PT Hayden Christensen's Performance As Darth Vader (not Anakin)

One of the most underrated performances in SW imo is not just Hayden's performance as Anakin Skywalker, but as a pre-suit Darth Vader. For 30 years, there was speculation about who Anakin was between the point of pledging to the dark side but before falling in the lava pit. Finally in 2005, we got to see that. Anakin, now corrupted by the dark side, has become Palpatine's personal exterminator, wiping out the Jedi and the Separatists. On a physical level, we also saw changes to Anakin's eyes and skin. The yellow irises and the pale, sickly ghost-like appearance.

In your opinion, how did you feel about the pre-suit Vader? What were your first time reactions to seeing a hooded Vader mow down the Separatists, march to the Jedi Temple, and choke his wife? Did you think Hayden did a good job of delivering a naive yet intimidating version of the Sith Lord?

On a personal note, some of my favorite shots of pre-suit Vader were:

I think we can all agree this is the most iconic shot of the young Sith Lord. The moment where we the physical changes to Anakin.



Here is another great shot/scene. Anakin looks almost inhuman at this point, and we can see almost a hint of remorse as Obi-Wan pours his heart out.

Another great shot where we see Vader's eyes transition from blue to yellow. Very subtle but you can notice it if you're looking closely.


Another iconic shot as the newly christened Darth Vader leads his army into the Jedi Temple. Now we see that the Galactic Republic has become the Empire all but in name at this point.




I always liked this moment where Vader and Obi-Wan just stare at each other for a moment before fighting again. Vader tells Obi-Wan, "This is the end for you, my Master." The fact that he says "my Master" almost implies Anakin still has some respect for Obi-Wan and that he doesn't want to kill Obi-Wan but he believes he must.



This scene right here is perfect. Anakin's eyes are glowing underneath the hood while he stands among the bodies of his victims. The "Very good, my lord" sounds very Vader-like.

 

There was a lot to like about Hayden as Vader, he even had the stride down for him, as well they changed his light sabre style to allow him to attack downwards more which just looks powerful.

the one thing that I loved about the novelization was that Vader had some of his singular wit that we see later on in the OT. He was basically taunting the separatist council as he butchered them, and then later during his duel with Obi-Wan he showed that there was still a bit of good in him as he told Obi-Wan that he could leave and go spend his life meditating. I wish some of that dialogue made its way into the movie.

When I was a kid growing up after Empire and the I am your father scene your biggest desire was to see what the man under the mask looked like, what was trapped there? When we saw it, was it a monster? Was it a man trapped by his fate. Vader unmasked gave you the answer, that after he got over the original shock of his decisions, that he was a monster with buried regrets.

 

In short, Hayden absolutely nailed the performance, no other actor could have done better. There is already another thread on this topic by the way.

 

I loved Hayden as Anakin/Vader. The pre-suit Vader period contains some of my favorite Star Wars moments. My only regret is that the fall didn't happen earlier in Episode II so Vader could have been Vader w/o the suit for an entire movie.

 

I loved Hayden in ROTS much more than AOTC for some reason.

 

I always thought Vader said that sarcastically.

 

LOL really? I guess it could be mocking Obi-Wan for failing him, but I like to interpret it as a genuine way to say "I'm sorry but I have to kill you."

 

I think I recall that. Wasn't it something like, the leaders said "We were promised we would be left in peace" and Vader said, "In pieces". Or something to that effect.

 

The best line is one of the seperatrist leaders begging and saying "Lord Sidious promised us a handsome reward, and Anakin responded with "You don't find me handsome" and then rammed his lightsabre through her head. If Palpatine and Vader didn't take over the galaxy they could have taken their comedy act of Palpatine sets it up, Vader knocks it down on the road. And yes the In pieces line was there as well.

 

Lol, seriously?

 

Are you baiting? Yes, I'm dead serious. When I first saw Hayden on posters and later the big screen in 2002 I simply KNEW this guy is young Vader, everything fit for me.

