AOTC Chapter 9: New Assignments DISCUSSION

Until the release of ROTS on 5/19/05, I would like to discuss AOTC chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 47 chapters to discuss over the next 8 months, excluding Chapter 1: Opening Logos, Chapter 2: Attack of the Clones and Chapter 50: End Credits.

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 9: New Assignments
DISCUSSION: September 28, 2004 - October 2, 2004
DVD TIME INDEX: 24:48 - 29:44

Synopsis:
Back at the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan and Anakin are before the council. Obi-Wan is sent to track down the bounty hunter, while Anakin is assigned to protecting Senator Amidala, travelling as refugees to her home planet of Naboo. Anakin suggest Padme may show a different opinion on the idea. Mace suggests that Anakin talk to Palpatine and have him persuade Padme to go home. In the Chancellor's Office, Anakin speaks alone to Palpatine. Palpatine congratulates Anakin on obtaining his first assignment. They discuss wisdom and guidance and Palpatine continues to push that he forsees Anakin as the most powerful Jedi, even more powerful than Yoda. Obi-Wan, Yoda and Mace are walking down a corridor in an atrium. Obi-Wan is worried about Anakin, that he is arrogant. Mace reassures that if the prophecy is true then Anakin will bring balance. At Padme's Apartment, new glass is being put in the bedroom window. Padme gives Jar Jar temporary duties as representative of Naboo in the Senate due to her absence. She rushes to Anakin and expresses her opinion. They talk about duty and growing up. Anakin speaks of slowly he is resenting Obi-Wan. He is headstrong. Padme tries to reassure him. They sit on the bed and Anakin stares into Padme's eyes. Padme tells Anakin that she feels uncomfortable and he apologizes. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
There are many different scenes in this chapter. The council scene was impressive. It reminds me so much of TPM. Even though they used something similar. A necessary scene to re-establish the council and the relationship of the Jedi.

Palpatine's Office is the best part of the chapter. The foreshadowing is chilling. Palpatine is giving everything Anakin wants to hear. It's pushing for everything that Vader stands for and Anakin does not. I love the red like I said in Chapter 4. I can just visualize Palpatine, humped over as the Emperor and Anakin as Vader.

As far as the atrium scene, I would rather have it on the landing platform. See Deleted Scene 3. I like Yoda's line about the arrogance in the older and wiser Jedi. The conversation between Anakin and Padme in the apartment is decent. I think that the dialogue GL had originally before it was cut, talking about strong-minded people could have helped this scene. I even like Jar Jar's "Muy Muy Humility" speech. Bizzare, but it's not that bad.

Moving chapter, gives almost enough time to get the point across. There's so many minute details that give this chapter so much life. This is the point in the movie, where you have an important plot point.

 

One of my Ep2 highlights was how the scene where Palpatine and Anakin stroll through his office is a mirror shot of Sidious and Vader strolling through the Death Star hanger bay. Palpatine's hands and gait reminds one of Sidious, as does Anakin's cocked head, listening intently, as he walks on the Chancellor's left side.

Brilliant.

 

I very much disliked the Council scene. While I agree that some members should have been removed to show the passage of time and agree with Yaddle being removed, Yarael Poof should have stayed. He was becoming a cult figure and his light was put out too quickly. George removed him because he resembled a Kaminoan and suspected audience members would think so also.

I am also not a fan of stock footage being used for most of the council. Though Corde should have been Sabe and Typho should have been Panaka, this Council scene was really the start of the AOTC continuity problems.

The scene with Anakin and Palpatine was nice. It was added during post production though as the shooting script had no scene where Palpatine speaks with Anakin. Very similar to TPM as the shooting script had no interaction between the young Anakin and Senator Palpatine. They fixed that during reshoots. Seems kinda odd that he would do this twice. This interaction was most definetly needed. Palpatine going into Sidious mode was good fun. Feeding Anakins ego.

