TPM Chapter 39: Duel of the Fates DISCUSSION

Until the release of ROTS on 5/19/05, I would like to discuss TPM chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 47 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 1: Opening Logos, Chapter 2: The Phantom Menace and Chapter 50: End Credits.

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 39: Duel of the Fates
DISCUSSION: February 25, 2005 - March 1, 2005
DVD TIME INDEX: 110:18 - 116:39

Synopsis:
The Naboo soldiers, Queen Amidala and the Jedi head for the entrance doors. The doors open, revealing the Sith Lord, Darth Maul hooded. Maul glares at his enemy with his yellow eyes. Qui-Gon says he and his apprentice will handle Maul. Padme decides to take the long way around to her throne room. The Sith Lord and the Jedi remove their outer robes. Out of nowhere, droidekas begin to attack the retreating Naboo officials. Anakin wants to help. Maul pulls out his lightsaber. Red blades of light emerge from both sides. Master and apprentice draw out their lightsabers. The duel begins. The soliders and Padme fight back against the droidekas. Meanwhile, Anakin is having difficulty interpreting the N-1 starship. Finally figuring the ship out, he destroys the droidekas and blasts out of the hangar. The duel continues in the hangar. Darth Maul wears Qui-Gon down and leads them into the generator complex. The Jedi follow, clashing sabers with their adversary. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan pursue Maul to a ledge, who takes the only alternative and backflip onto a narrow bridge. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan jumps across the chasm to where Maul is and they clash again. Padme and Panaka encounter some droids down a corridor. The battle continues between hero and enemy. In space, Anakin is being drawn to where the other N-1 ships are, attacking the Droid Control Ship. On the Naboo Plains, the Droidekas have broken through the Gungan shields and firing upon the primitives. The Gungan try to defend their ground. Jar Jar then is attacked by Battle Droid, throws it onto the ground, stomps on it and calls it dumb. The droid's wires hook onto the Gungan and fire other Battle droids in the process. The Naboo ships continue their assault on the Droid Control Ship, but are no match for the strength of the deflector shield. Anakin engages a dozen droid fighter and ends up bypassing the control shield. The battle continues inside the palace. During a break in the crossfire, Panaka blasts a window open and leads his queen to temporary safety. Padme, Panaka and the Naboo soldiers land up on a ledge outside and use ascension guns to pull themselves to the next level. Padme blasts the window and they make their way closer to the throne room. Back in the generator complex, the duel between Jedi and Sith is intensifying. Maul knocks Obi-Wan off the bridge. Qui-Gon knocks Maul down to a lower bridge, where they engage in their duel once more. Obi-Wan, hanging onto the bridge, can only watch the one on one duel. He manages to jump back on the dueling bridge and run to help his master. Qui-Gon and Maul begin to duel in the midst of plasma gates in which they are separated. Obi-Wan does not manage to cross any gates. The Master Jedi shuts off his lightsaber and kneels before Maul in meditation. Darth Maul paces before the Jedi. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
What can I say about the Duel of the Fates. Probably one of the longest and most action packed chapters in this entire film. We finally get delved into the battle and of course the confrontation between Jedi and Sith.

When Maul ignites the double blade, chills run up my spine. Never before or will we see a double ended lightsaber again. The first part of the duel is so intense and so fast moving, it's incredible. Plus the Duel of the Fates theme in the background, one of the greatest moments in the movie and the saga. I love the acrobatics on Ray Park's part to make it more flashy than meaningful.

The rest of the battles are sub-par to the duel, but still hold the power in terms of parallel storytelling. Seeing Padme taki

 

Wow that is a long chapter.

I loved seeing Darth Maul ignite his double bladed lightsaber. Great Star Wars moment. Not to mention him taking his hood down and revealing horns to match is devil face.

The music was bloody awesome.

Nick Gillard did a great job with the fight. The moves and stuff, damn. So much more intense than the OT duels. With the exception of the end of the ROTJ one.

The location of the duel was awesome too.

I liked how the break in the duel occured with the shields. All getting separated.

This was also our first two on one duel. Or duel involving more than 3.

Taking out the Droidekas with the wing of the Naboo ship was inventive. I was wonder how they were going to deal with them.

I was hoping Panaka would get shot during the adventures in the palace just to add to the drama and making it seem more dangerous. Too bad.

