PT Your favorite little moment or detail in the PT? (image heavy)

Right! A little bit of centralized government, good, too much centralized government...

Startling observations! I never quite looked at it all in that way. Their pathological assault on the body "arms" the body against them massively. And you're right that they are excluded from the Empire, much like Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, Padme, and Naboo -- elements they attack (in different ways) in the PT -- are massively under-expressed and virtually absent as the might of the Republic, transforming into the Empire, grows.

Wow! Great stuff. Absurdly, they also try to make themselves "separate" from the Republic, first by closing the blast doors, then becoming separatists, and finally hiding in the Outer Rim, only for Anakin, a Sith assassin, to come and kill them. Rune Haako has the trace of a conscience in TPM when he glumly intones, "We will not survive this." He was right: they didn't survive the complex machinations they initiated, and they are finally wiped out in an anagram of the thing he felt they wouldn't survive, (Revenge of the) "Sith".

 

A lot of the characters and elements that make the setting of the PT so ornate and distinctive - especially at the start in TPM - are pitted against each other until ultimately nothing is left but a relatively dry, lifeless husk of a galaxy. This is highlighted by a pair of scenes in the closing montage of ROTS, specifically focusing on the deceased young mother and corrupted young father of the nascent Skywalker clan, to the backing of Qui-Gon's Funeral.



There are no more sleek battle droids; they've all been shut down. No more clone trooper helmet fins or paintjobs; they've been safely put away, shorn of their humanity and reverted to the role for which they were created ("They'll do their job well; I guarantee that"), silently piloting the successors (or "clones") of the starfighter that Obi-Wan used to pursue their progenitor. The majestic Venator-class warships are now bleached metal exoskeletons.

No more Neimoidians; just dull, subservient men in grey suits. Qui-Gon and other Jedi have been steadily killed off and all that remains in a high-profile role in what was once the Republic is a brutal enforcer and an emotionally crippled man in a dehumanising metal suit. This man's dead wife still clutches onto a reminder of his humanity. Naboo is fading away into the night. Its onetime favoured son rules over a despotic regime.

Rune Haako is basically the Trade Federation's conscience. He's an accomplice, obviously, but he advises caution at most stages in TPM.

But alas, there are too many people like Nute Gunray in the SW galaxy and perhaps our own. He actually has more power before TPM than after. He ends up being the de facto leader of a failed, shrunken secessionist state and only then does he finally sue for peace. Greed can be a powerful ally but it's apparently insignificant compared to the power of the Force.

Rune is killed by Vader before Nute is. Kind of like Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet.

 

Yes -- More or less the final death notes of the Old Republic. A tragic aria.

The cold, early morning (or night-time) setting of Naboo is very illustrative of the tragedy that has befallen the galaxy. And Jar Jar's sad, anguished eyes tear into my soul. I've said before that his dejected glance is not just the "sad puppy" look he has at Qui-Gon's funeral. He looks bitter and disconsolate. It is also the darkest/dullest he ever appears in any scene. Wonderful visual storytelling along with the snippet.

And, yes, the grey-suited Imperial bureaucrats merely replace the spiritual oligarchy of the Jedi Order with a remorseless technocracy. From brown robes to grey tunics. A subtle but very telling transition, like the transition of the seal of the Republic into the seal of the Empire. The failure of the Jedi looms large as the death image of those Star Destroyers.

Solid thoughts on Nute and Rune. Ultimately, it is not just greed that ruins the TF, but a small-minded leader's desire for vengeance. One of the little things I like about TPM is how "kingly" and venal it makes Nute look (especially compared to the cooler, calmer Rune). He's rather dumb where the Jedi are concerned, he hides critical information from Sidious, he relishes obtaining "victory" on Naboo, and in his best moment, he lords it up over Sio Bibble while sitting on a throne in a fortified palace compound. But later, as if to show who is really pulling the strings -- who the real god-emperor is -- Nute appears on the ground again, having surrendered the walking droid to Sidious, who is projected as a hologram, giving more orders to Nute. Once again, Star Wars has a deft touch where both its heroes and its villains are concerned (and the ultimately thin line between them).

Nute is almost like this child who ascends in the absence of the father, giving himself temporary permission to behave in an affected, superior way to others (Anakin taking off in the starfighter, after Qui-Gon disappears from sight, while loosely obeying his order to "stay" in the cockpit, could be a neat parody to this end). Yet he lamely knows his place and doesn't seem to like being reminded of his smaller stature. He can't abide the idea he was routed by a young girl. In some regards, Star Wars is a spoof serial -- a sort of vague sex comedy -- in which a goofy, blundering space alien looks forward to getting the better of a fair-skinned virgin queen. Ironically, they both end up as dead or dying bodies as the saga's most baroque lightsaber duel initiates and intensifies around them: victims of the same greedy, vengeful force, now coursing through the original boy-saviour of Naboo.

