Is Padme and Anakin's relationship believable?

Its not a matter of when I think they should have gotten married, its a matter of when I think the two characters were intwined enough realistically to have gotten married when they did in the movie.\

It simply doesnt come across to me in any way that Padme was capable of what the movie showed happened. Anakin? Sure. I would have married on the spot a girl I had been pining over for ten years. But her? It just doesnt seem on her end (at least what was given to us) that she realistically was in any position to do that.

Understandable. If you don't feel it, its okay.

The difference for me is that, she's explained that she was glad that her service was over, but again got involved in politics which would mean again no time for herself. In other words, already 24, she could actually be wondering exactly when can she really settle down.

Even at the fireplace, she?s telling Anakin that she?s a senator. Or as I read it, important things to do that gives relationships hardly a chance. She till then did a pretty good job, having things bottled up until then. Anakin catches this ?then you do feel something?.

So the love story is working, to me.

 

they needed to build her towards it, even the fireplace scene did not accomplish that on her side.

How so?

It's very clear that at that point she wants the same things as Anakin, but that she can control her feelings & thoughts.

Throughout the entire movie she has to be the one pulling the brakes, if not it'd be Attack of the Bones where they'd romp with each other from start to finish (not that i watch those kinds of movies....).

When facing certain death however - it's basically the first time she can truly open up, not only to Anakin but probably in her life.

Her love for him is very different than his for hers, he wants her - she wants to do what's right (whether as a person or senator). He needs her - she needs to do what's right (whether as a person or senator). She obviously has love for him( both sexual and unconditional) at the point of the confession, and after the confession, she has given in - to pull a 'the nanny' on Anakin and take it back or act like it never happened would be even wronger (if that's a word) than marrying him.

I do think she truly, deeply loves him.

 

i was thinking as i did the dishes i hoped noone would ask why i'd say that.

it's yet another cringe scene, and her rebuke of herself for what 'she shouldn't have done' was delivered like she was a piece of wood.

don't take that as an attack on her acting i don't realy mean that, it may have been meant this way and that is ok.

main reason is that there on an emotional level aren't enough connecting scenes, and worse yet no character development for padme.

she is not rejecting his advances as anyone we know any better than we did in TPM.

we need both insite into her personality, it's not given, her philosophy yes, herself no.

it seems to me if it were more gradual, there's the grassy field sceene, this was a good one, the fireplace which is ok not great on her side, and then BOOM, she changes completely when faced with danger.

i wanted more of it, 2 or 3 short sequences of alluding to the growing attraction she's denying would have maybe sold me, but they arne't there.

it just doesn't seem like it works because in the end anakin said it himself, "you haven't changed a bit"

and saddly that's true.

EDIT:

i think they missed a great opportunity with the scene when anakin returns from the tuskan slaughter.

she comes off as very concerned about him, but it's the concern of a close friend, not someone with an attraction hidden or otherwise.

when i watch that scene she could be his sister, no wait that's been done before but i'm sure you know what i mean.

 

Actually i don't, there was NO other way to act when Anakin confesses the slaughter - should she get mad and yell at him?, or should she lay a hand on his thigh and slowly raise it upwards?

The boy is a complete mess at this point and needs comforting, not booty (..even though Natalie's booty WOULD be a form of comforting).

 

It's good that we see Anakin and Padmé being friends at some point, not just lovers. It makes their relationship stronger.

 

It's good that we see Anakin and Padmé being friends at some point, not just lovers. It makes their relationship stronger.



i don't dissagree at all with that, and this scene is fine, but then there just isn't enough build up of her character, nor of her side of their relationship.

other than adding things, several more sequences of character development specificly, to the movie i can't think of anything that would help my disbelief in her change of heart.

no small modification of a scene or dialoge would do it.

maybe this is intentional, but it didn't sit well with me.

EDIT:

i think this might be a better way to word it.

if she wants the same things as anakin but controls herself more and is more restrained, i don't understand where it comes from.

not her restraint but her desires, especialy towards him.

the longer i think about it, the more i think we needed more scenes that developed her character with or without anakin in them.

up till the arena scene she can almost be exactly the same as when she was queen of naboo.

then boom, the real her comes out.

now i do have hope still maybe we'll get a little more insite into her heart and mind next film and as a trilogy she'll make sense to me.

in the end my point realy isn't the same as those who usualy complain about their relationship i guess.

i want to see more, especialy of what motivates padme, as it stands she's kina simplistic and i don't think that does her or them justice.

 

She changed her mind because it looked like they were going to die and she wanted him to know. Isn't that enough?

EDIT: You want to know why she loves him? She just does. Sometimes it works like that, you can't always explain love. You almost never can.
Maybe you would've liked to have the original dialogue of her love pledge, where she said that her love for Anakin is a puzzle?

 

not for me no.

because it comes out of nowhere.

why did she change her mind, why would she want to tell him then and there instead of staying quiet, it just doesn't fit.

if we were talking about a love at first sight like romeo and juliet it would, but that is not how i think this is intended.

by itself her changing her mind and wanting him to know only because she doesn't think she'll live to have to deal with the consequences makes her come off as a selfish spoiled brat.

i do not want to see her that way.

