The love story in the script

Ok, I just had a chance to read the entire AOTC shooting script and I couldn't believe how much of the love story was cut out! It suddenly went from choppily edited declarations and weird transitions to a fairly logical and developed story. There were lots of little moments that should have been included to make the transition from "Ani? My how you've grown!" to "I truly, deeply, love you" much smoother.

I know the film had enough material for a 4 hour cut and GL didn't want a Star Wars film to be bogged down by a love story, but it would have made so much more sense. And judging by the deleted scenes, Natalie Portman would have emoted a little more.

 

I would have liked to see more of the love story too, but then you don't know what other parts of the movie would have to be cut in order for it to work (assuming they'd still follow the same length).

 

From watching the deleted scenes, I don't think they were cut from a time perspective. All in all, adding the scenes at Padme's house would have added, what, another 4 minutes to the film? And adding them would have fleshed out their relationship MUCH better. Those 2 scenes were the best done romance scenes in the movie, and I'd argue possibly the entire 5 films. Much better than what they left in the movie.

So why weren't they left in? To me, they just didn't MAKE ANY SENSE.

Think about it, anakin was supposed to hide padme and keep her safe. Would it make sense for the first place for them to go be her parents house? Would it make sense to go from her house, the first place an assassin would look, to some remote location hiden away?

While the scenes were the best done with regards to the interaction of Padme, Anakin, and the display of their feelings together, it just didn't fit with the overall plot of the story.

 

First off, I don't have a problem with the love story but I can see why people might have problems with it.

First off, the love story does read better in the script yet it would've killed the pace of the film. That's fact.

Second, there were snippets in the script and in the novel that I thought worked really, really well and were very innocent and sincere. For instance, there's a scene in the novel where Anakin comes to Padme's bedroom door in Coruscant and they have a small chat. It's brief but it definitely would've been interesting to see that scene in the film. Also, the last bit of the picnic scene was cut out which I would've loved to see but it would probably would've come off really hokey with Padme and Anakin ride the Shaak in the fields. There's a small snippet where they realize that they are getting a little too close. Then he helps her up and they ride off together on the Shaak and she places her head on her back, loving the moment. That's the one moment I really would've loved to see.

If GL were to go back and re-edit the film, first and foremost, he should put back in the entire Arrival of Naboo sequence because the interaction between Hayden and Natalie is great and it basically explains Padme's life. I don't agree with McCallum's explaination on the DVD about that scene. Second, I would put in the last bit in the picnic scene and film that small scene in the novel that I described above.

But to make those edits, the droid factory scene would have to be cut down completely. Not totally edited out but cut down to where it's quick, tense, and telling. I'd also cut out 3PO's antics during the Arena Battle. And that's about all the re-editing I'd do.

Still, it was hard to do a love story in the middle of this mystery story and impending war story. But I think GL managed it pretty good. I like the way it is now but one or two more edits on the action stuff could've made it superior.

 

I totally agree bswb.

I'm very disappointed in the fact that George Lucas has taken legendary classic films leading the world of science fiction, with so much potential and story, and cut them all down to under 2 1/2 hours. Like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, all the films in the original and prequel (especially) trilogy would do much better at 2 hr 59 min or longer. First let me touch upon the Original Trilogy-now at time these films may seem a little bit slow (ie C3PO and R2D2 arriving on Tatooine or Luke and R2 arriving on Dagobah), but I really feel those scenes give the OT a real intimate feel. Quite a few more action sequences should have been recorded and taken to the cutting room floor so that George Lucas could have presented 3 hr long versions of the films for their re-release in 1997.

