"I don't like sand . . ."

Yeah, its workable. There are "better" ways of saying it, but its perfectly understandable in that form.

I would say that if we wanted to generate pity, he would've gone at it more directly. Not make some off-handed remark that only has the potential to generate pity if you understand the his psychology.

 

Ebert thought that Anakin said, "Not like you." rather than, "Not like here."

LOL! What happened? Did he drop his Goobers on the theater floor and was distracted picking them up or was there someone kicking the back of his seat and he was too focused on giving that over-the-shoulder-look-to-the-rear-statement-of-annoyance or something?

 

Why would Anakin trivialize his own suffering by using it as part of a pick-up line?

Maybe he's hoping to use the "lost soul," "man with a tortured past" thing to his advantage. Some people think brooding is hot (at least in tv/movies).

 

It is a good line in my opinion. Then he starts talking about how everything is smooth like Padme, go Ani.

 

I think it's a good line too.

 

vacant, as I said before, there are a lot more direct ways than going about it than that line.

That line wouldn't even necessarily imply that to her.

If he wanted to generate pity, he could've done it a lot better. Which is why I suspect that wasn't the line's purpose.

 

Sigh, if only I didn't like sand I would have all the girls after me.

 

"I don't like sand..."

Anybody else think Bob Geldof could have made a great tune out of this?

"Ohhhh, the silicon chip inside his grip
got switched to overload.
So Obi's gonna take him to school one day,
they shoulda' left little Ani at home
And Padme doesn't understand it
She always said to be angry was 'human'
And she can see no reasons
'cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be show-ow-ow-ow-own?

(Tell me why) I don't like sand
(Tell me why) I don't like sand
(Tell me why) I don't like sand
Little Anakin's gonna bri-i-ing the Jedi down."



Okay, it's not very good. What do you want, Shakespeare?

 

...there are a lot more direct ways than going about it than that line.

One, not everything people do in life is direct. Two, Anakin's not exactly had much experience flirting with a girl before; I would expect his attempts to do so would come out clumsy and goofy-sounding.

 

This line might have deeper implications than many people realize.

Let us not forget that sometimes in life, 'sand' just mean that -- sand:

(A) a loose granular material that results from the disintegration of rocks, consists of particles smaller than gravel but coarser than silt, and is used in mortar, glass, abrasives, and foundry molds; (B) soil containing 85 percent or more of sand and a maximum of 10 percent of clay.



I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and
irritating, and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything's soft... and smooth...

By the type of thinking that your advancing, we would expect our Ani to be a nice softie, a smooth-operator, in the future -- a state in which he subconsciously yearns to be.

NOT!!

 

I just read my post from last night.

*makes note to self not to drink and post in future*

 

I don't object to the delivery of the lines or their purpose. Hayden did a fine job given the material and direction. The lines could have been better written, though, with some slight tweaking. Here's the text (thanks Lukes_Grandfather):

"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and
irritating, and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything's soft... and smooth..."

A good high school English teacher would correct it immediately to read something like:

"I don't like sand. It's coarse, rough, irritating, and gets everywhere, unlike here where everything is soft and smooth." [Anakin runs hand over Padme's supple, smooth body and attempts a kiss]

A simple change in the also much maligned "I wish I could just wish away my feelings" would have made it flow so much more smoothly. It could have been, "I wish these feelings would simply disappear, but they can't!"

Tightening lines such as these ever so lightly would have improved pacing and removed some of the unintended awkwardness in the lines. Was awkwardness intended in Anakin's courting of Padme? Yes, of course. The lines, while not entirely bad, could have been better while still conveying the idea that this is an awkward yet passionate young man. The character and courtship was supposed to be awkward, not the lines. Critics and other viewers ended up noticing the lines more than the acting and characters, no matter their strength, because of such slight quirks. Bring on the English teacher for Mr. Lucas and Mr. Hales!

 

I am inclined to say that this is about much more than poor grammar. Plenty of things have that.

It's about the line not making any sense. Or at least, it sounding stupid and trivial in context. Note, again, that I don't actually mean the line. I mean the thought the line is trying to convey.

Using sand as a segue to flirtation? Sand???? Sand????????

 

Why would Anakin trivialize his own suffering by using it as part of a pick-up line?

Maybe he's hoping to use the "lost soul," "man with a tortured past" thing to his advantage.

Suffering? Pity? All he said was that he didn't like sand. Sometimes some sand is just some sand, people.

 

Ebert thought that Anakin said, "Not like you." rather than, "Not like here."

LOL! What happened? Did he drop his Goobers on the theater floor and was distracted picking them up or was there someone kicking the back of his seat and he was too focused on giving that over-the-shoulder-look-to-the-rear-statement-of-annoyance or something?

It was not necessary to make fun of Ebert like that. For all we know, he prefers Good 'N Plenty over Goobers. I don't even remember what Anakin said exactly. I think the point is that the scene was not that memorable for some, and one line (or cliche) tends to sound like the other.

When Leia calls Han a scruffy nerf-herder, there is nothing mistakable about that. It sticks in mind the moment it's first said. But when Anakin says some of his things, it just isn't as memorable or effective (imo) Now I'm aware of the argument that Anakin is awkward with words, but I just personally disagree, because I think nearly every character in AOTC sounds just as awkward and as clumsy Anakin. I think it's more a writing trait rather than a character one. I like Whoppers, that malt-flavored snack.

 

Would it be really corny to say this to a girl...

"I hate rain. It reminds me of Paris in the springtime. The only thing I ever liked about Paris was...you." *move in for lip-lock*

I don't know. It sounds like an old movie, if you ask me.