 

She never told him before because it would 'destroy' both of their lives as they knew it - she knew that Anakin would willingly choose her over the Jedi Order, as a person she couldn't allow him to do that. she explicitly says this in the movie.

She, however, had her Senatorial duties. She had responsibilities and a planet (perhaps more planets) that depended on her relentless pursuit for peace in the universe - she couldn't give this up for a man, the needs for the many outdo the needs for the one. she explicitly says this in the movie.

At Geonosis however, they're facing certain death - there is no future for them anymore so there is nothing that holds her back and she can finally give in to both of their true feelings.

 

It is basically love at first sight. When they first met, they got along really well and felt that they cared for eachother. When they met again ten years later, they fell in love instantly.
When Padmé decided to tell Anakin that she loved him, it wasn't because she wouldn't have to deal with the consequences. It was because she realised that either of them could die anytime. Today, tomorrow, in four years.... She realised that if he died, she couldn't live with herself if she hadn't allowed herself to love him. To let him know that she loved him.
She just had to tell him, that's all there is to it.

 

When Padmé decided to tell Anakin that she loved him, it wasn't because she wouldn't have to deal with the consequences. It was because she realised that either of them could die anytime. Today, tomorrow, in four years.... She realised that if he died, she couldn't live with herself if she hadn't allowed herself to love him. To let him know that she loved him.
She just had to tell him, that's all there is to it.

next time i watch it i'll try to look at it that way and see if it makes a difference.

to me, ever since i first saw it, that scene came off as, well her being selfish.

maybe there is more to it than my first impression.

 

Good luck! I hope I'm right

 

ididitall4thewookie I did ask my friend and twenty minutes and 10000 words later I got a definite maybe that is mostly a yes but not entirly and depends greatly upon the 4 missing days. She appears to actually understand Padme's reactions as an emotional buffer created to give her space to think what she wants without risking Anakins change of disposition towards her. Strangely enough I think I might have got it. I think. But Lars_Muul and Malikail troubled me again.I quit.Maybe. She had Anakin on hold for 4 days?Definite female reaction.

The wedding is another matter, there is no way in Hell unless Padme was struck by a Death Star packed qupid, but still leaves a chance.

 

because it comes out of nowhere.

I agree. I am saying that GL did a good job of the Padme slowly becoming attracted to Anakin as a grown up. The much lamented waterfall scene I actually think is pretty good at this. I love the look she gives Anakin when he is joking around with her. To me, its almost as if shes saying, "Wow, this guy came out of nowhere and he is cute, why didnt I notice him earlier!"

The problem is that this is really the first time we see any MUTUAL sexual tension or atraction between them. The next thing you know, you got the fireplace scene. Where did that come from?

GL screwed up by either not showing enough interaction between the two and the CHANCE for her to fall truly, deeply in love with him, or take that scene and that awful line out of the movie altogether, and let the marriage seem foolish a mistake two dumb kids made a la Britney Spears. We dont need to hear that line because there is no basis for it the way the movie is.

Ker-Soth, Im impressed. Im sorry to have put you in harm's way brother .

 

I did get my rewars though ,hehe.
An other little thing I learned. Remember Anakin's hand carresing Padme's exposed back? The fact that she shows no reaction what so ever states that she had already been thinking about the 'stolen kiss' and them being together as a couple and she actually gives a green light to Anakin to make his move. We actually have a big clue that she is attracted to Anakin sexualy long before that scene. Probably from minute one when she sees him again.

 

Let's get a few things straight here.

First off, no one is contesting these arguments about Padme struggling to reveal her hidden love. That was obviously the point of some of the scenes in the film. Neither is anyone questioning the likelihood of Anakin carrying his obsession so far as to want to get married. This, again, was obvious from the film.

The question everyone is asking is, why did Padme fall in love with im in the first place?

The "it just happened" or "love at first sight" or "you can't explain mystery of love" responses aren't sufficient here. This isn't something that happens suddenly, like in Shakespeare. There are several, protracted scenes sprinkled throughout the movie that show Anakin and Padme interacting together, with no one else around. These presumably show their blossoming relationship.

So clearly, there was an attempt made by Lucas to show the two of them falling in love. The only problem is that we still can't see it. While I may not be able to "explain the mystery of love," I could certainly have seen it in action--and I didn't. So many of the scenes were about "resisting the hidden desires" that they never bothered to tell us how the desires developed, or where they came from. That's why the relationship isn't believable.

I also want to continue taking to issue everyone who claims Padme's life in politics would leave her no time for relationships. Undoubtedly, in her career, she's spent four days working very closely with someone of the opposite sex before. If that's all it took for her to fall "truly, deeply, in love" she would've gotten married a long time ago. There was clearly supposed to be something special between her and Anakin--we just never saw what that was. And that's why this part of the film falls flat on its back.

 

(slaps Jabba-Wocky a high five)

Thats it! Perfect.