 

It's a shame how you have to justify your opinion.

And I totally agree with you. I think Hayden gives one of the best performances of the Saga (in a very difficult role), both in AOTC and ROTS.

The pictures above show his brilliant portrayal of Vader/Anakin. Even at his most evil moments, you can still see a hint of remorse, a hint of sadness, a hint of pain inside him. He knows more or less deep down, that he is doing the wrong thing. But he has gone too far to go back.

 

In my headcanon, when he says "this is the end for you, my master", Obi-wan craps his pants.

 

I like the idea that its that slope. No man ever goes out to be evil, somehow in their minds what they're doing is right and heroic. Even Palpatine, who probably in his mind is saying, what I need to do is justifiable because I'm going to make life better for all of the races of the GFFA.

With Anakin its just a slippery slope to darkness that he takes one step at a time and he doesn't realize it until after he takes those steps. Then by the time he realizes the trap he's walked into the doors have slammed shut and he's trapped.

 

For you maybe.

 

Do you have any contributions to make to this thread?

 

I think what I appreciated about Hayden's performance and his turn to the darkside is that while he was younger Anakin, he seemed to have a large amount of insecurity and angst. There was so much turmoil and uncertainty that was portrayed. When he became Darth Vader, that was the most poised, confident and, dare I say, at peace Anakin seemed to ever have been. It was as if the inner turmoil was gone and he had finally stopped being pulled into two directions. During their dialogue on Mustafar, Padme says about Obi Wan, "He knows. He wants to help you." Anakin then gives this strange, self-assured smile. That didn't feel like the Anakin we had known before. The old Anakin would have been flustered but Vader seemed so calm and almost smug. It really feels like the old Anakin was gone. Maybe Obi Wan was right. Maybe Vader did kill him.

 

Exactly, it is kind of summed up in the ROTS novelisation; when Anakin turns he feels like he has conquered the "dead-star dragon" that has eaten at him since the beginning of the novel. This empowerment of course turns back on him when he contributes to Padme's death and ironically ends up trapped by the very "freedom" from bondage he had sought to gain.
Vader at this point (and for most of the OT) has basically given up, Anakin is dead to the world.

This is basically how I felt when Anakin smiles as well, it really sold the turn for me on early viewings of the film.
Notice when they were discussing Anakin's first vision of Padme's death in a much earlier scene Padme says something similar "Do you think Obi-Wan might be able to help us?" to which Anakin, in somewhat turmoil, reassures himself and Padme "We don't need his help. Our baby is a blessing."
The moment on Mustafar is such a contrast to this, you even have blue hues in the Padme's apartment scene and red hues in the Mustafar scene.

 

They really do feel like entirely different characters. I think it's the hair.

 

Yeah, Obi Wan is usually a lot of help when it comes to Anakin's dreams. Then again, Anakin did say he'd rather dream about Padme and he eventually got his wish, though not exactly what he thought they would be. Actually when Anakin is told by Padme about being pregnant he has this hesitation, played perfectly by Hayden. Likely having had visions of her dying in childbirth from before, I think he understood the ominous implications of hearing this news. But he let that fear pass and clung to the good news of becoming a father. This of course escalated his anxiety for the rest of the film. By the time he became Darth Vader, he felt powerful and he felt safe. He was born a slave in Tatooine and then became a servant of the Jedi. He was a slave to his destiny as the chosen one and a slave to his visions of despair. When he became Darth Vader, he finally had control of his life. He was calm, confident and at peace. He chose what he wanted to do and not what fate, the Force or others had chosen for him. Of course in the end, at least to that point, he chose wrong. This moment of freedom was short lived as after his duel with Obi Wan he became a slave to his suit, to Palpatine, and to helpless reality of what he had done and the belief he killed Padme. By the of ROTJ he finally chose right and was truly free.

