Political Intrigue In The Prequels

Do you find the political storylines in the prequels entertaining? I've read some some reviews of the first two movies and even those who have read the screenplay or novel for Revenge of the Sith that they find this stuff boring.

Personally, I think Lucas did his best work in this area. Pretty well-written and more sophisticated than anything in the first 3 movies.

Any thoughts.

 

Yawn, that's not what I watch star wars for. I go to school for that, but that's what GL wanted and at least there were lots of cool lightsaber fights to go with it so it balanced everything out in the end for me.

 

I wouldn't use the word "entertaining" (that's a word I'd use to describe the action sequences), but I do find it interesting. I like how we get to see the last remnants of the "more civilized age" Ben referred to in Episode IV. I also think it's interesting to see exactly how Palpatine accomplished everything he did, and to see characters like Padme Amidala and Bail Organa trying to save a corrupt system. The Jedi also factor into the politics to some degree. Seeing them as warriors, detectives, diplomats, keepers of the peace, so many different things makes them very intricate and enjoyable for me to watch.

 

It was possibly the most pleasant surprise of the prequels for me. The political manipulations of Palpatine, while at times somewhat labyrinthine (although never too much that it obstructs the plot), are fascinating to watch. I know the expectation for many before the PT was that Palpatine would take over the Republic from the outside or through force, and while that could have been an interesting plot in its own right, I find this way much more subtle and intriguing. The Republic is not taken over - it literally hands itself over to Palpatine and willingly submits to his rule. All entirely legally and within the system.

The historical parallels in this make it better. The Roman Empire and rise of Hitler help cement that this isn't just some fantasy story - the same sort of thing has happened here, with regular humans. A good way of making it realistic without sacrificing the fantasy aspect.

The plot itself is very clever, too: playing both sides against each other, while pretending to be a benefactor for both, and playing on the prejudices and paranoia of the people. And one of the neatest aspects of Palpatine's character, his almost omniscient planning. He doesn't just try one thing and then go "Curses, foiled again!" He builds an inherent tolerance for error into the plan, so if Queen Amidala dies he can use her as a sympathy plea, if she signs the treaty he can show how she's been oppressed in her own homeland, if she lives and comes to Coruscant she can tell of her own plight and get sympathy that way. Either way, he wins. Also using that which is already built into the system: corrupt Senators, contingency plans for almost dictatorial powers for the Chancellor, votes of no confidence, the desire of the people to protect themselves, etc. It shows that he can't do everything, nor does he need to: the Republic has already sown the seeds for its own downfall. And it's interesting that rarely is he forceful or proactive; he lets others make suggestions to him (even if they're obviously his idea, like Mas Amedda suggesting emergency powers) and acts like he's the unwilling leader prepared to shoulder this burden for the good of the people. He basically paints himself as the good guy, and has others do the dirty work.

And there's some good messages in there - specifically the dangers of sacrificing freedom for security, the dangers of groupthink in politics, and the dangers of focusing so much on the obvious enemy that you ignore the enemy within (and I'm not trying to make any sort of political statement here; I think this message is applicable in all times, all governments).

Basically, if someone had told me that a Star Wars movie would be made with the middle section all politics and still be interesting, I wouldn't have believed it. But Lucas pulled it off somehow.

 

"Basically, if someone had told me that a Star Wars movie would be made with the middle section all politics and still be interesting, I wouldn't have believed it. But Lucas pulled it off somehow."

I agree.

Interesting politics are mostly nasty and evil, and that's exactly what he's showing us.

I'm happy they didn't put the Senator Amidala speech in the first section of AOTC though, even if it is well potrayed; it would have been too much of it IMO.

 

I agree as well, in fact it strangely draws you more into the story as well. Not only are you forced to re watch the prequels just to get everything clear in your head plot wise;rather than action wise. It also opens up a new way of watching episodes IV-VI..

 

"Do you find the political storylines in the prequels entertaining?"

Not realy, but it was interesting to see how the Senate worked in the PT.