The space battle was okay on the visual side. Though I was really tired of Anakin going "oops!" and stuff.

Also didn't really care what was going on with Jar Jar Binks. But it was needed to show the droid armies power.



I do think Boss Nass (wherever he was) should have been taking care of the 9 year old Anakin. With maybe Anakin sneaking away and joining the battle.

 

Man I loved the Maul/Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan duel.

 

Maul' entrance though kinda foolish was really cool. (what I mean is foolish on Maul's part)

 

Yeah, logically speaking, he should've been blasted apart by the Queen's posse as soon as the door opened. But since we got the incredible duel that we did, I'm glad logic didn't prevail in this case.

 

i love when maul force throws that object to open the door in that scene. so bad-mofo!

 

IMO, one of the best duels in the sage so far. I love the introduction of the double-bladed lightsaber. Pure genius.

The Gungan battle is also amazing with it's wonderful use of CG-effects, and the battle above Naboo is breathtaking.

5 stars for this chapter!

 

I love how when Obi-wan and Maul were fighting, I heard that they had to slow down the scenes, because they were fighting so fast!

 

the double-edged light saber held by a sith with horns and the greek chorus premediating doom. chilling. amazing duelage/choreography. i remember: maul pacing like an animal, obiwan sweating, feeling helpless and obiwan meditating, perhaps preparing for his death and how to not go quietly or completely. duel of the fates is as memorable as the original themes and could have only been composed by williams.

and here is where the queen, panaka and the naboo soldiers ascend the palace from the outside like a mountain-loved that.

meanwhile back at the ranch - anakin seems too accidental here. he's already loss his innocence yet he seems to stumble onto success.

oh dear - jar jar - i like the character but not on the battlefield.

 

Mauls enterance was really bad a@@ but makes you wonder if maul wanted it that way. i could just imagine maul walking up to the door then freezes.

"wait what am i doing....i can't just open the door. what if i open the door and they are facing the other way, they might notice me...no no...this has to be good. i'll just wait here a bit"

"ok sounds like there are no more blasters. they must be getting closer to the door now...ok stand up straight and look forward...wait..no look down and then slowly look up...OOO MAN this is gonna be good....crap doors opening up"

everyone is schocked to see maul..he slowly raises his head and removes his hood.....

"MAN i wish sidious could see this...i look like such a bad a@@."

 

doh - make that qui gon jinn who is meditating and anticipating

 

The Maul/Jinn/Obi duel is probably one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. It's awesome.

 

Darth Maul's reveal near the beginning of this chapter is simply magnificent. It's like adorning the cinematic canvas with a grand stroke of operatic flourish - no small gestures for Lucas in the climactic denouement to his first installment in the prequel trilogy. When Qui-Gon Jinn states that "We'll handle this", you feel the terse, emotional energy of the succeeding battle begin to stir. Maul's ignition of his double-bladed lightsaber is very impressive, especially considering the manner in which Lucas has masterfully set-up this image. When first we saw the Sith Lord in action (on Tatooine), he used only one blade of his laser sword to fight Qui-Gon - had the advertisements for "The Phantom Menace" not revealed Maul's double-bladed saber, then it is likely that this image would be even more impressive, largely because we hadn't been expecting it. Nonetheless, it's quite a memorable shot, one which is complimented nicely by Williams' "Duel of the Fates" score.

The lightsaber showdown is definitely the highlight of this chapter, one which, as Moleman has stated, is more a triumph of editing, visual splendor, and scope, rather than of impressive battle details. In the duel, Maul spins and moves in an almost hyper-real manner that makes him seem even more, uh, menacing. The only part of this extended duel that I find to be sub-par in any way is the contrived plot device of inserting the "laser walls" in that corridor in order to separate the characters. Qui-Gon's meditation scene is a nice addition, though; I also appreciate the manner in which Maul taps at the force-field with his lightsaber, before pacing impatiently in front of the electronic field as he anticipates commencing the interrupted duel. There is some good editing here which, through the use of close-ups, allows the audience to remember and identify with Obi-Wan, who is obviously spatially removed from both Qui-Gon and Darth Maul.

I have stated many times that I find the Gungan-Droid Naboo Land Battle to be somewhat underwhelming, largely as a result of the utter silliness which tends to undermine the dramatic (as well as sensory) impact of the sequence. Visually, it is extremely impressive, but dramatically, it is unsatisfying. Jar-Jar's antics here are a bit much, I think. I will address these matters more explicitly in a later post.

