I have the high ground?

My question is why didn't Anakin just go about 10' to the right and hop off?

 

Or he could have just made a small jump and land in front of Obi Wan instead of trying to pull a Superman over top of him.

 

Because his arrogance got the best of him. Obi-wan told him "don't do it", and Anakin thought was going to prove to him that he was stronger and could beat him even from an inferior position. All that was proven was that Obi-wan could use his Anakin's anger against him. He know Anakin would not allow him to tell him what to do IMO.

 

What he said ^^^^

 

I completely agree, it was a great way to do it. The high ground comment really had so many subtextual meanings, including Obi-Wan's fear over having to kill his 'brother.' It seemed to me that Obi-Wan said that as much for his sake as he did for Anakin's; he was hoping he wouldn't have to go through with it. Sadly, he was wrong.

I also missed the arm and leg chopping the first time around. Second time, I made sure I saw it. It was gruesome.

 

It was Obi-wans Last lesson to Anakin

 

There we go!

 

From the very beginning of ROTS, they make it clear that Anakin is capable of overestimating his abilities: He tries to pick the buzz droids off OB1's ship and almost blasts him apart. It is consistent with his character.

What did Kenobi expect him to do next? Was this supposed to be like "checkmate" and then he can talk Anakin into reason? Its almost like he is trying to say "Don't make me destroy you." But what choice did Kenobi really have anymore? He must "do what he must." (Or at least he tries.)

 

One point I read but never thought of was that Obi Wan had seen him make this move already which does give him an advantage, particularly the jump he made onto the platform only seconds earlier which was nearly identical to the one he made onto the bank.

Exactly.

 

Sorry if this has been mentioned but...
Maybe I am missing something, but I thought the first jump was successful for Anakin because they were basically on an even field - on a level area with neither one having a height edge. The 2nd time Obi-Wan has the "high ground" and that is the reason Anakin cannot complete the jump.

I didn't catch that the first time I saw it and only thought about it recently.

m

 

I had an idea after seeing the movie for the 2nd time...haven't seen it anywhere else, sorry if this was already discussed:

I'm not saying I blame Obi wan at all, but I kinda think he went against an unwritten "swordsman" code when he went ahead and cut off Anakin's limbs while the kid was flipping around in the air or whatever he was trying to do.

I'm thinking back to a lot of the previous light saber fight scenes we've seen in all the previous episodes (mostly 1,2, and 3 because the fighters are more advanced and agile there compared to old obi and old darth and young luke in 4 thru 6)...it seems to me that most of the time when one of the fighters jumps, the other one kinda lets him land before continuing the battle. In fact I think if you go watch TPM fight with Qui gon Obi wan and maul, there are a couple instances where guys are jumping all around and it seems like there would be an opportunity to strike at them before they land, but instead they wait for the opponent to establish their ground, and then fight on.

So really what I'm getting at is that this is how tough of a situation Obi wan was in...he had to fight for what he always genuinely believed in, and that meant that he had to kill Anakin. During the duel, it was pretty evenly matched throughout, but I think Obi got to the point where he was just like "ok, I really need to come up with something else here...I've held my own with the chosen one, but who knows how much longer I can hold him off?" And then Anakin makes his dumb mistake and leaves the door open for Obi wan. Obi had to think "this is kinda messed up, but I'm not gonna get another opportunity like this...I've got to end this now". And so he chooses to bypass this unwritten law of swordsmanship and attack before his opponent lands. Who knows, maybe Anakin was counting on Obi sticking to the code, so that's part of the reason why he tried to make the jump...and then that's part of the reason why he screams "I HATE YOU".

Just a thought, I have nothing to back this up at all...I made it all up. Just interested to hear people's feedback...

 

repost from pg 19

After seeing the film for the 5th time today something occurred to me. When it get to the point in the duel where they are both floating on the lava and Anakin jumps on the same "float" as OB1 he tries to take off Anakins legs then.

Then after they go at it for a minute and OB1 sees a chance to go for the bank... then Anakin tries to take Ob1's legs off as he jumps to the bank.

Neither time are they able to do it. Why? Well the only difference between these attempts and the one that actually gets the job done is the fact that OB1 finally has the high ground

 

anakin cannot stand to be told what to do by the jedi....lol....so he trades his free life with them for a more slave oriented one with sidious....reminds him of his watto days on tattoine i guess. what a dumb*** all he had to do was make a small jump to either the left or right of obi-wan into a more defendable position....what a waste.

 

Good to know I'm not seeing things.

I don't believe Jeff Buckley wrote the song in your signature. That would be Leonard Cohen. Buckley covered it. Great song and great performance though.

 

Okay everyone, here is you chance to be an Internet legend.

All you have to do, is make a Internet video using clips from the Star Wars movies, and the song "Higher Ground" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I wish I could do it myself, but I have no skill and I know you Padawans are up to the challenge. The lyrics just fit the movies too well and it is guarnteed to be popular amonst SW geeks like us. Showing other 'higher ground' scenes, like Obi-Wan finishing Maul, and Vader throwing his saber at Luke on the catwalk, will fit perfectly. Here are the lyrics, which I'm SURE one of you with video editing skills can pull off:

"People,Keep on learnin'
Soldiers,Keep on warrin'
World,Keep on turnin'
Cause it won't be too long.

