Vanity Fair Lucas quote on Hayden in AOTC

The result is the centerpiece performance in the saga - one that is transitional, yet on its own terms, strangely complete, not unlike the movie itself.

I argue that it isn't transitional at all. He changes none from beginning to end. He in no way resembles TPM Anakin. TPM Anakin is a child who is both quiet, driven and full of fear - none of which is represented by Hayden.

Tragic that the boy of Phantom Menace fell? Yes. But Hayden is not Jake Lloyd, and visually, the audience has an immediate disconnection between the two. Only fans, and not all of them, were able to capitalize on the emotional carryover from I to II.

Is this Hayden's fault? I'd argue no. HC is perfectly capable in many many films. I'd argue that from a third of the way through the film to the end - he portrayed it right on the money as to how Anakin should be, a daunting task.

What is lacking is the "transition." The arrogant rude boy I meet in the elevator at the beginning of the film is the same arrogant rude boy at the end. His character lacks arc - and that is the fault of the script.

 

But Hayden is not Jake Lloyd, and visually, the audience has an immediate disconnection between the two.

Even if Lucas had let ten years go by and filmed Jake at age 20 in the role, the audience STILL would have had a disconnect because he would have gone through puberty. If you've seen recent pictures of Jake, you know he only barely resembles the little tyke of TPM, and he's only 15.

Of course Hayden's not Jake LLoyd. The character has to age ten years between films and there's only 3 years between production of Episodes I and II. I think that Robin Gurland did an excellent match in her casting. In fact the official site did a digital transition once between Jake and Hayden, with Jake growing and changing into Hayden in a short gif, and it was amazing. If you listen to Hayden in the confession scene saying the lines "I'm good at fixing things. Always was", you can hear Jake in Hayden's line reading. It's very effective.


What is lacking is the "transition." The arrogant rude boy I meet in the elevator at the beginning of the film is the same arrogant rude boy at the end.

Did you somehow miss the confession scene on Tatooine.?The one where he confesses to a slaughter? The one where he breaks down and sobs? That is NOT the same young man that was seen at the beginning of the movie.

His character lacks arc - and that is the fault of the script.

Anakin's character arc is spread across the vast canvas of all six episodes of STAR WARS. Think big.

 

^^^ Absolutely.

TPM Anakin is a child who is both quiet, driven and full of fear - none of which is represented by Hayden.

Of course they don't have exactly the same traits, Hayden/Anakin has grown up in a fairly predictable way, considering his circumstances. I would argue that Jake/Anakin was certainly not quiet. He was humble about his gifts and wanted to do good for others. Hayden/Ani lacks humbleness, but he should, considering what he becomes. Hayden/Ani also does quite a lot for others, that's a main trait of his. Of course, it gets warped sometimes (Tuskens and to the extreme in ROTS) but he's still trying to help others (mom, Padme, and Obi-Wan in AOTC). Driven? Hayden/Ani is extremely driven- to a fault. These are all natural progressions.

Fear? Ah, but that's the thing isn't it? From a certain point of view, Anakin has been ruled by fear ever since two Jedi came to Tatooine, and he remains so until right before his death. Fear is almost always the underlying emotion behind anger. It's exactly as Yoda said... fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. He fears for his mom's life. He fear's for Padme's life. He fears for Obi-Wan's life. He fears he will never live up to his own expectations. Eventually he'll fear the Emperor. Oh, he'll deny is sure, but only because he knows deep down it's true.

For some reason this reminds me of a scene in "Gladiator":

Maximus: You would fight me?
Commodus: Why not? Do you think I am afraid?
Maximus: I think you've been afraid all your life.

I can just image something similiar happening in ROTS. Anakin, to differing extents, has been afraid all his life.

 

Even if Lucas had let ten years go by and filmed Jake at age 20 in the role, the audience STILL would have had a disconnect because he would have gone through puberty

I completely agree with you. No fault of Hayden at all. That's why I strongly feel that the elevator and apartment scenes should have been used to attach the audience emotionally to THIS Anakin at the beginning of the film, and THEN, over the course of the film, you see more and more of his faults surface as pressure is placed up on him. Ultimately he degenerates into the character who kills the Tuskens and rushes madly at Dooku.

ACT II in a trilogy is about character change and development. And arguably, Vader in ESB (ACT II of that trilogy) changes more within ESB than AOTC Anakin does in AOTC. In my opinion, it is poor story telling.

 

That's why I strongly feel that the elevator and apartment scenes should have been used to attach the audience emotionally to THIS Anakin at the beginning of the film, and THEN, over the course of the film, you see more and more of his faults surface as pressure is placed up on him. Ultimately he degenerates into the character who kills the Tuskens and rushes madly at Dooku.

That's exactly what it does for me.

We're introduced to the Anakin that we know so well, he worries, he wants to help, he wants to show off, he goes up against his authorative figure, he craves adventure etc etc. Everything he does goes hand in hand with what we've seen him do in TPM, the only difference is that he misses a certain element - and that is called childhood innocence, but he's a teenager now so of course he doesn't have that.

He does still feel and act like the TPM Anakin though, just in his own grown up manner.

At the start, it's only through his dialog with Padme that i see a new Anakin, i see that he not only craves her attention - he craves her so to say. His problems with Obi Wan etc etc

Throughout the movie i pick up more and more elements to this grown up Anakin that are new to me (most notably - the lengths to which all of his feelings can go).

 

Hayden Christensen is great in EPISODE II, he will be great in EPISODE III.

 

ACT II in a trilogy is about character change and development. And arguably, Vader in ESB (ACT II of that trilogy) changes more within ESB than AOTC Anakin does in AOTC. In my opinion, it is poor story telling.

What? How?