Star Words: Part XXVIII
Sep. 21st, 2017 12:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matrilThere was a lot of foreshadowing about Anakin discussed in the last entry, but we also have a tremendous hint regarding the identity of Sidious, right before the film's final scene. It casts an ominous shadow over all of the gleeful celebration that follows.
Yoda and Mace discuss the fallen Darth Maul (did they learn his name from the Viceroy or not? No one mentions him by name again, so who knows?) and acknowledge that the Sith truly have returned. And they know there's another one out there, because "Always two there are. No more. No less. A master...and an apprentice." This is a great line on its own. It explains the Sith rule of two succinctly and simply. We understand that the two must be constantly at odds, each secretly planning on replacing the other while knowing the other plans to replace them. Vader's power play with the Emperor and Luke makes more sense than ever.
But Mace's reply...this line gives me goosebumps.
"But which was destroyed? The master...or the apprentice?"
And the camera pans not-so-subtly across the faces of the funeral attendees to finish on Palpatine's.
If you want to give a clear visual representation of dramatic irony, here it is. We know, as an audience, know something that the characters don't. And oh, how it stings.
I don't think we're meant to be in any doubt about the identity of the hooded Sidious. He's on Coruscant just like the Senator -- and if that weren't enough, the balcony where he talks with Maul is clearly visible outside the window of Palpatine's apartment. They both first show up as holograms. Sidious speaks casually of wielding control in the Senate. And for heaven's sake, they have the exact same chin. Star Wars is not all about shocking reveals, "I am your father" notwithstanding. In the prequels especially, there's more power in watching the unwitting characters fly blindly into the tragedy we know is coming.
This is very Shakespearean, by the way. No one worried about spoilers when they were about to watch Othello. The basic stories were familiar to most people, and in any case, if it was a tragedy, the audience knew the hero wasn't going to make it. The point is watching the journey, noting every step along the way that could have been taken differently. It's not the same kind of entertainment as watching a story with a happy ending, but it's definitely entertaining. Cathartic, even. But I've probably gone a bit too much into English teacher mode. Back to the movie.
When the title of the latest Disney Space movie came out, everyone was clambering to find out who the last Jedi could be. (Don't get me started on the notion that the Jedi would be all-but-extinct AGAIN only 30 years after THE JEDI RETURNED. Ahem.) Anyway, the story came out that when a reporter asked George Lucas who the Phantom Menace was, he immediately said, "Darth Sidious." Hah! I love it. Everyone expects that you have to be coy and withholding about everything, down to the meaning of the title, but that's not the point of it for Lucas. Sure, you wouldn't want to give everything away before someone has even seen the movie. But in our spoiler-obsessed culture, I think we can fail to appreciate the nuances of storytelling, and the value of seeing more upon repeat viewings than the initial shocking reveal.
Could the Jedi have done anything to recognize Palpatine's true nature before it was too late? I'm not sure. He was apparently clouding their minds pretty darn effectively. But maybe it was their arrogance that allowed him to get that strong in the first place without their notice. They were quite comfortably sure that the Sith were extinct at the start of the film. They weren't even thinking to keep their eyes open for any sign of them. So maybe if they were wary and watchful early on, the Sith wouldn't have grown so powerful without their notice. If only...if only...but it's not to be. Palpatine is right under their noses, and they're looking past him.
So that's all for Episode I! It's practically the last line of the film, with just a few yelps from Jar Jar and a jubilant (and rather ironic, considering future events) "PEACE!" from Boss Nass in the final scene. Next time I'll be moving on to Episode II, which will match up nicely with my other project I'm currently working on -- One-Woman Attack of the Clones. Oh yes, I'm still doing that. I do have fun with my hobbies....
Yoda and Mace discuss the fallen Darth Maul (did they learn his name from the Viceroy or not? No one mentions him by name again, so who knows?) and acknowledge that the Sith truly have returned. And they know there's another one out there, because "Always two there are. No more. No less. A master...and an apprentice." This is a great line on its own. It explains the Sith rule of two succinctly and simply. We understand that the two must be constantly at odds, each secretly planning on replacing the other while knowing the other plans to replace them. Vader's power play with the Emperor and Luke makes more sense than ever.