Now, about the Prequel Trilogy-hands down, these films are too short, and even at their present length important scenes are cut for the sake of unnecessary child's play. Is it really necessary to see Anakin and Padme playing Mary Poppins in the Geonosian droid factory. More could have been done with the Battle of Geonosis, honestly. Other Jedi could have led troops into battle while Mace (instead of Yoda) went to fight Count Dooku-as I stated in another thread earlier today this would have also given us something fans will now forever miss and never get to see-Mace could have picked up Anakin's green lightsabre and Dooku could have picked up Obiwan's blue lightsabre to afford us the opportunity to see a purple and green versus red and blue lightsabre duel, something that will never happen. We are simply stuck with red versus purple and/or blue versus purple (providing this scene does not get cut from ROTS!) Anyway, let me come back from this tangent that I went off on. The love story definitely needed more fleshing out in AOTC as it did in TESB. I also think it is stupid that we never get to meet Padme's family save for a possible brief cameo of her two nieces in ROTS (but most of the audience won't have a clue as to who they are). Yoda's fighting should have been saved until ROTS to intensify it's impact when he faces Darth Sidious. And yet there is so much more that could have been included-Anakin's scruffle with Gweedo was pertinent in my opinion. Also, some more scenes in TPM where Padme and Anakin get emotionally close to help alleviate the stiffness in the AOTC lines-"Please don't look at me like that." "Why not?" "It makes me feel uncomfortable." Please that was so, I dunno, akward for two people who had just re-met after not seeing each other for ten years, there being no romantic chemistry between them 10 years ago. The Lost 7 or 10 or 12 or however many it was should have been better explained in AOTC as well as Syfo Dias. Obiwan's arrival on Kamino just made the film seem like, "Gee, we really don't have a reason for him to come here and speak with the Kaminoans, we just want to introduce this really cool new planet, so we're gonna make up this story about how the little aliens are expecting ole' Master Jedi."

 

I agree about the love story being wiped out in the film. I haven't seen the script, but the novelization gets the same points across. Padme wants to fall in love and get married, but feels bound by duty to remain in the Senate. This is barely noted in the film, but is conveyed in the deleted scenes. Even 2 more minutes would have helped. I think part of the reason why the scenes were cut is because those who chose to cut the scenes have read the script who knows how many times and seen a rough cut of the film 100s of times. After that much exposure to the film, I could easily see them thinking that the love story is not gutted at all since they already know the love story and how it plays out. Having read AOTC before the film, the love story made more sense to me because R.A. Salvatore said that he wrote it from Padme's point of view. I could see how Padme fell in love despite her misgivings because I already knew what she was thinking. The film did not portray this, and I think it had an impact.

 

Putting the extended arrival on Naboo back in would really help. I think McCallum missed the boat on his explanation. When Padme tells Anakin that she thought she would have children by this point tells volumes about her thoughts. She is conflicted by her duty and the feelings of her heart. She can't tell anyone else about this, but Anakin is the person that she can be herself with. Look at TPM. She could be Padme around him, and he didn't care that she was the Queen.

 

I really don't think either Padme or Anakin was really in love with the other one. I mean, Padme really doesn't have much of a personality (at least in TPM and AOTC--maybe that'll be changed in ROTS), so it doesn't make much sense for Anakin to fall in love with her. You can't love someone who has no character.

I would imagine that Anakin understandably had a huge crush on her when he saw her for the first time, and that was what he remembered when he saw her in AOTC. And Padme--Anakin's hot, let's face it. She has a little bit more to work with (Anakin definitely has more personality than her, so there's more to love) but I would think her love is at least half plain lust.

 

"...but I would think her love is at least half plain lust."

I think that is certainly true for BOTH Padme and Anakin. It is like a Romeo and Juliet situation. They are two young people who are thinking with their hormones rather than their heads. They think that they are in love because they don't really know what romantic love is - they've never really had the opportunity to experience it.



Mace Windy,
too windy for spoilers!

 

lol--Anakin's hormones almost got him kicked out of the Order.

 

Wouldn't be shocked if they do, after all we still have ROTS.

 

Awesome sig.. Beautiful skywalker!!!!

BTW, you make an excellent point, Jedi Princes Padmé.

 

How were you able to read the script? Is it online somewhere???

 

It's in the Art of Episode 2 book.

 

i agree with the bit wen theyr in padmes house should have been includeed in the film. it wouldv made it lots more 'unweird'