The space battle is likewise disappointing in its simplicity - there isn't any sort of clear trajectory mapped out for the sequence - it seems cluttered and arbitrary. The "Death Star assault" at the end of "A New Hope", an action scene that "Phantom" is clearly trying to pay homage to, at the very least had a structure which wasn't spoiled by any sort of arbitrary developments (ie. Anakin "accidentally" destroying the Droid Control Ship). Also, Jake Lloyd's incessant "Whoop" noises, "Yipeeeees", and bad puns/lines of dialogue ("This is tense!"; Lucas is responsible for that) are quite cloying - even to the point of distraction. I will concede, however, that these matters could have become non-issues for me, were Lloyd's delivery more impressive.

The "retaking the palace" action sequence is pretty straightforward, and while it isn't completely transporting, it is adequately stirring. A little laser-fire goes a long way for me, unless something new or inventive is added to the aesthetic, and while that isn't the case here, the scene is competent enough to hold one's interest. Overall, this is an impressive chapter, more so when you regard it in its entirety, as opposed to becoming concerned with the more minute details.

I was hoping Panaka would get shot during the adventures in the palace just to add to the drama and making it seem more dangerous.

So was I, but admittedly for a different reason.

 

tyranus, i learn something new everytime you post. and some of that has nothing to do with the topic but the how you convey your thoughts.

 

Thank you very much, lovelucas. That was very kind of you to say. You already know how much I appreciate your posts, so I needn't repeat myself. Thanks for the info in the PM yesterday, by the way.

I am just concerned in communicating that there is far more to these films than some people have seen - sure, they have their flaws, but there are many clever and well thought-out themes and images in the pictures that many are willing to dismiss. These are not some cobbled together, randomly assembled images, as some might have you believe (not just in this specific chapter, but in general). There's some fascinating stuff in these films.

 

i love when maul force throws that object to open the door in that scene. so bad-mofo!

You got that right. That's one of my favorite parts of the entire duel. And how he spins his lightsaber after tossing the object. SWEET!!

Only thing topping that from a coolness factor occurs in a different chapter: Ben vs. Obi-Wan.

That fight sequence gives me great hope for an insane duel between Ben and Anakin.

 

My thumb gets a workout in this chapter as I FF past
all of the foolishness and concentrate on the best
part of TPM, the Lightsaber Duel.

'Of course that's just my opinion. I could be wrong'

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). TPM Chapter 40: Gungan Retreat DISCUSSION will be made available 12:00 AM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138

 

Tyranus, you remind me of Threepio, except for the annoying part. You really seem to know how to gather your thoughts.

Anyways, this is my favorite scene in the movie, hands down. The music is incredible, and the editing is pretty good, despite what some might say. Although, when I watched the Gungan Battle, I got impatient, and kept thinking, "Get back to the lightsaber fight, dang it!"

 

Can't believe I missed commenting on this chapter. The part of the duel after we see Anakin fly into space up to all 3 crossing sabers is probably my favourite scene in the whole film and definatly my favourite lightsaber action from any of the films. Especially the part where Maul has opened the door and is backing away into the huge generator room and the two Jedi rush in and attack, love that shot. I can watch this chapter over and over, awesome!

 

revenge of the sith will be better.

1.wookies.
2.darth vader
3.anakins turn
4.more awesome duels.
5.sidious reveal.
6.GG
7.space battle.
8.interesting planets.
9.qui gonn jinn.
10.luke and leia's birth.

my list.

 

This was an excellent chapter. The best in the movie and one of the best in the saga.

Darth Maul might have been a minor character but he stole the show with this fight scene the introduction, the music, his hyper-antics and bad@$$ face shots really make it a thrilling fight.

I also enjoyed the gungan battle as it added some humor and was visually stunning.

I don't think Anakin in the fighter was that annoying. it was quite realistic that he would be nervous and making some mistakes as he's never been in a fighter of that type (or any kind) and it shows his incredible skill that he was able to get the ship into space in the first place. I don't think it was all accidental even when he might have thought so.

A+ chapter.

 

Hmmm... interesting. We didn't get all of that, such as the wookiees or Qui-Gon Jinn. The only duels that I believe were nearly as awesome as this one were the final confrontations.

It's interesting looking back on these memories.