PT Explain Queen Amidala

Can someone explain to be the whole situation of Queen Amidala in Phantom Menace? When we see the Queen talking, is that Padme or her decoy? Also, why is her voice "clearly" different? Why is she more monotone?

Just explain the Queen to me. I'm confused now and I shouldnt be

 

Sometimes it is Padme, sometimes not. Padme had several hand maidens for decoy and other purposes (and in the climax one of her hand maidens stood in for Padme.) I like to think that the hand maidens were body guards of a sort, since they have to stand in for the Queen during tricky negotiations etc.

I thought the difference in 'accent' was to project she was Queen (and it's also a nice wink to Leia's on and off British accent in Star Wars.)

I am sure some other folks can answer this more eloquently, but I thought the hand maidens twist was very clever given the political climate.

 

Accent equals class not a good message.

 

This is the best you will get.

 

No it's not, especially since we heard a variety of accents from a variety of beings in the Saga.

I suppose, too, the accent could be Padme's attempt to make herself sound older. She was only 14.

 

That's what I always got out of it. She was young and needed to assert her strength and rule, it's not easy to do this with Natalie Portman's girly voice. The monotone voice shows that she is a Queen first and foremost, also, I'm sure it's easier to disguise the different girls voices if they all speak monotone, as well as disguise her voice from Padme, the girl.

 

Regardless, I thought the voice-over was cool and was disappointed that it didn't return in some way. Makes sense, she was no longer Queen after TPM, and IIRC she doesn't speak in the Senate again, either. Guess it ran its course, too bad.

 

While she had her handmaidens prepared for security measures (in addition to Panaka and his men), I believe the decoy thing really only came into play once the Trade Federation started acting suspiciously. We can see how it plays out after Padmé views the army invading Theed. In the next scene, we see the decoy Queen for the first time being lead away by the Trade Federation Army. At this point, the Queen saw they weren't prepared to fight back, so protected herself by assuming the role of a handmaiden (which also gave her the ability to stay close to the acting Queen).

Probably the more surprising part is that she keeps up the disguise even when in the presence of allies. Obviously, this is to conceal the plot twist until the end, but can also be rationalized as her not wanting anyone in on the secret as a safety measure. Not surprisingly, she keeps up her disguise on an lawless Outer Rim planet. Once on Coruscant, she switches out again to address the senate (for obvious reasons).

Finally, she reveals herself in front of the small crowd in the swamps of Naboo in order to persuade Boss Nass. Since everyone knows now, she's pretty open about it in leading the attack. It's a little confusing with how Nute Gunray identified her as Queen, but he was just as easily fooled when he saw the decoy in the Queen garb.

 

I'll help between Padme and Sabe.

Padme.










Sabe.

Lucas went back and had Padme and Sabe's voice altered to help make them seem as if they were the same person, while on Naboo and Coruscant. On Tatooine it was her voice and during the Battle of Naboo, it switched back and forth.

 

This whole decoy setup actually confused me a bit at first. I thought it was one at first then I thought I wasn't seeing it correctly. I think they did a great job with the decoy actors in this film. The decoy in the beginning of AOTC, when they first address the senator on the ship without seeing her face, I thought that was Padme too. Great work on the actors part.

 

Those are all Natalie Portman. Keira Knightley plays the Queen when she is sent to be processed, when they are about to land on Tatooine and when they arrive at Coruscant.

 

I know those were Portman. My point, though, is that what Padme wore and what Sabe wore is how you tell them apart.

 

Well you cleared up one of the last confusing parts of the Saga for me thanks.

 

Slightly off topic, but those images remind how awesome her costumes were in TPM. And Keira can be seen as one of the handmaidens in the film while Padme is wearing the purple outfit.

 

The first picture claiming to be Sabé is Portman, the "Jar Jar Binks.......yes I need your help" one.

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious, if so: move along,

 

she talks in a more stilted way to be formal.
As for which one is Amidala and which one isn't : watch carefully and you can tell the difference. Basically from the time she's taken captive by the Trade Federation, until Anakin goes to see her in the Coruscant apartment, it's Sabe. Then it's Amidala until they get back to Naboo and there's one scene with the gungans and she reveals who she is. It doesn' switch back and forth much actually.

 

i'm pretty sure they used Portman's voice on the ship to confuse people.