By the way, I remember that in Ebert's review of AOTC, he did give the snackbar 'thumbs up'.

 

mixza, I know.

That whole line of argument was in response to a few people on this thread. They were claiming that line is not as trivial as it seems, because its supposed to reveal Anakin's "deep inner-anguish and suffering from living a life in slavery, and having his childhood robbed (Etc)." I was using that to point out (as you did more bluntly) that that interpretation is incongruous with the context in which the line is spoken.

Alternatively, when we consider sand as merely sand, the whole line becomes kind of trivial and stupid. I guess the thing is that although its clearly a segue into flirting, its also long and well-fleshed out enough to sound like Anakin was actually expounding on his feelings about sand. And since no one would do that in the course of normal conversation, it makes the whole thing easy to lampoon.

 

A good high school English teacher would correct it immediately to read something like:

"I don't like sand. It's coarse, rough, irritating, and gets everywhere, unlike here where everything is soft and smooth."

If you want to go through the entire saga to fix the grammar, you're going to have a long task ahead of you.

"He told me enough when he said that you killed him!"
"While I was but a learner when I left you, now I am the master."
"The Force will always be with you."
"Hold your fire; because there are no life forms, it must have short-circuited."

...and so on.

I still don't see the problem with "I wish I could just wish away my feelings." Listen to his delivery; he makes a little pause before the second "wish", like he's trying to find the right word. Not finding it, he uses "wish" again. And I get the feeling that the people who rail against this don't have nearly as much of a problem with "as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced".

its clearly a segue into flirting

I disagree. He doesn't say it to flirt, he says it because his childhood as a slave was definitely associated with sand, and it brings back unpleasant memories. It's a statement of fact. "Not like here" continues along the same train of thought, but partway through, he starts thinking about Padme and segues from there into rubbing her skin while talking about smoothness. The line leads to a kiss, but I don't think he's flirting here; flirting is "So have you. Grown more beautiful, I mean." This is just a stream of consciousness sort of thing, which happens to drift back to Padme.

 

Jabba-wocky, in a way, 'sand' polarizes the two lovers. It represents something they see very differently because of who they are and where they come from. It's not about his suffering. For him, sand was always a nuisance. For her, it was a 'day at the beach'.

I think it worked as a 'pick-up' line AND as an illustration of their EXTREMELY different backgrounds.

Also, it's intended to sound a little corny.

 

>>I disagree. He doesn't say it to flirt, he says it because his childhood as a slave was definitely associated with sand, and it brings back unpleasant memories. It's a statement of fact. "Not like here" continues along the same train of thought, but partway through, he starts thinking about Padme and segues from there into rubbing her skin while talking about smoothness. The line leads to a kiss, but I don't think he's flirting here; flirting is "So have you. Grown more beautiful, I mean." This is just a stream of consciousness sort of thing, which happens to drift back to Padme.

Perfectly explained Lord_Hydronium.

 

But now we're back to square one.

If it was a statement of genuine anguish, why would he cheapen it by seconds later connecting it to Padme in a flirtatious way?

 

If it was a statement of genuine anguish, why would he cheapen it by seconds later connecting it to Padme in a flirtatious way?

As I said, I don't think he is connecting it in a flirtatious way. I think he's subconsciously making the connection from Tatooine to Naboo (which he definitely likes, and I don't think just because of Padme; it's everything his home planet isn't), and then from there associating that with all the good things of Naboo, in particular Padme. Except he's verbalizing his thought process as he does. It's sort of like this:

"I don't like sand. It's coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere." - I don't like Tatooine.
"Not like here" - I like Naboo.
"Here everything's soft" - Compare with "coarse"; he's still talking about Naboo here.
(looks over at Padme) - Now he makes the connection between Naboo and Padme.
"...and smooth." - Now he's still talking a little about Naboo, but it's mostly about Padme. But it's not really directed at her; it's more of an internal thing that he happens to be verbalizing.
(touches her arm) - Once again, he's not making a move here; rather, he's caught up in his little reverie, and is continuing his whole association.

If he were actually hitting on her and feeling her up, Padme wouldn't respond the way she does. Basically, Anakin's just (pardon the cliche) bared his soul to her and made himself vulnerable, and it's this that she responds to, not to him saying she's smooth or anything like that. If he had pretenses and was just saying lines, I think she would have seen right through it.

 

It just doesn't make sense to me. One doesn't move so easily from "baring their soul" as you said, to something so trivial. Not even as a matter of free association. The most terrible events in any persons life are hard to distract from. That's why tranquilizers are sometimes given to people when very close family members die.

They are not easy things to forget. You don't switch moods like you switch shirts.

I'm not convinced that anyone could plausibly go so quickly and easily from talking about the pain of slavery to being distracted by how pretty some girl is. Especially not someone who has been repressing emotions for years, as a Jedi padawan like Anakin might have been.

 

One doesn't move so easily from "baring their soul" as you said, to something so trivial. Not even as a matter of free association.

I've gone from making a very serious statement to making a tremendously dorky one when I've been in a whirlwind emotional state and talking things out with my best friend before. It has happened. Not everyone does something like it, but to say no one in existance does it seems fairly ignorant to me.

 

ANAKIN: Yipee!!

This statement is so profound that I feel inadequate to comprehend. According to Freudian theory of the development of the human mind, it is an expression of childhood repression of deep-seated hurtful memories.

Growing up in a desert, a slave child such as Anakin always yearns to pee so that there will be available moisture for his family. Thus, the hidden meaning of this strange oral expression:



YEAH PEE!!