PT The Obi-Wan/Padme deleted scene: A potential high-point of ROTS?

There has been much discussion of the bevy of political scenes expunged from Revenge of the Sith, yet in my mind, the true casualty concerns a filmed passage unseen in any venue: the first exchange between Obi-Wan and Padme. Quite frankly, it's beautiful, lending tremendous pathos to Obi-Wan and to the fractured Prequel family. The scene reads as follows:


93 EXT. CORUSCANT-PADME'S APARTMENT-EARLY MORNING
Padme's apartment building is surrounded by the smog-shrouded city of Coruscant.

94 INT. CORUSCANT-PADME'S APARTMENT-LIVING ROOM-EARLY MORNING
PADME and OBI-WAN sit on one of the couches.

OBI-WAN: Has Anakin been to see you?

PADME: Several times . . . I was so happy to hear he was accepted on the Jedi Council.

OBI-WAN: I know ... he deserves it. He is impatient, strong willed, very opinionated, but truly gifted.

They laugh.

PADME: You're not just here to say hello. Something is wrong, isn't it?

OBI-WAN: You should be a Jedi, Padme.

PADME: You're not very good at hiding your feelings.

OBI-WAN: It's Anakin . . . He's becoming moody and detached. He's been put in a difficult position as the Chancellor's representative . . . but I think it's more than that. I was hoping he may have talked to you.

PADME: Why would he talk to me about his work?

OBI-WAN studies her.

OBI-WAN: Neither of you is very good at hiding your feelings either.

PADME: Don't give me that look.

OBI-WAN: I know how he feels about you.

PADME: (nervous) What did he say?

OBI-WAN: Nothing. He didn't have to.

PADME is a little flustered. She stands and Obi-Wan follows. She walks to the balcony.

PADME: I don't know what you're talking about.

OBI-WAN: I know you both too well. I can see you two are in love. Padme, I'm worried about him.

PADME looks down and doesn't answer.

OBI-WAN: (continuing) I fear your relationship has confused him. He's changed considerably since we returned . . .

They stand on the balcony and look off at the early morning city. OBI-WAN starts to leave. PADME stays looking off into the distant city.

OBI-WAN: (continuing) Padme, I'm not telling the Council about any of this. I ... I hope I didn't upset you. We're all friends, I care about both of you . . .

PADME: Thank you, Obi-Wan.

OBI-WAN: Please do what you can to help him.




Why, oh why was this left on the cutting-room floor?

 

Yeah, that scene along with the rebellion scene really should have been in the movie.

 

I admit I never saw the scene but it reads really interesting. It's a tender human moment.

 

It IS an interesting scene. I suspect it would have helped, most, with those who feel that Anakin was unfairly treated by the Jedi and/or Obi Wan (in particular), as it makes explicit that Obi-Wan's relationship with Anakin wasn't a cold, harsh one,and that Anakin was indeed shown some understanding/cut some slack for his unique situation. Personally, I didn't need to see that demonstrated on screen -- I think it was pretty amply demonstrated already --but there is clearly a not insignificant number of people who feel otherwise.

 

Absolutely agree. It reads so good.
Such a great human moment before the worlds of the three main characters finally crash.

And why didn't they put it on DVDs/BluRays instead of extended Pod Races etc.?
The Making of ROTS confirms the scene was shot.

 

It would have been a good scene to have. The info in J.W. Rinzler's "Making Of" book for ROTS suggests that Ewan and Natalie had a strong chemistry and performed well together (a tantalizing picture is also included of Natalie/Padme warmly regarding Ewan/Obi-Wan as they're sat together on her couch, in soft, tawny lighting, in a fetching composition dominated by olive greens, yellows, and browns, as Obi-Wan leans in clutching the tip of his beard, his back to the camera).

Of course, we do still have their other scene in the film, where Obi-Wan urges Padme to disclose Anakin's whereabouts, since that one's kinda crucial. And that's what it would all seem to boil down to: eliding anything from this tightly-edited film that wasn't absolutely essential; especially as the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker hurtles ever closer to actualization. There was likely some agonizing behind the scenes, because Lucas had a lot of material, and a pretty meaty script (yes, really; dig it up -- a LOT was cut or trimmed), but wanted a run-time of two-hours-and-twenty minutes, at most, minus credits. This poignant scene is merely one of many victims of the snip in the search to meet that objective.

A little unfortunate on some levels, I think, that GL didn't allow each of the prequel films to grow longer than the previous. If he'd allocated 140 mins for TPM, then AOTC could have been 150, and ROTS could have hit 160. That's the route Nolan ended up going for his "Dark Knight" trilogy; and the prequel trilogy is only all the more epic, in my view, warranting the same, times ten. Of course, there's the "serial" style to consider, and the age of the audience, as well as potentially turning more profit with a leaner running time. There's also something to be said for keeping those run times down: the focus and the discipline involved. And hey, less is more. But try to imagine -- if you're actually a fan of the prequels (which seems to be in some doubt, even here: if a stick a pen next to a random name in a list, what are the chances I'll land next to a basher?) -- what an extra 20-30 minutes could have wrought.

And as has just been pointed out, this scene, along with several others, could have been included on the Blu-ray (as a "deleted" scene at the very least); frustrating that some good material definitely exists but has been held back. But I guess it adds a sense of mystery and whets the appetite for future products, too.

 

I don't think all of the Kashyyyk scenes were necessary in the movie. Some could have been easily cut imo.

I'm one of those persons you are describing and yes, this scene would have made a difference.