 

Hayden's best acting is the "you turned her against me" line. The look he gives when he sees her on the ground and realizes how far he's gone and there is no turning back. Gets me every time

 

I love Hayden, but I actually prefer his performance as Anakin. I think that's the role he was cast for, following Lucas's habit of casting actors who naturally embody their characters, and Lucas just trusted him to grow into the Vader role. He does a reasonable job as Vader, passably imitating James Earl Jones's cadence and delivery, but without JEJ's unique baritone it just doesn't have the same effect, coming across more as an affectless monotone. But I think that's a problem almost any actor would have run into unless they had a similarly baritone voice, which conversely wouldn't have worked for the youthfully inviting Anakin character.

Ironically, I think Hayden does a better job believably evoking Vader when he isn't attempting to exactly imitate JEJ, but rather delivers his lines as Anakin speaking in an imperious fashion. Like here:



I can believe that's the future Darth Vader right there. It's not the precise speaking pattern that's important, but the commanding attitude and sense of conviction with which the lines are delivered. Hayden's closer to being himself here, and I think that's why it works.

But I will add that in purely physical terms Hayden 100% nails Vader, even when he's Anakin. The slow, deliberate arm and hand movements, the way he sweeps through a room when he walks, the way he towers over people he's conversing with, it's all spot-on. And it's important to keep in mind that Hayden was also trying to provide a continuum with the Jake Lloyd character even while he was doing all this Vader-y stuff with Anakin, which had to be a tough job.

 

I like the interview (the Chosen One featurette I think) where Hayden said thought he'd be playing the part more in Vader mode than Anakin so it was hard for him to hold back during the angsty/romantic aspects of the role. I think he absolutely knocked it out of the park as pre suit Vader.

The temple march is chilling and I know what's coming but I can't look away. His walk is perfect. ( I love the music to this scene as well)

I don't like the inclusion of him choking Padme, I understand why George had him do it but this is the person that he wanted to save more than anything so it just rubbed me wrong that he would then physically endanger her.

@Deliveranze I love the shots you chose but one of the ones that gets me every time is the sequence where he's killing the separatists and crying out in anguish over what he's done. The quick addictive rise in dark side power but at the same time his conscience is killing him. It's hard to get a good capture of that small moment. The behind the back block of the blaster bolt is great too.

I also really enjoyed the intensity/confidence and physicality he displays during the duel with Obi Wan. There's a scene where Vader has Obi Wan by the throat pushing him down to the table and his facial expressions are just all business- there's no doubt in him whatsoever. The kicks and the finesse of the force use. This is my favorite duel of the saga. I get impatient watching the old farts fight in between.

He worked his butt off for this between studying James Earl Jones manner of speaking, to the Vader walk, the lightsaber technique, and bulking up in order to wear the suit. Oh and the stunts!! He volunteered to do as many as he could so George could get the shots he needed of his face.

I actually love his whole part in ROTS. Loved seeing him and Obi Wan in battle action at the start of the film, their banter through the rescue of Palps, and the way his emotions play across his face when Padme tells him she's pregnant. I really would have loved to see Hayden get the chance to do more action sequences, more of the missions and battles that came along later in the TCW series.

@The_Phantom_Calamari - yes, I agree, his voice and cadence there are great. I actually really appreciate those types of lines rather than when George wanted him to be romantically emotional or complaining. His physical presence is much appreciated in the ways you list as well.

 

Well, that's exactly why George made him do it. To show that turning to the dark side is futile, because all your initial good intentions will inevitably be consumed by a pure lust for greater power. He betrayed his friends, he murdered his family, he sold his soul to the Devil, he ruined his entire life. He did all these horrible things, all for Padme's sake....and then she had the nerve to reject him, making it all for nothing. And not only that, she brought his best friend there to kill him. Personally, I can see why that would make him really mad. So mad that he'd lash out at the one thing he supposedly loves the most. That's how twisted Anakin has become. He's created his own personal hell and trapped himself inside it, and it's about to get even worse as he doubles down on the path he's chosen.