We all get that GL wants us to believe that Padme and Anakin have this passionate forbidden love, we are just wondering how it went from him stroking her back, then to rolling in the grass, to her truly, deeply, loving him.

Remember Anakin's hand carresing Padme's exposed back? The fact that she shows no reaction what so ever states that she had already been thinking about the 'stolen kiss' and them being together as a couple and she actually gives a green light to Anakin to make his move.

Oh, she definitely has the hots for him, we are just wondering how that turned into "truly, deeply" loving Anakin in 4 days! I really think this relationship would not cause so much eye rolling if GL simply cut that one line out.

 

I have to agree with the last two posts. George wants us to believe they are in love, but doesn't show it and in fact disproves it.

First off I have to say that the notion that Anakin a 9 yr old boy and Padme a 14 yr old girl falling in love in the two days they spent together in TPM is about the most ridiculous thing I've heard on these boards. Padme for her part pitied the kid and that was about it, she obviously never thought of him again or they would have had contact. She is a senator and since the senate meets on Coruscant regularly you know she was there at least a few times.

For Anakin's part, I concede he probably did dream about her, and obviously had a crush. However, a boyhood crush and love or not the same.

Now back to my first statement. George disproves their deep love several times in the movie. She's not in love when she tells Anakin not to look at her like that because it bothers her. Shes not in love when she slaps him down in front of the Naboo Queen. She's not in love when she refuses to take their friendship to the next level. Now their is lust on his part and attraction and curiousity on her part. I think up to this point, Padme is attracted and sympathetic to Anakin, but not in love as proven by her not wanting to sacrifice her or his career. On Anakin's part he is in lust and thinks having her would make his life complete, however he's not willing to give up the Jedi. People in love will give up a lot to be together; jobs, family, friendships. Neither of these two want to give up anything.

When they arrive on Tatooine the focus changes from him chasing her to her taking care of him. She has now become his protector and in this new tone one can see her becoming more unsure of her feelings. The only way the affair makes sense to me is that she is confusing deep romantic love for maternal love. She wants to make him happy, she wants to protect him from any further pain. That in itself is a type of love, not traditional but very common in marriages.

However, at this point I don't believe Anakin loves her. I think he wants her, but more as a trophy and a fulfilment of a dream than as a life-long companion. Padme and being a jedi has always been his measure for success. I Also think you cant forget that part of her appeal when he was 9 was that she was a queen. He studied her career and was obviously impressed with her status. In Episode III, I think we'll see that she has become more of a possession and a means to more power than a wife. I hope I'm wrong.

I also think it's telling that he never says he loves her, or even mentions her in the OT. All I can say is I hope George gives Anakin a good reason to do what he does or else Padme becomes completly superflous and the love story gets 10 times worse than it already is.

 

I really think this relationship would not cause so much eye rolling if GL simply cut that one line out.

Not everyone rolls their eyes at this relationship. However many people rolling their eyes doesn't necessitate cutting that line out of the movie. Personally, I think rolling one's eyes would be an overreatction.

An overreaction worthy of rolling one's eyes.

 

I think rolling one's eyes would be an overreatction.


Not on these boards its not . Im not screamin' bloody murder here.

 

Undoubtedly, in her career, she's spent four days working very closely with someone of the opposite sex before. If that's all it took for her to fall "truly, deeply, in love" she would've gotten married a long time ago. There was clearly supposed to be something special between her and Anakin--we just never saw what that was. And that's why this part of the film falls flat on its back.

But Anakin treats her like a woman, were she with Bail for 4 days they'd discuss and plan out how to stop the armys. Were she with Obi-Wan or another Jedi they'd probably pretty much ignore each other since they don't have anything to talk about.

With Anakin, he lets her know shes beautiful, he jokes around with her & teases her, he lets her know how important she is to him - Noone besides Anakin would/does treat her that way, ever since TPM he's basically the only one whos been blunt with her.

He provides a way for her to be Padme instead of Queen Amidala or Senator Amidala, he gives her freedom (from a certain point of view )

 

My only real quibble with the romance is that it's all a bit sudden. If the cut scenes has been included it would have flowed much better, though of course it may well have slowed down the rest of the film. Yes there are lots of corny lines, but can't you just imagine that Padme's actually quoting from some romance novel she read, that she thought seemed fitting to the moment?

 

can't you just imagine that Padme's actually quoting from some romance novel she read, that she thought seemed fitting to the moment?

Titanikin ?

 

Maybe... I mean she's probably rather clueless herself about relationships, so I can imagine her thinking about the odd romance novel she's read & taking advice from it.

 

Not impossible. We know that this is the closest thing she had to a relationship ever. I'm not counting Paolo she was far too young.In many ways her life has not given her,or anakin for that matter, the chance to grow up sentimetaly.Everybody thinks that they'll end up getting married with their first lover. They just did the most childish thing they could.And the line,well if you are so unequiped to handle a relationship, it is not that difficult to say.I think anyway.I made the same mistakes when I was 15.(expect getting married)