The Temple scene was very odd looking. The background just didn't look real enough. It all felt so computer animated. It was good dialogue though. Sets up Jocasta Nu really well.

The Aparment scene was awkward. It opens with Jar Jar which of course makes many cringe. Then it has Padme talking to Anakin as if she is old and wise and not 24 or 25 which is only 5 years older than Anakin. It just kinda takes me out of the moment.

The detail with the droids fixing the window was cool though.

 

This is a solid group of scenes. The slower, quieter nature of these scenes is necessary after the speeder chase. The council scene nicely echoes TPM, in tone as well as in setting. But, like many others, I think that it's the scene in Palpatine's office that stands out in this chapter. I've never understood the complaints many people have about Hayden Christensen's acting. Here he perfectly emulates the way David Prowse walked and carried himself in the suit. This scene is an example of Lucas's "rhyming images" - it duplicates, rather precisely, their walk past the ranks of stormtroopers in Jedi.

 

One of my favorite 'chapters' in the Saga. It covers alot of ground fast, has really great settings & includes most of the major characters.

A] Jedi Council: I like how Ani almost talks himself out of the mission! He makes a similar mistake later. However, he & Padme are destined to be together and nothing he, she or anyone else does can stop that from happening. Good little sequence which sets up the two storylines: Obi's & Ani's.

B] Ani & Palpatine: what can you say? This is just one of the best SW scenes *ever*. Everything is here - the way they walk together, the way Ani defers to Palps. Great set, dialogue, performances, atmosphere: strong set-up for what comes after.

C] Jedi Master Walk & Talk: Amazing backgrounds mesh with strong foreground material. Here Yoda tidily ties up Ghost-Obi's line about being "reckless" in ESB and sets up the fate of the Jedi nicely. Mace gets to restate the 'Prophecy' theme and remind the audience of Anakin's importance. Beautiful music cue to boot!

B] I'm one of those people who think the romance in AOTC's could've used a little more time in the oven *however* this scene is as good as any of Han & Leia's in ESB. Intimate, emotional, effective. The use of light & shadow is brilliant. Gotta love Padme & Jar Jar's little tet-e-tet.

Overall a very strong and enjoyable chapter. Go and read this in the script and look @ the deleted scenes: Lucas really tighetened this section to perfection.

 

I have nothing to add but agreement with Clear_Water. An excellent chapter.

It has one of my favorite lines in it - when Anakin tells Padme that "Sometimes, we must do what is requested of us." There's something gripping about their exchange regarding maturity.

 

The jedi council scene should have been better. I can't stand Anakin's line: "As the leader of the opposition it will be very difficult to get Senator Amidala to leave the capital."

The delivery of the lines is what hurt the scene. Mace's line: "Anakin, go ask Palpatine to speak with her on this matter."(Or something like that?) was bad also.

The whole chapter, I think could have been set up better.

 

"Anakin, go ask Palpatine to speak with her on this matter." There's not much to that line. In every film there will be lines which are there just to move things along - like that one. Also, George was trying to be subtle about the whole Ani/Palps relationship. So he probably told Sam, "Don't put too much emphasis on it, just say it like it's par for the course."

 

I agree with clear water 100%

 

Agreed that the dialogue was lacking and there was some bad acting.
Not one of my personal favorite scenes from the film.

 

The acting is bad but it is what we have so don;t complain.

Though Anakin talking to Palpatine is one of my favourite scenes in AOTC. Palpatine's telling Anakin what he wants to hear and by the look of Anakin's face he's lapping it up like spring water.

I think there's more reasons:
Palpatine is a figure of authority so Anakin thinks it's pretty safe to trust his judgement.
and
Obi-Wan hardly offers any compliments, Palpatine offers nothing but. No prize for guessing who he liked to talk to.

BTW, i read somewhere that in CT Obi-Wan and Vader were portrayed as two different kinds of a father. Could this be the case in AOTC except with Palpatine?