Powers,Keep on lyin',
While your people,Keep on dyin'
World,Keep on turnin',
Cause it won't be too long.

I'm so darn glad He let me try it again,
'Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin.
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then.
Gonna keep on tryin' till I reach the higher ground.

Teachers,Keep on teachin'
Preachers,Keep on preachin',
World, keep on turnin',
'Cause it won't be too long.

Lovers,Keep on lovin'
While believers,Keep on believin'.
Sleepers,Just stop sleepin'
'Cause it won't be too long.

I'm so darn glad He let me try it again,
'Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin.
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then.
Gonna keep on tryin' till I reach the higher ground."


Good luck, and may the Force be with you.

 

I don't believe Jeff Buckley wrote the song in your signature. That would be Leonard Cohen

Really? He wrote Hallelujah? hmmmm.... great. I've been living a lie

 

...
Still no Chili Pepper video?

 

Come to think of it, in the emperor vs. yoda duel, when they were in the senate chambers, Darth Sidious had the high ground. He was like 10 stories above yoda flinging senate pods at him while yoda tried to battle his way up. He did beat yoda eventually. I dont know if "high ground" is symbolism in both duels but these are just the facts.

 

Because his arrogance got the best of him. Obi-wan told him "don't do it", and Anakin thought was going to prove to him that he was stronger and could beat him even from an inferior position. All that was proven was that Obi-wan could use his Anakin's anger against him. He know Anakin would not allow him to tell him what to do IMO.

This is perfect. Lock the thread, it's over.

I'm not saying I blame Obi wan at all, but I kinda think he went against an unwritten "swordsman" code when he went ahead and cut off Anakin's limbs while the kid was flipping around in the air or whatever he was trying to do.


You gotta be kidding. They were trying to kill each other. It wasn't a sport, code's don't apply. It was a battle to the death.

 

I'll try this post in here...

I was just watching the Ani/Obi duel again and some stuff occured to me. Now, I'm not going to say what I didn't like about "The Duel" as it stands because that has been done. I just want to put in black and white (or whatever color you font is) my idea of the duel. I know, I know...I should stuff my opinion, right? Well, I'm not gonna


Now, I'm not sure what GL really thinks about these movies but sometimes it feels like he thinks about them less than we do. Actually, in MANY cases that's probably true. Lots of us have loads of free time. Given that they take 3 years to make you would think we (the creator and consumers) would be on a similar page after that much planning. Anyway, I can just imagine GL's thoughts on the duel "These are Jedi in their prime, the hight of their powers,etc., etc." I'm down with that. When Obi and Ani face off it should be quite a match of talent and it was. When I give my brief rundown of my personal wish for the scene you'll see where I'm going here:

- Ani and Obi have words just as it is now. (I don't wish to change any dialog)

- Ani and Obi meet swords and are going at each other as they did in the movie. Both very capable and talented and dangerous in their own way.

- At some point, after much jumping and spinning and super-human leaping, it starts to seem like they are evenly matched, here is where a cliche' comes in but there are tons of cliche's in Star Wars movies.

- In all of their sword swinging, one of them cuts through a panel or a conduit and either an explosion of fire or sparks engulfs them. As the smoke clears we see both Ani and Obi have sustained some kind of injuries. Either schrapnel or burns. In either case their injuries are seriously limiting their movement (i.e. No more flipping, spinning and super-human leaps).

- Now the battle continues but a slower pace with much more effort for both individuals. We feel like no one has the advantage and they are both in danger (now, I know we all know Obi wins but while you're watching you're suspending disbelief and you may not have that in the front of your mind).

- We can, at this point cut out all the lava-leaping, not needed anymore. We have real drama now not manufactured drama.

- The final blow could go much the way it did, except when Obi finds himself in the "high ground position" it's a little different. Instead of casually lopping off Ani's limbs Obi first pleads with Ani and when Ani does not seem to back down, Obi lowers his lit lightsaber and closes his eyes, seeming to touch the force or to give up (we can't tell for sure, a little like Luke in ROTJ, a nice mirror to that scene) and when Ani sees this he take advantage an attacks. Nearly at one with the force, Obi neatly lashes out with force guided slashes ending Anakin's attack.


Now, I feel this would do a few things. It would not imply that Obi is "better" than Anakin for those that would gripe about that. It would just show us that trusting in the force helped Obi. Also, possibly we could see Obi walk off slowly after the battle giving us geeks more justification for the slow lightsaber combat Vader and Obi have in Ep IV. I mean, we know why Vader is slow, he's a broken man. Maybe in this case we would assume Obi carries the wieght of "The Duel" with him as well.

Oh well, I think GL had good intentions for the duel, put two of themost powerful Jedi we had seen so far in an epic super powered exchange, but we never are concerned for either of them. It seems to me most good epic fights in movie have "stages" to them. The start, both people healthy then maybe some injuries and then a killing stroke.

Like I said, I'm just a fanboy I guess and my opinion on someone else's movie (GL) really amounts to squat,as it should. If I wanted it that way I should make a movie myself but I just thought I'd share...

Sorry for any spelling or grammar...

Any thoughts?