mean she doesn't like him though.

They should have interjected a few more scenes in there to show more of the love story--I'm not arguing that. They should have kept the lengthened meadow scene (with the kiss and them riding off into the sunset on the shaak) and they should have kept the scene with her parents. But I don't think Padme does a complete 180. It's not like she hates him at first. That was Leia and Han.

 

And never asks about it for 10 years. [rolls eyes/] So she's heartless and an amnesiac, that's not what I see in the films.

She never even saw him! Their reunion in AOTC was the first time they talked to each other in ten years. I doubt the Jedi allowed Anakin to stay in touch with her.

 

He took courting lessons from Mace and Yoda and Ki-Adi Mundi. And he's nervous as hell.

Well he could've asked Obi Wan for pointers....and ..er... oh dear.


They should have kept the lengthened meadow scene (with the kiss and them riding off into the sunset on the shaak) and they should have kept the scene with her parents

I'm in two minds about the parents scene. Watching them as seperate they seem a bit dull, but incorporated into the movie (edited a bit better perhaps) they would've shown her interest in him more, and the sense that she's 'hiding' in her professional life to a degree.

I really think the droid factory scene was a BIG missed opportunity, it should've been a more intense scene (rather than a video game) in which she comes very close to losing her life and Anakin saves her. This is an action film and it's smart to use the action scenes to intensify the emotions of the characters.


She never even saw him! Their reunion in AOTC was the first time they talked to each other in ten years. I doubt the Jedi allowed Anakin to stay in touch with her.

... What??
I never mentioned Anakin, I was referring to your idea that she let "the Jedi" do it. Check your own post.

g

 

I really think the droid factory scene was a BIG missed opportunity, it should've been a more intense scene (rather than a video game) in which she comes very close to losing her life and Anakin saves her. This is an action film and it's smart to use the action scenes to intensify the emotions of the characters.

Good point. Hadn't thought of that.

 

Naberrie_Skywalker, you touched on some good points.

So no one reading Shakespeare questions why Romeo and Juliet fell in love.

Including those who just accept it for the sake of the story.

I don't have a problem accepting Padme and Anakin falling/being in love. And I don't have a problem believing. I get these movies. I get the way they are being made and the way the story is being told.

 

Although the love story worked for me, I have to admit that Padmé?s participation was perhaps overly subtle. Even George Lucas admitted in the DVD commentary that he made a mistake removing the deleted scenes: the extended conversation on their arrival at Theed, the visit to her parents? home, even the ride on the shaak illuminated Padmé?s falling-in-love more obviously. Love story aside, Padmé?s character came out the worst from editing. Her speech in the Senate and the meeting with Dooku were more important scenes than, say, Obi-Wan?s journey through the asteroid field. On the other hand, I also think that people who don?t already get the love story would accept it any more if her sister smacked her upside the head with the information. They'd just say, ?Gads, what is that sister thinking??

The romance in AotC is based on an old friendship; although their lives diverged from ten years, it is glaringly obvious that after the initial awkwardness of their reunion, Padmé and Anakin immediately picked up from where they started. Within hours of their meeting, they were already conspiring a dangerous plot together. Padmé constantly has problems reconciling the grown man with the little boy she remembers: ?my goodness, you?ve grown? you will always be that little boy? you?ve grown up? don?t try to grow up too fast? you?ve changed so much? you?re still a Padawan learner?? It?s almost as if she ?doesn?t? want him to have grown up: she can deal with the little boy?s crush but the man?s feelings are too uncomfortably close to home.

Regarding Padmé not helping Shmi: I believe that Padmé assumed - not presumptously - that the Jedi would do something for Shmi, not imagining in her wildest dreams that Obi-Wan would leave Shmi on Tatooine to remain as a slave.

 

I don't think Padme has any feelings for Anakin at the start of AotC at all.

Padme uses Anakin for her own personal gain.

 

Padme uses Anakin for her own personal gain.
How so? They fell in love and got married...she wasn't supposed to marry a Jedi, she'd probably be in just as much trouble as him if the Jedi found out. The chances of scandal in the public eye are pretty big too. How would Anakin benefit her in any way?

 

" ? Er...wouldn't the part about covering the cameras indicate that it's Anakin's hormones that have gone wild?"

No, because, again, watching over someone with cameras is on the job description of a security gaurd and Anakin was fulfilling that job description since he and Obi-wan were chosen to ensure Padme's safety. He can't do that now with the cameras covered, can he? That shows that it's not just his hormones going wild.

"And as for the bit where she wakes up, again-where's the romantic feelings in that scene? She's awoken suddenly, looks startled, that's about it."

Look at the scene again.

Just as Anakin was running out of the bedroom, you can see that Padme was looking in the same direction he was going and that indicates her romantic feelings for Anakin.

"It's directly because of Shmi's actions that the Naboo people have their planet anyway. Do you really think they'd object to Padme freeing the woman who helped them and their Queen?"

Nobody on Naboo knows who Shmi is because they never met her like Padme did and all they know is what they see with their eyes, namely their own Queen being responsible for their freedom so their not going to let her travel around the galaxy for the sake of it.

 

Padme uses Anakin for her own personal gain.



Sorry but thats the biggest load of bull I've seen. I think you've missed the point of the love story but then if you are who I think you are then why does that not surprise me?

 

Padme uses Anakin for her own personal gain.

Agrees with anakin_girl. Where exactly are you coming from, o' lord (lady?) who posted this?

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