 

A couple of other observations:

- I just realized that this scene of Obi and Padme together comes just after the opera/Darth Plagueis scene. That puts an extra spin on Obi-Wan reaching out to Padme for Anakin's sake. The three are already doomed, in a sense, because Palpatine has just planted a dark seed in Anakin's head that begins Anakin's fatalistic obsession with the Dark Side, with the idea that the Jedi are keeping things from him, and that Obi-Wan is meddling where he's not wanted. It's almost like Obi-Wan got to Padme's apartment a single day too late.

- The deletion of this scene is somewhat sad on the level of ROTS being more of an "actor's" picture than the previous two. I think its tragic overtones lend it more of a sad, urgent, dramatic, desperate air. It was really a chance for the actors to shine (a dialogue coach was even hired to allow them to rehearse properly). To know that some of these scenes were cut out is quite the blow: for the actors and the audience (and GL, too). I should add costume designers, too, since there were some designs that only exist in deleted material. But for all that, you can still argue that the picture is better for being so lean and direct. Free of extraneous material and thick starch, it is free to unfold at full force. Even though there are victims to this autocratic vigour, one can admire the uncanny zeal involved in maintaining a strong momentum.

 

I agree that scene should've been in there as well.

 

To me it depends on how the scene looks in motion. It may be good on paper, but I can't know if its worthy based on text alone. Has this scene been released as a deleted scene on the blu ray or internet?

 

^
I don't know about the Internet, but it's not on the Blu-ray.

 

It's a shame they didn't put this scene into the movie. I think it helps clarify a few things, especially regarding Obi-Wan and Anakin.

1. Obi-Wan knew about the relationship between Ani and Padme, and didn't tell the Council
2. Anakin's behaviour changed 'considerably' after they returned (and after his dream about Padme dying). While this may seem obvious, it suggests that he was more relaxed (and less 'moody and detached') before which makes it easier to believe that he and Obi-Wan were very good friends.
3. Obi-Wan believes that Anakin deserves his place on the Council.
4. Obi-Wan is friends with Padme as well as Anakin and cares about them both. This adds credence to the comments that Padme makes to Anakin along those lines.

In all, I think it would have given more weight to the friendship between Anakin and Obi-Wan, which would have made the subsequent scenes all the more poignant.

 

The scene was unnecessary and deserved to be omitted. It’s too wordy and apparent and redundant. Too conventional for Star Wars. A superior version of it exists in the movie already; superior because reveals just as much but with greater economy and is even more elliptically dramatic through the power of subtly, inference and interpretation.

"Anakin is the father, isn’t he?" – "I’m so sorry."

Lucas once again rendering a dynamic of such opposing extremes: an entire underlying, unseen emotional conflict glimpsed through a mere keyhole, thus pressurized like a laser. It’s a wonderfully microcosmic moment.

 

It is indeed but, unfortunately, not everyone 'gets' it

 

I agree with you on this. What I'd also say is; I like the PT, but it would have been stronger, and would have worked better if more time were taken over telling vertain parts of the story. Some of the scenes that were edited out would have added to the story greatly. My biggest gripe with the PT is the compression of the story. As pointed out, this scene would have really helped cement the tragedy of what Anakin threw away with his later choices. The 'Naberry' family scenes would have helped with the love story. I agree that extending the movies would have enriched them.

 

Absolutely. It renders the tension between them as troubling to Obi-Wan, which as you say endorses that the relationship between them was more generally one of warmth and friendship (so that the banter between them at the beginning, and its return prior to Obi-Wan leaving for Utapau, would be seen as the norm) - it would add to that element considerably.

 

I understand your point, but I rather like the outright confession. For me, it points to a benevolent motivation behind Kenobi's enabling of the marriage, rooted perhaps in a needling guilt over his inept handling of Anakin's prophetic dreams in AOTC. His last few lines seem to be variations of, "I wouldn't save his mother, but I will give him you."

 

Didn't Lucas edit out a lot of scenes in AOTC because Imax theaters had a specific time limit or something?

 

OBI-WAN: You should be a Jedi, Padme.

---

only if this line was eliminated,

one of the only reasons I like Padme is that she is a main character that ISN'T force sensitive, and for me it works.

Not everyone who has a bit of intelligence has to be sensitive to the force, she might just be a smart educated lady,

but other than that I think I'd prefer the Rebellion scenes.

The scene is a bit redundant and I'd much rather see more friendship between Anakin and Obi-Wan together, not telling yet another person he's fond of him, show it, don't tell it.

 

I don't think it's her intelligence that he is referring to so much as her apparent insight into what he is feeling. That may well be a bit surprising (and possibly disconcerting) to someone who is not particularly expressive emotionally. I guess it's his humour anyway.

I'd love to see more of the friendship between Anakin and Obi-Wan (preferably in addition to this scene!)

 

"Well then, you are lost!"- would have meant even more with the Padme/ Obi scene in play.

 

This scene sounds very interesting but I do agree with some of the comments above that it was somewhat fitted into "Anakin is the father isn't he?" scene.

Oh, why coulnd't be a world were they made tons of deleated/cut scenes in as an Extended Edition like finally having Liam's ghost, the Palpatine tricking Jar-Jar in Ep3 and so on...

 

Actually, it was just some crappy voice over when Yoda was meditating at least according to the Blu-Ray version.

 

At first glance I thought you wrote:

Spoiler

"Palpatine choking JarJar in Ep3..."

and my first thought was...

WHY WAS THAT DELETED?!