 

I don't think anywhere in any official SW information has noted the "Mother Of Pearl" interior of Tipoca city. I love the sound of this "eye" opening door entry into the Prime Minister's meeting room.

Here's a sample of Mother of Pearl:

Mother of pearl (found in pearls from Oyster shells from the ocean) and the shape of Tipoca city "oyster shell" exterior. Notice the movement of the Kaminoans as if they are walking underwater, is one of the most awesome and intriguing sights ever in SW IMO..

Mothers and giving birth also come to mind.

Cheers!

MJ

 

SUBLIME FIND!!!!


Lots 'n' lots to think about...


I'll just add that I adore the way the Kaminoans move. Especially the way Taun We's dress gently ripples and undulates. The most impressive moment might be when she stands still. The dress takes a while to settle under inertia. I think they were testing out such technology back on TPM. Note this brief cloth rendering animation -- "Old" and "New" -- at 43:11:

 

While I thank Cryo for expanding further on my observations (just wow, Cryo!) , the Mother of Pearl theme also shows up on the Naboo Queen's headress! Thus the meeting in the Theed throneroom has special and incredible parallels to the meeting in Tipoca city with the Prime Minister. To further expand on what I mean, see if you can follow this tangent :


Theed:

Padme : If the Senate votes to create an army…(Padme getting down to business with negative news)

Padme : Not if they feel threatened.

Bibble : It’s unthinkable. There’s hasn’t been a full scale war since (really long time)the formation of the Republic.

Bibble : After 4 trials (in ten years) Nute gunray still the viceroy of the trade federation (true)

Queen Jamilla : We must keep our Faith in the Republic....the day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it.

Padme : Let’s pray that day never comes (it’ll come on time for Sidious ).

Bibble : What is your suggestion master Jedi? (Anakin thought to be a Master Jedi )

Padme: That’s why we’re here *.

Queen: Perfect, it’s settled then. (Padme’s *stay will be a safe and an enjoyable one).


Tipoca City:

Taun We : This is master Jedi….Obi Wan Kenobi (considered a Master by a third party)

Prime Minister : I trust you will be going to enjoy your stay (*see above)

PM : Now to business. You will be delighted (positive news) to hear we are on schedule. 500,000 units are ready and a million more well on the way (formation of an army for the Republic-in a drastically relatively short time- for a full scale war!).

PM: Order will be met on time (apparently according to Sifo Dyas timing Believing the Republic will be threatened)

PM : Sifo dyas is still a leading member of the Jedi Council is he not? (No more for obvious reasons!)

Obi Wan : Master Sifo dyas was killed almost ten years ago.

PM : This army is for the Republic (faith that the Republic will remain and have an army, but we see the Republic turns into the Galactic Empire).

Obi Wan : That’s why I’m here. *


GL, Im sure you thought about this.

Cheers!


MJ

 

I really like this shot, where the first things we see are the shadows of the battledroids:



It just always stands out to me as an incredible effect, showing not only that they can create the droids, but that they've though about there influence on their surroundings, that they've been given 'weight'.

 

A little moment I've always liked:

 

It's such a brief beat, but this moment here of Anakin contemplating reminds me of a similar moment from ROTJ.

 

There are really too much of these for me, I believe that I will post in this thread from time to time...

Not exactly a detail, rather what for me is an underrated reaction of a character: during one of my last visions of AOTC I remained nicely impressed from Padmé's reaction to Anakin's second confession (not the one of love but the mudering of the Tusken tribe). Usually this scene is discussed from the point of view of Anakin, but very rarely from the one of the former Naboo's queen. Her initial reaction of disbelief and horror to what Anakin is describing to her become later, after attending to the boy's rage and remorse for what he did, one of genuine pity for the boy and I really like the expression portrayed from Portman. There is disappointment for what the boy did, but even sadness for his status (she realized the conflict that Anakin feels for its action, even for this reason it's pointless for her expressing a moral judgement on what happened) and, as the spectators can see a few moments later when she talks to him, the awareness that his reaction is something horrible but still an human one of a person that can love and can hate.

 

I know the romance catches a lot of flack... and the dialogue... and Hayden Christiansen's acting...

But I really like Anakin trying to convince Padme to take over with him: "Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor; I– I can overthrow him. And together you can I can rule the Galaxy! Make things the way we want them to be!"

