ST Torture/Interrogation Scenes In The Sequel Trilogy!

While I haven't actually heard the radio play version, I'm told that the third of these 3 EU versions is based on it:

Death Star
"And now, Your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base." Vader told her.
As the interrogator droid floated in behind him, Vader saw her defiant expression falter. He felt her fear as the machine approached her.
Good ...
He heard the door slam down behind them.

But, after half an hour, despite the truth drugs, electrical shocks, and other inducements he had administered, it was evident that her resistance had not been lowered enough for him to probe her mind. That was surprising.
She was physically weakened and in considerable pain, but her mind remained shielded. She had revealed nothing.
Most unusual for anyone except a Jedi to have such control, he mused.
He kept his anger and frustration under tight rein, letting none of it show. He had other matters that required his attention — for now.
"We are not done here," he told her. To one of the technicians he said "Have a medic tend to her."
The technician said, "But isn't she sentenced to die?"
"When I decide it is time," Vader said. "If she is not alive and well until that moment, I will hold you personally responsible."
The tech grew visibly paler. Vader swept by him and out of the cell.

Star Wars Journal: Captive to Evil
I'm weak. And dizzy. It's hard to speak or even lift my head. I can't make it to my cot. I'm lying on the floor.
Like an animal. This is what they did to me.
I try not to feel hatred. Because that's what they want. Hatred weakens the spirit as pain weakens the body.
I didn't think such pain existed. In any universe.
I have to rest now. To prepare for next time. But I record this fact.
He ... did not ... break me.

The torture began with one needle. It probed my most sensitive nerves. Darth Vader stood by. The pain grew until I broke my promise not to scream and let out a cry that came from the deepest part of myself.
I practiced my mind techniques in the beginning. But as the pain began to take over, I could no longer reason properly. And then, as my sanity was slipping away, Vader spoke to me. He spoke in the voice of a friend. He wanted to end my pain — didn't I want it to end too? It would be so easy. It would happen immediately. All he had to do was raise his hand. And all I had to do was reveal where the Death Star plans were, or the location of the hidden Rebel base. Either piece of information would bring me sweet relief.
I held on.
"Never," I gritted out. Just that one word cost me a great deal of effort.
The needle probed deeper. The pain grew and grew until I lost consciousness. They revived me.
And then they started all over again.
More pain. More terror.
I would have broken if I hadn't been trained so well. I clung to the pieces of my training that had been shattered by the pain. Vader used the Force, trying to convince me that he was working for the Rebellion. That my father wanted me to reveal the location of the hidden base. Didn't I want to please my father?
Confused and in raging pain, I held out against that voice. In the end, my resistance became nothing more tan a single point of consciousness. A pinprick of light illuminating the darkness around me. I concentrated and concentrated on that tiny particle of light, knowing that if I let go—all was lost.
Then from somewhere far away, I heard Vader's voice. I heard him say "Enough."
He wanted me alive. They would try again later.
My eyes were closed, and my grip on consciousness was weak. But I heard the hiss of the door with relief.
I'd made it through.

The Rise & Fall of Darth Vader
Looming over the prisoner, Vader said "And now, Your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel Base."
There was an electric hum from behind Vader, then a spherical black interrogator droid hovered slowly into the cell. The droid's midsection was ringed by a repulsorlift system, and its exterior was festooned with devices that included an electroshock assembly, sonic torture device, chemical syringe, and lie determinator.
Leia's eyes went wide at the sight of the droid, and Vader could practically taste her terror. She said "Keep it away from me!"
Vader seized his prisoner, pinning her arms to her sides while the interrogator droid moved in closer. There was a brief hiss from the droid's injector arm, then Leia cried out and fell backward, slumping against the cell wall with a thud. "You can't ... she said. "You c —"
"Your Highness," Vader said in his most soothing tone. "Listen to my voice."
Leia's eyes rolled in their sockets, unable to focus on anything. She stammered, "V-voice ..."
"That's right. Listen ... I am your friend."
"Wha — friend?" Leia said, then winced. "No ..."
"Yes!" Vader insisted, watching her plunge deeper into a hypnotic state. "You trust me, you can confide in me. All your secrets are safe with me."
"Mmmm?" Leia licked her lips. "Safe?"
"That's right, safe. You are safe here. You're among friends. You can trust me. I am a member of the Rebel Alliance, like you."
A look of relief swept over Leia's face as she muttered "Rebel?"
"What did you do with the Death Star plans, Leia? Where are they? The Rebels need to know! Help us, Leia!"
"No," she moaned, closing her eyes. "Can't!"
"It's your duty," Vader urged. "Your duty to our Alliance. Your obligation to Alderaan and to your father. It's your duty to tell us where those tapes are!"
"Father?" Leia said, her eyes still shut.
"Yes," Vader said. "Your father commands you to tell us!"
"Father ... wouldn't."
Growing impatient, Vader used his own psychic powers to make Leia believe she was in excruciating pain, but after several minutes, he ended the interrogation. He sensed that her willpower was formidable but must have been augmented with certain physical and mental disciplines. She would not be broken easily.
Leaving the detention cell, he went to report to Grand Moff Tarkin in the Death Star control room. Vader said. "Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable. It will be some time before we can extract any information from her."