But Mace's reply...this line gives me goosebumps.
"But which was destroyed? The master...or the apprentice?"
And the camera pans not-so-subtly across the faces of the funeral attendees to finish on Palpatine's.
If you want to give a clear visual representation of dramatic irony, here it is. We know, as an audience, know something that the characters don't. And oh, how it stings.
I don't think we're meant to be in any doubt about the identity of the hooded Sidious. He's on Coruscant just like the Senator -- and if that weren't enough, the balcony where he talks with Maul is clearly visible outside the window of Palpatine's apartment. They both first show up as holograms. Sidious speaks casually of wielding control in the Senate. And for heaven's sake, they have the exact same chin. Star Wars is not all about shocking reveals, "I am your father" notwithstanding. In the prequels especially, there's more power in watching the unwitting characters fly blindly into the tragedy we know is coming.
This is very Shakespearean, by the way. No one worried about spoilers when they were about to watch Othello. The basic stories were familiar to most people, and in any case, if it was a tragedy, the audience knew the hero wasn't going to make it. The point is watching the journey, noting every step along the way that could have been taken differently. It's not the same kind of entertainment as watching a story with a happy ending, but it's definitely entertaining. Cathartic, even. But I've probably gone a bit too much into English teacher mode. Back to the movie.
When the title of the latest Disney Space movie came out, everyone was clambering to find out who the last Jedi could be. (Don't get me started on the notion that the Jedi would be all-but-extinct AGAIN only 30 years after THE JEDI RETURNED. Ahem.) Anyway, the story came out that when a reporter asked George Lucas who the Phantom Menace was, he immediately said, "Darth Sidious." Hah! I love it. Everyone expects that you have to be coy and withholding about everything, down to the meaning of the title, but that's not the point of it for Lucas. Sure, you wouldn't want to give everything away before someone has even seen the movie. But in our spoiler-obsessed culture, I think we can fail to appreciate the nuances of storytelling, and the value of seeing more upon repeat viewings than the initial shocking reveal.
Could the Jedi have done anything to recognize Palpatine's true nature before it was too late? I'm not sure. He was apparently clouding their minds pretty darn effectively. But maybe it was their arrogance that allowed him to get that strong in the first place without their notice. They were quite comfortably sure that the Sith were extinct at the start of the film. They weren't even thinking to keep their eyes open for any sign of them. So maybe if they were wary and watchful early on, the Sith wouldn't have grown so powerful without their notice. If only...if only...but it's not to be. Palpatine is right under their noses, and they're looking past him.
So that's all for Episode I! It's practically the last line of the film, with just a few yelps from Jar Jar and a jubilant (and rather ironic, considering future events) "PEACE!" from Boss Nass in the final scene. Next time I'll be moving on to Episode II, which will match up nicely with my other project I'm currently working on -- One-Woman Attack of the Clones. Oh yes, I'm still doing that. I do have fun with my hobbies....
no subject
Date: 2017-09-25 04:35 pm (UTC)I don't think I had too many second thoughts and clever theories about the connection between Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine. One part of that, though, might have had to do with knowing the Emperor's name, which wasn't actually said on screen before, and that does seem to have some connection to all the hand-wringing about whether there's a way the six Star Wars movies "have" to be viewed... I suppose all I can say is that I can not just try but enjoy not just two but three viewing orders.
So far as "Palpatine hiding in plain sight from the Jedi" goes, I do have to admit to some annoyed responses to the smugger sort of "this should have been obvious" claims, but I'm at least able to wonder if the Jedi assumed a Sith would operate with frequent use of "the mind trick," where Palpatine can get by perfectly fine with political skill and maybe some "passive sensing" of general desires to play to.
Otherwise, it's nice to see we've made it to the end of one movie, and I'm looking forward to what lines you might delve into next, along with wondering just how high the Roman numerals might get.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-25 07:11 pm (UTC)