 

"Anakin, go to the Senate, and ask Chancellor Palpatine to speak with her about this matter," said Mace Windu.

This line was said in such a tone to show that sending Anakin on runs to the Senate and even Palpatine were not uncommon, showing that Anakin does indeed spend time with the Chancellor and has been for a long time.

 

Yes, I know the line was necessary, it's just the deliveries are difficult to listen to. I almost always skip through this scene and no other.

 

BTW, i read somewhere that in CT Obi-Wan and Vader were portrayed as two different kinds of a father. Could this be the case in AOTC except with Palpatine?

I like that idea. In the ANH commentary, Lucas points out that Obi-Wan and Vader are the archetypal good father and bad father to Luke. It looks like there's a similar thing going on among Obi-Wan, Palpatine, and Anakin. Certainly, the two authority figures whom he really seems to respect are Palpatine and Obi-Wan.

 

Thanks Aiwendil, i read that in Empire Building but it's good to know it was confirmed on the DVD.

 

I like the chapter fine. The first scene(in the Jedi Council Chamber) isn't brilliant, but it really doesn't need to be. I agree with Clear_Water; the dialogue doesn't always need to be super witty or elegant; seriously, how often do you seriously say or hear witty and elegant things in life. Most of the time you just say what you mean.
I agree with all the others on the Palpatine/Anakin scene. IT'S SO AWESOME and I'm really, really glad that George went back and stuck it in in post-production, because it's one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Some really good acting and dialogue here and the fore-shadowing and mood is SO CREEPY. Can't wait to see Hayden's and Ian's interaction in Episode III.
Can't remember which comes next: Mace, Yoda, and Obi or Anakin and Padme but oh, well, I'll just do it in this order:
The Jedi discussion is an interesting discussion, and I like how we see that now the Jedi are taking the prophecy thing seriously now, as opposed to before in TPM(when they were in denial about it). Now we see they're gung-ho about it and trying to push Anakin towards his destiny, unaware of the terrible consequences. We also see an interesting change in Obi; at the end TPM he is totally set on training Anakin/ now he's having some serious doubts about Anakin. Oh,and this is random, but I really like Yoda's little hover chair. I do have one complaint, though. Usually I'm more inclined to defend CG, I think, but I must say that I think the background in this scene looks really fake(pretty, but fake) and it's a tad distracting.
As for the Padme/Anakin thing; I think it's ok(some nice interaction between Anakin and Padme). I can't really remember exactly the novel went, but I do think in the novel the scene had more dialogue and worked a bit better. But it's still good, I think. Anakin does get a bit whiny, but I kind of like it now(this is the real source of evil. We often like villains because they're so dark and cool but really in the end all they are are big, selfish babies).

 

Jedimancer, I'll agree with you on the atrium scene in the Jedi Temple. The CG is bad and Yoda's hovering chair are both distracting. The scene would have been better placed later in the film as deleted scene 3 Obi-Wan and Mace on the landing platform.

The Anakin/Palpatine discussion is so subtle. If they wanted to elaborate on the relationship, GL would have showed Anakin neglecting his duties and constantly seeking guidance from Palpatine. GL went in the right direction. I seriously could see the Emperor and DV in that scene and not Palpatine and Anakin. IMO, there was much more of an impact in my viewing that supposed to be.

 

I'm not asking for big, elaborate dialogue here. I just think that Hayden and SLJ could've done their lines better. It sounded like they were reading from a book! I understand that it can't be all fancy, and it can't be too normal. I know it had to be formal. But come on, it's like... so boring listening to them.

 

Next time you watch this...look at Adi Gallia...she has apparently nodded off for this scene. It's quite humorus. Plo Koon has a back itch, as he is rubbing it on his chair, and Oppo Rancisis's head is twitching. This all takes place in the first shot, where you can see the whole Council.

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). AOTC Chapter 10: Traveling Incognito DISCUSSION will be made available 12:20 AM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138