Good Stuff

 

The political storyline is really one of those things that made me, who's grown up with the OT, LOVE the prequels. Ok, I'm quite a few years older now and I have a background in political science and history, which of course helps.

Either way, I find it absolutely fascinating, the way the weaknesses of the politicians and of the political systems are exploited by Palpatine. It makes it so much more credible that a man like him might be able to overtake the Republic and transform it into the Galactic Empire. He not only exploits people's weaknesses to gain power over them, but also institutional weaknesses and weaknesses in legislation.

If you add this to the amount and extent of meaning in other realms, such as mythology, psychology etc., GL and the team must have approached the prequels armoured with the knowledge of half a university library.

 

People who really know things about history, politics, and economics were actually blown away by the direction the prequels took.

 

Great thread, great replies.

Although the opening 5-10 minutes with the Trade Federation confused the hell out of this 22 year old (then 16 year old) when he first watched The Phantom Menace, I frickin' LOVED each and every one of Palpatine's scenes from the get-go. Over time, they grew on me all the more. But, of course, the politicising isn't just left with Palpatine - it pervades and informs the prequels in so many ways.

Of all the people out there making political statements, it is those working in the field of Science Fiction and Fantasy that I trust most. Think back to Robert Wise's (who has incidentally just passed away) "The Day The Earth Stood Still" or further still to Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" - these are classic movies that deal with weighty socio-political issues in important ways. And these are just two amongst many. Unfortunately, today, we are bombarded by the work of political hacks like Michael Moore (he won an Oscar for "Bowling for Columbine"!!!) and George Clooney who offer the world heavily distorted and vacuous filmic commentary. Thank God for Lucas. I really respect this man's drive and intellect. He managed to make the prequels scorchingly political without pushing an extra agenda (beyond an abiding belief in democracy which I hope we all share). And that's very important in the world right now. The prequels are a fantastic commentary on human nature and manage to be colourful yet generic enough to apply universally. In the hands of another director, even Lucas' left-wing pal Spielberg, they'd probably have been tainted in this area beyond recognition.

Before the prequels were made, I was a fan of Star Trek first and Star Wars second. Why? In a sense, it goes back to what I said at the onset of my last paragraph. Star Trek had/has a lot going for it in the area of political commentary; Star Wars just seemed content to be a mythological struggle between good and evil. However, now that the prequels have been completed, I find myself enjoying the two equally. Somehow, Lucas was able to intensify the mythology AND augment it with a plethora of political observations. I am in awe of this man.

For anyone that wants to know more about the political undertones/overtones of the prequels (or, specifically, Attack of the Clones), then you would be wise to consult the following article:

http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~anne/clones.html

For anyone that wants to know more about George Lucas, I strongly urge you to consult the following interview. You'll come to understand just how committed Lucas is to films, to society, to life - and the quiet intelligence and humanity that drives him. As hokey as this sounds, this interview was HUGELY insipring to me and one of the greatest things I've ever read:

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/luc0int-1

 

There's noting hokey about this, cryogenic. I think Lucas is gravely, gravely underestimated by the average critic and the average fanboy, with regard to his personality as well as his intelligence.
If you go into the history of Star Wars, very few people would've had the strength of spirit and perseverance to push the first film, let alone the OT to it's end. I'd like to know how many of those people who put him down would be able to accomplish anything remotely comparable to Star Wars themselves.
And for the movies themselves, I've been living with them for 25 years now and watched them countless times and still I discover new things and meaning in them.

PS: Thanks for the links.

 

Lets be careful where we take this discussion in regards to modern politics (most of which is appropriate for Senate, but not here) and also be mindful of the "discussion the films not the fans" rule.

 

You're right.

I was trying to be mindful of what I said and not go too deeply into political issues outside of Star Wars. But that's hard to do given the all-encompassing and cyclical nature of politics.

BTW, mandragora, you're welcome.

 

i find myself tuned into the language of today and wonder how george knew, it seems always, about the cyclical rather than linear politcial historical aspects. today we do hear "trade federation" and "separatists". they certainly have my attention now but not until i saw phantom.



and actually "rebel alliance" can certainly have positive and negative affiliations.