 

Thats because she wasn't Luke's sister in George Lucas's mind yet back in 1976 when they where filming it. That didn't happen till after Empire was made and Lucas's divorce caused him to want to 'conclude' things with VI, so the planned sister in hiding Luke was to find in VII just became Leia in VI to wrap up the "there is another" quote from Empire.

Curious like you though what the offical explaination for that will be to "better fix" that hidesight mistake.

 

really?

 

"Aggressive Negotiations?"

 

Maybe they can pull a Winter Soldier. Find a character *either from the current films or the past ones, he/she can be dead. ressurection counts* who is the closest to a pure good character, and have him/her be captured. During that imprisonment that character is tortured and brainwashed into being like a badass assassin. Though instead of having that character later go "OMG I remember who I was. I need to be good now" and everything being all happily doodly again, actually have that character be like emotionally distraught after realizing all the horrible things he/she has done. In order to try to redeem themselves *or maybe intentionally trying to get themselves killed because he/she can't live with what they've done*, that character saves the life of the lead but dies doing so. Then afterwards we can all ask ourselves questions like "Was that character truly brainwashed or did a darker side of him/her just be brought to the surface?" "Did that character have any control of the situations or was it just like a total robot-mind like state", and the ever wonderful "Did he/she really die?". IDK...just a random idea.

 

Leave that to me.

 

One of the reasons I like the idea of the Vong being villains in the Sequels (I know, it will never happen...) is because they are seriously unpleasant and would be disturbing enough to be worthy villains IMHO. This is a species who worship pain and who self-mutilate to show loyalty to their Gods. I don't even have a stomach for torture scenes in movies especially when they are so brilliantly done (Marathon Man anyone?), but the stylised violence of SW would see something like that presented in a less stomach-churning way anyway.

The Big Bad in these sequels needs to be 'bad' enough. A mean look and some nasty weaponry isn't enough; their actions will dictate what we really think about them. If that includes use of torture, so be it.

 

For those complaining about ROTJ and TPM's campiness, I give you the scene above. It's just as bad as any line by the droids in TPM/AOTC.

 

"Do you know what the penalty for a slave striking a citizen of the Galactic Empire?"

"They shove a living dianoga up your ***!"

"No, but that's very creative!"

*Paraphrased from Mel Brooks' History of the World Part 1"

 

I hope so too. Torture could be a political distraction with unintended consequences in how people react to the films. Kind of like watching one of those kung fu movies where you realize 20 minutes in that the main characters are Communists. It doesn't make it a bad movie, but it can definitely lead to un-planned-for reactions.

 

Yes, E7 should include a scene of The Hellhammer conducting one of his JC forum interviews / interrogations.

 

srsly

if anything, its only politically sensitive within the usa. i doubt south america and africa care much about the issue and asia and russia seem ok with it. Europe doesn't care for the matter much either, in my opinion and australia, whilst against it, is not so vehemently opposed to the issue as america is. As well, as an australian, it simply seems that we haven't any use for it.

Really though, the whole torture issue is a big ol' media beat-up. Star Wars won't delve into the matter to an unreasonable degree. This is a kid's film, after all.