TPM Chapter 49: Naboo Celebration 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 49: Naboo Celebration
DISCUSSION: April 16, 2005 - April 20, 2005
DVD TIME INDEX: 128:21 - 129:45

Synopsis:
A parade celebrating the Naboo victory takes place in the Grand Plaza of Theed. Gungan parade to the palace step led by Captain Tarpals, Jar Jar Binks and Boss Nass on Kaadus. Everyone is cheering. Boss Nass jumps off his Kaadu, while Jar Jar gets trapped. The march up the steps and stand next to Queen Amidala, Chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi. Padme hands Boss Nass the Globe of Peace. Everyone cheers. Anakin now in his Jedi garb flirts with his future wife, Padme Amidala. Everyone watches as Boss Nass holds the globe above his head as a symbol of victory and peace. Iris Out. END OF CHAPTER - END OF STAR WARS - EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE

Opinion:
Well the end of Phantom Menace parallels the end to A New Hope, but is a more heated and cheaper version than its predecessor. An up ending indeed, mediocre all around. Too bad it can't live up to ANH.

It's an okay chapter. Where ANH's ending meant something, TPM did not. So what the Gungans and the Naboo reconciled. Big deal in my opinion. It really doesn't affect the rest of the saga. The Battle for Naboo, yes but not the entire Saga. The entrance of the Gungans is certainly no Luke, Han and Chewie entrance. Jar Jar still acts like his goofy self.

The only thing that I like about this scene is the flirtation between Anakin and Padme. It's pretty much known from that point on that they'll be together. Also Anakin in the Jedi garb was nice. I'm just wondering if the Council brought the clothes along. It's the most obvious answer. And I also wonder when Anakin had time to get a haircut with all the festivities going on.

The chapter could definitely be better. That is for sure, but it parallels A New Hope, which is a good thing and a decent way to end the first film of this six part saga. Now on to Attack of the Clones. Okay chapter.

 

The music was annoying.

 

Nice celebration, but Gungans were annoying.

 

I like the music, because it is (or so I've heard) an upbeat, altered version of the Emperor's Theme. Think about it. You'll see what I mean. It is very forshadowing.

 

A nice ending, I liked seeing all of the jedi council and Anakin dressed as a jedi as well as Anakin and Padme together sort of.

 

I really liked this chapter. The music was very festive and cool, the graphics were very impressive, and I did feel that the ending meant something.

To me it was the acknowledgement of people working together can really trump evil and they did it. Sadly things will get worse for them in the following movies but this is a victory they should be proud to have.

The anakin and padme smile was very cute too.

 

What annoyed the heck out of me was the Gungans moving there necks to the music.

 

For those who don't like the music, that means you don't like The Emperors's Theme either. It's the same thing.

 

It is a lighter form of the Emperor's theme. And I like it, but not as much as the Emperor's theme.

 

the music wasnt bad

 

I like this scene, although I don't like the non-descript ball of energy that Padme hands to Boss Nass. What the hell is that thing?

Otherwise its cool. what I love about TPM is that its essentially this rainbow coloured fairytale, except there is this dark undercurrent with palpatine. so this whole celebration really means that Palpatine won. The bad guy got what he wanted, but it seems like the good guys won.

It works so well. Thats why I will argue that TPM is some of GLs best directing. Other spots are weak and the script could be better but mostly just on a conceptual level on certain things (anakin's age, obi-wan being sidelined, etc)

But this ending is strong in my opinion, it sums up the movie very nicely.

 

actually i thought the ending to a new hope was hokey - loved the concept but each and every actor looked artificial and bring on da cheeze. re: TPM - i agree the parade was just so much like a circus - and we have to see yet another pratfall by jar jar; give the dude some dignity at this point.
i didn't see amidala and anakin as flirting - i thought he looked to her for a little reassurance and she responded like an older relative would, not a romantic interest. loved her costume, though, and the change in anakin just via the change in the hair was surprising. 2 favorite parts:
the peace globe and the pull back to see palpatine in profile - the orchestrator if not THE phantom menace. and MOLEMAN, i mentioned this already on AotC C by C - i've just enjoyed the dissection of both of these movies, chapter - by - chapter. it's truly illuminating to focus on a small part of the big picture and analyze it plus gaining insight from others. your initiation at each chapter primed everyone's pump to where, well, guess i can only speak for myself here, i would read , think about it, post my viewpoint and check back to see what others were thinking. your analysis always painted the colors for me and brought me right back to the specific part of the respective movie. made me live it all over again which has really helped in the long wait for RotS. i now feel prepared... and i thank you and all participants for yours and theirs contributions.