For whatever reason the moment just really works for me, you can tell Anakin really believes everything he's saying; he's just completely far gone by this point, utterly naive and drunk on his own power, and I think Christensen does a good job selling it. It's also a great parallel with Vader trying to give Luke the same pitch 22 years later; once he gets turned down that second time, I think that's when he takes a good long look in the mirror and realizes maybe he's the issue and not everyone else.

 

Yep. Anakin's growing paranoia over the first half of the film transforms into full on delusion once he's crossed over to the dark side.

"Love won't save you Padme. Only my new powers can do that," is a special kind of awful line, but it also speaks to how delusional Anakin has become.

 

Still to this day, I can't watch this scene without tearing up.

And the little boy "teaching" the wise Jedi:
"How could this be? I crunched the numbers and it's impossible for a planet to be missing while its gravitational pull maintains a hold of surrounding bodies."
"Maybe it's still there but someone is hiding it from the records?"
"O_O"

Perfectly illustrated how the arrogance of the Jedi turn them foolish.

 

The music is beautiful too, probably the sweetest version of Yoda's theme ever:

 

Yup, that's the reason. Oh, goodness there go the tears. Why Anakin. Why?

 

I have many favorite moments/details from the PT, but I think my absolute favorite is when Padme tells Anakin she's pregnant. The emotions that appear to pass through him, shock, joy, awe, ect, are sweet to watch.
Padme worrying, "What are we going to do?"
Anakin not caring about anything else at that moment,"We're not going to worry about anything right now." And the ,"This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life." I love that.
Especially after reading the ROTJ novel (way back when) in which Kenobi tells Luke that Anakin turned to the Dark Side and left before he knew Padme was pregnant. I was so glad when I saw the movie and found out that he did know he was going to become a father. And it fits so wonderfully with his reaction to Luke in the OT after they meet.

 

My favourite detail in that scene is that Padme says that something wonderful has happened.

Anakin's response is "That's wonderful".

He's just so confused in that moment, confronted with the difficulties of his secret marriage, and can't even think what to say.

 

That scene right there is the perfect explanation for him choosing to save Luke from Palpatine at the end of ROTJ.

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I'm in love with the genuine smile of Obi-Wan when he meets Anakin for the first time (especially considering him previously adressing the boy with the not so kind "pathetic life form" even before to know him):





Apparently the original script expected him to give a skeptical look to Anakin in this scene, I'm glad that they changed it for the final version: since the beginning Obi-Wan seems to recognize the good nature of his future "brother". Even if later in TPM he would accept without esitations the judgement of the council to not train him because sensing a danger in his future - but maybe more for his care for the council's appraisal of Qui-Gon - in the next movies he just ends to become the most passionate and trusted "fan" of Anakin even if I suspect that the latter never really realized it. It's only after his major turn to the dark side that Obi-Wan become disillusioned with Vader still keeping in himself that boy met on Tatooine.

 

LOL my favorite little moment of the PT, the one that cracks me up everytime I see or think about it or the one where I can't help but smile.

It's when Qui Gon essentially tries to rob Watto and by using the force and fails miserably.


"You think you're some kind of Jedi, waving your hand around like that? I'm a Toydarian. Mind tricks don't work on me. Only money. No money, no parts, no deal!"


I was actually surprised as a kid watching this and seeing a powerful force user like Qui Gon fail with his powers.

 

I thought it was kinda funny when Obi-wan yelled in pain after kicking Grievous's leg.

 

starocean90 Hahaha, oh yes! It's one of my favourite scenes too! Why have I forgotten this? XD

 

Further to my posts:


http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...tail-in-the-pt.50029786/page-23#post-53905196

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...tail-in-the-pt.50029786/page-23#post-53903041




Obi Wan and Anakin are sent by Yoda and Mace respectively. They are then in the presence of two leaders.

Obi Wan meets PM of Kamino Lama Su


Padme meets Queen of Naboo Jamila





And I mentioned about the Seashell analogy with the Mother of Pearl interiors. Notice Queen Jamila's headress has Mother of Pearl shells on it. But here's coolest part.....



There's Anakin. But look closer...Senator Padme's headress is shaped like a Shell and look on her left a Seashell and royalty statue!

GL Greatness

Cheers!

MJ

 

Just before Padme is about to reveal her pregnancy to Anakin, Bail Organa - who is making sure to stay behind and give thanks to Anakin for saving the Chancellor and killing Dooku - is framed in such a way that Padme is placed a ways behind him and over his shoulder, unbeknownst of the impact her news will entail for him in the future..