Reason for droid factory scene

Some here have argued that it was in the movie because in this scene Padme falls in love with Anakin. I don't buy it, because in the course of that scene, she never acts like she's attracted to him, or has any feelings. That is an audience-created rationalization based upon her later verbal admission, which can't make up for Portman's lack of ability to bring that across through the rest of her acting.

The question I pose is this: whose idea was that sequence? Lucas, or Spielberg? I ask because Minority Report has a scene just like it. I think Lucas was trying to beat Spielberg to the punch. He added the scene as MR was being filmed, and Spielberg had a script before 2000 came to a close.

 

I hope this doesn't become a: "Lucas steals ideas from Spielberg" thread.

 

Obi-Ewan -

Excellent question. I wondered that myself, and here is my conclusion.

The Factory Scene accomplished 2 things:

WE SEE SOMEONE (3PO) GET HIS HEAD CUT OFF - this, comedically, "softens the blow" when the same, potentially horrifying, thing happens to Jango.

and

WE SEE ANAKIN ALMOST GET HIS ARM CUT OFF.

Same thing - a device whereby the kiddies can "get used to" the possibility of the actual dismemberment.

Otherwise the kiddies might have nightmares when The Real Thing happens.

 

Yeah!

 

The Geonosions created the droid army for the Trade Fed. So, if you are going to their planet then you will see how the droids are made.

And of course, its a good place for symbology while your at it:
Anakin with his arm trapped.
Anakin surrounded by mechanical parts.
More dismemberment as seen with 3PO.

 

Plus we got to see Anakin outrun that green blob thing they shoot at him.

 

Hmmm, he didn't outrun it, just duck and tumble.

I've said it before: if someone blessed/cursed me (depending how you look at it) with waking up to five minutes or less of AOTC every morning, what part would it be?

I'd pick the Conveyor Belt. It did so many things for me on so many levels:

- C-3PO humor (His whole ordeal in this scene has made me love his character more)
- Show of Anakin's saber and force skills.
- Padme put in a position of weakness
- R2 saving the day in again another great way. I've always loved R2.

I love the music, I love the chaos, the fast pace. I love the symbolism of Anakin showing off and getting smacked in the face with machinery because he got too cocky and wasn't paying attention. I love how his arm get's welded down, his saber cut in half. All of it. Great symbolism and foreshadowing of what's to come.

It's an awesome scene.

"Oh my goodness! Machines making machines. How perverse!" - C-3PO

 

Why do people complain about this scene? It's just another great action sequence in the film. It shows how the droids get made and it shows off Anakin's jedi skills which were the main purpose of the whole sequence.

 

God this is an easy question

1. Shows Anakin using his lightsaber and force skills

2. Allows R2 the Star Wars tradition of him saving the day

3. Lets the heroes get captured

4. Shows the enormity and complexity of the droid factory

5. Why not? This is Star Wars. Little things like this are what make the movies great.

 

I also think it sometimes gets a bad rap because it's an action scene but apparently it's not as "epic" as the speeder chase, Obi-Wan vs. Jango, Jedi in the Arena, the Battle of Geonosis, or the end duels.

I guess we shouldn't like the shoot out in Docking Bay 94 and the subsequent Star Destroyer chase, because that's not as epic as the Obi-Wan vs. Darth Vader duel or the end trench run in ANH.

 

Reason: it will make my DVD player and I very happy.

 

Why do people complain about this scene? It's just another great action sequence in the film. It shows how the droids get made and it shows off Anakin's jedi skills which were the main purpose of the whole sequence.

I'm not complaining about the scene itself. I'm complaining about the significance given to it by people saying that "Padme's brush with death makes her realize she loves Anakin." The love story was weak, in large part because Portman saying she loved Anakin is the only indication we get. We have to take her word for it because the rest of her acting doesn't tell us her feelings, and there's no progression of emotion.

Secondly, I'm saying that Lucas probably stole it from Minority Report. Not that that's a bad thing, but it's probably where it came from.

 

I saw MR and I don't see what similar scene connects to the conveyor belt. Please explain.

 

I always thought it was the characters and story that made SW great.

 

i thought the scene was fine, it built tension and showed the enormity of the trade federation's arsenal. who cares if it was stolen of minority report. and anyway, i didnt think it was that similar. the scene was terrific.

 

It was great fun.

 

"I saw MR and I don't see what similar scene connects to the conveyor belt. Please explain"

You remember when John Anderton (Tom Cruise' character) was in that car factory when the PreCrime guys were trying to catch him. Well, the similarity occurs when John gets stuck in a partially built car while still fighting. He has to dodge things. Eventually the car is built around him and he's able to drive it off the lot (I guess they put gas in them when they build them )

 

He dodges presses, gets his arm stamped into a machine; I can't say who borrowed from who, but if neither did, it's an amazing coincidence.

Then again, it may have been intended as a homage.

 

I think the factory scene if fun but pointless, it didn't bother me except when artoo tried to kill C3P0, but I wouldn't miss it either, I gues I'm indifferent.

 

Its possible GL took it off minority report, theyre similar scenes but not remarkably similar. I read somethin recently i think it was in SW insider it said "the sequence was never in george's head or in the script but then GL thought of it all the sudden 9 months later" which sounds kinda dubious but whatever. ITs a pretty sweet scene but i must say im not much of a fan of the whole 3p0 head switch crap, pretty childish, as if you can just pop a protocol droids head on a battle droid and have it work. oh well.

 

The whole C-3PO battle droid switch thing looks like something out of Toy Story. Just the way everything moved in that part of the sequence and the way it looked seemed too cartoonish for me - could use some touch up work, but of course ILM was so stuffed in their schedule to complete the gazillion other effects shots.

 

It's a great scene. Can't wait to see it on the Imax screen...

 

Star Wars is story and character, yes, but it's also FUN. The conveyer belt scene will always be a great, fun scene in my opinion.

 

Didn't Insider say that Lucas added that scene at the last minute? He probably felt the movie was in a little action before the BIG fight started.

It also creates a constrast between the creation of the clones and the droids. The clones are made in a sterile, quiet, orgainzed environment. The droids are created in a completely opposite way- Dirty, loud, dark, machines flying all over the place. Pretty cool scene though it could have been a tad shorter.

 

Great point Darth Ob. I like the constrast.