 

I liked the music. Sure it was a bit cheerful but the fact that it was essentially the Emperor's theme made it quite interesting.

Since I'm not a fan of the Gungans though I wasn't really interested in the peace celebration. I mean what the hell is that Orb? It looked like a bomb from the battle.

Sad that C-3PO couldn't make it. On that note you would have thought that as a reward for Anakin saving Naboo, Queen Amidala and the Naboo could have bought his mother out of slavery. But whatever.

Also Palpatine needed a new outfit. He's Supreme Chancellor now and he wore that frock the other day.

 

actually i thought the ending to a new hope was hokey

Yes, on some level, as heretical as it may appear to state, I think that the ending to that film was a bit clunky - therefore, I do agree with you, lovelucas. I love "A New Hope", but the closing moments are not among its best.

As for this particular scene in "The Phantom Menace", I have charged elsewhere, as have others, that the finale in question is actually rather contrived and tacked-on. The sequence which preceded it, Qui-Gon's funeral, was so much more emotional and tactfully rendered, as several levels of subtext were addressed beautifully, positioned squarely in the context of this larger event. The "Naboo Celebration", however, really appears to be a clunky, overbearing homage to Episode IV's ending, which in comparison looks like a masterpiece. The energy orb is such an arbitrary device to implement in this scene - to contrive an abstract item of importance around which the final celebratory moments (of the film) revolve is underwhelming and fairly unsatisfactory. Whenever I watch this scene, I get the sense that Lucas didn't really know how to bring adequate closure to his story, yet felt he needed an additional scene, so he devised this elaborate, but uninspired, parallel to the first installment in his "Star Wars" saga. Perhaps some of my annoyance with this particular passage of the film stems from the fact that, as I have already indicated, the previous moments were so wonderfully executed, that this bit tends to distract from and undermine their power. The tonal rhythms are so manifestly contorted to fit into Lucas' design, that the film's mise-en-scene is directly compromised.

The only thing that I like about this scene is the flirtation between Anakin and Padme.

Yes, I agree Moleman - the fleeting awknowledgement between Anakin and Padme is one of the redeeming moments of this chapter - the majority of the players perched upon the stairs appear to be stiffly embedded within the fabric of the "group pose". This is a somewhat mediocre ending to what is an otherwise enjoyable film.

I have really admired your work on these CBC threads, Moleman - your ideas, descriptions and analyses have been very thoughtful and well-articulated. I look forward to the forthcoming ESB chapter discussions - keep up the excellent work.

However, I have but one quibble, Moleman: if you happen to miss the timeframe for these individual threads by a few days, I would very much appreciate it if you did not try to compensate by posting two chapter threads (from one film) at once, as it becomes rather difficult to get around to posting an extensive series of comments in six different threads (hence my absence from the last few CBC discussions). Otherwise, good stuff. Thanks.

 

There is some subtle foreshadowing in the final shots: Anakin and Padmé exchange friendly looks while Obi-Wan observes suspiciously.

 

Isn' that orb a "Peace Globe" to symbolize the new peace between the Gungans and the Naboo?

 

Isn' that orb a "Peace Globe" to symbolize the new peace between the Gungans and the Naboo?

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). TPM-DS Chapter 1: Complete Podrace Grid Sequence DISCUSSION will be made available 6:30 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




A MESSAGE FROM THE HOST

"Here at last on the shores of the sea comes the end of our CBC. I will say do not weep for not all tears are of an evil."

I am proud of the impact CBC has made since its creation in August 04. It has seriously been an incredible journey for all, myself included. To analyze these films on such a detailed basis gives me such a great feeling.

I want to thank everyone who participated one way or another in CBC. Strilo, Stryphe, Windy, Bertocci. Thank you mods for allowing me to do these discussions and moving them over to PT. The regulars: Grand Moff Kevin, Panaka's Dawg, Tyrannus the Hutt, Lovelucas, HookLineandSinker, Bacon164, Katana Geldar, Garth_Maul, Matthew Z, Chaotic Serentiy, Hades2021, Darth Tunick, TatooineFireman, Mandalorian, Rechedelphar, Rebel Scumb. If I forget any other regulars, I apologize, but you're here too.

Please be sure to join in upcoming discussions. We are now discussing TPM-Deleted Scenes here in PT and ANH and ESB over in Classic Trilogy. Hope to see all of you.

-Moleman