TPM Chapter 43: Obi-Wan vs. Darth Maul DISCUSSION

Until the release of ROTS on 5/19/05, I would like to discuss TPM chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 47 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 1: Opening Logos, Chapter 2: The Phantom Menace and Chapter 50: End Credits.

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 43: Obi-Wan vs. Darth Maul
DISCUSSION: March 17, 2005 - March 21, 2005
DVD TIME INDEX: 121:14 - 122:15

Synopsis:
Behind the plasma gate, Obi-Wan is steaming full of rage seeing his master slain by the venomous Sith. Darth Maul struts before him ready to make a second kill. The gate cycle begins. The lightsabers ignite and Obi-Wan and Darth Maul clash swords. Kenobi's swordmanship fuels with every intense clash. After several perfect moves, the two get back into their fighting stances and the duel intensifies. They match each other in combat, until Obi-Wan cuts Maul's lightsaber in two and knocks him to the ground. Now one-on-one, Kenobi and Maul exchange acrobatic moves and clash various times. Obi-Wan forces Maul into a deadlock, but is pushed backwards in the generator pit. Obi-Wan hangs onto the side of the pit, only to watch Darth Maul kick his blade down the shaft. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
Now the duel gets dirty as Obi-Wan shows his fighting side against Darth Maul. Practically it follows in the same footsteps as the Qui-Gon vs. Maul duel earlier. The villain has the upper hand once again.

Obi-Wan was really a tag along character for most of the movie, but he shines in this chapter in his one-on-one with Maul. I give Ewan so much credit for giving us a taste of his true potential the later prequels. I absolutely love when Maul's double blade gets chopped in half. He's not so invincible after all like he was in the other chapters of the duel.

The moment where it seems as if Kenobi has Maul beaten is classic in my mind, then how he goes into the pit, hanging by the simplest thing. Cliche with the hanging, but a good way to end the chapter. Having Maul struts around and kick Kenobi's lightsaber as if all hope was lost makes him the more venomous bad guy. Souless, but great on screen.

Not that long of a fight, just little over a minute, but this is already the third location of the duel, so it's understandable. But there's still one more segment to this climatic duel to end the Battle of Naboo. Good chapter.

 

I remember seeing this in theaters for the first time. The whole MAUL VS. JEDI duel was my favorite action sequence of the film, and this was leading up to its climax. It was very fast, and very intense, and I loved it!

 

Oh I have to agree totally. You know at first, I had wondered why Dart Maul had not kicked Qui- Gon's lightsaber, down the pit. but after watching it a few more times I finally found out and thought, dummy, you had him dead.

 

I still get chills when Obi and Maul fight. When they fight right after the force field goes down is just incredible. That whole sequence until obi falls is one of my favorite parts in whole saga.

 

Really cool duel. Very fast paced. Two apprentices trying to kill each other. But where Maul lets his anger guide him, Obi-Wan loses focus and appears to have lost this point in the film.

I like the music too towards the end.

 

The only scene I ever re-watch of TPM. It's
truly great, if not a bit too short.

 

That's the ONLY scene you re-watch? It wasn't that bad. I thought they did a rather good job with the movie. It certainly wasn't shallow. It has layers and layers of stuff, you just have to look at it closely.

Ah, I'm rambling to myself again. Don't read anything past the second sentence. But, wait, if you've read down to here, ah, whatever.

 

Off topic: I love your new icon Moleman1138.

On topic: The duel between Maul and Obi is so intense! I love watching it. It's just got to be so hard for Obi-Wan to conintue fighting because you just know he wants to go to his dying master, but he can't.

All-in-all, wonderful scene with great acting, great orchestrations when Obi-Wan tumbles over the edge, and great direction on Lucas's part.

A+ rating.

 

The duel was great, but the ending was... Well... Blah. I hate the way Maul lets himself get cut in half, but oh well... All before that rocked!

 

Well Iam a little late to the party but Ill throw my two cents anyway.
This is everyones favourite part of TPM Iam sure, I mean it really shows Jedi/Sith in their prime. Just fantastic and of course its great to see Kenobi best Maul, if only for a second, before he is thrown into the pit.......for now.

 

duel of the fates - perfect music from williams and a great title, i might add. ewan is wonderful in this scene - beads of sweat on the brow/forehead - even looking desperate as he's left hanging and maul removes (he thinks) his only weapon. obi wan is about to tap into a wee bit of the dark side to revenge qui gon

 

While I love DotF, I actually think the effect of NOT having any music in the Obi-Wan/Maul fight is great. Up until then, the fight has been really epic and all. But then you just get the light bit of drums. This fight is a lot more visceral. Obi-Wan's brushes with the Dark Side are disturbing but understandable. Great parallel to Luke in RotJ, I think. Getting knocked into the shaft is a big wakeup call for him, I think. Excellent scene all around.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). TPM Chapter 44: Control Ship Destroyed DISCUSSION will be made available 10:30 PM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138

 

Ewan McGregor is very effective in this scene, despite the fact that his character isn't terribly well-developed over the course of the picture. Ewan asserts himself nicely as he flirts dangerously with rage, after being confronted with his master's untimely demise at the hands of this venomous, onlooking Sith Lord.

I love the way that Lucas allows the action in this sequence to extend beyond the parameters of his traditional compositions; this adds a considerable amount of visual tension to the proceedings. The movement is no longer classically "composed", and therefore an underlying uncertainty begins to develop and haunt the edges of the picture; it is as though the visceral forcefulness of the characters' movments give rise to a hyper-real sense of conflict. A good example of this occurs when Obi-Wan slashes through Maul's saber and sends the Sith backwards onto the ground - as an audience, we do not feel adequately sated, and it is as though Obi-Wan's emotions have been well personified through visual means. The rest of the duel is exhilarating in a very "choreographed" manner, but the moments indicated above are far more noteworthy, in my opinion.