Star Words: Episode II, Part 8
Nov. 16th, 2017 02:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matrilObi-Wan's investigation into the assassination attempts on Padmé is one of the most enjoyable elements of Episode II. We hadn't really had the chance before this film to watch someone solve a mystery in a Star Wars movie. Oh, there were plenty of mysteries and secrets and surprises in the original trilogy, but nothing that formed the basis of a kind of detective plot. And it's more than just entertaining. The way that Obi-Wan tracks down clues, and the mysteries he uncovers, are highly illustrative of the nature of the Jedi Order -- as well as its imminent downfall.
First, he attempts to learn the source of the bounty hunter's poisonous dart by using the Temple's analysis droids. When that proves to be a dead end, he employs a more unusual resource -- a friend from a very different part of Coruscant. We've already seen the seedy underbelly during the Zam Wessel chase, but Dex's diner is a little different -- not a wretched hive, just not genteel and fancy. And I'm pretty sure a lot of Jedi wouldn't even consider entering such a place, let alone making friends with the owner. It's fun to speculate when and how Obi-Wan made his acquaintance with Dex -- while he was still Qui-Gon's apprentice? Later on? Does Anakin know him? -- but it's clear that their friendship is a very useful resource. Dex recognizes the dart immediately, and points out the analysis droids' short-sightedness in searching only for symbols. This, he claims with a chuckle, is a symptom of a greater problem.
"I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and...wisdom."
Knowledge, like the encyclopedic wealth of information contained in the Jedi archives, is important and valuable. But it can only get you so far. And if you think you know everything, that knowledge is little more than a stumbling block. Too often the Jedi can't look beyond their hard-set assumptions. They can't believe a former Jedi could murder. They can't believe anything exists if it's not in their archives. And they can't imagine that a Sith Lord is right under their noses. Obi-Wan is at least somewhat willing to look beyond typical Jedi assumptions. He and Yoda might be a teensy bit wiser than the rest. That may be why they are the only ones to survive the purge. But maybe they were just lucky.
Wisdom can't be obtained in a set of carefully curated data entries, however expansive. It can only be gained from experience, and perhaps more importantly, the willingness to learn from that experience. Well, a lot of learning opportunities are coming for the Jedi. By the time Obi-Wan and Yoda are left as the last surviving members of the Order, they will have considerably more wisdom, gained at a terrible cost.
Next, Anakin tries to find a little loophole in the Jedi Code...
First, he attempts to learn the source of the bounty hunter's poisonous dart by using the Temple's analysis droids. When that proves to be a dead end, he employs a more unusual resource -- a friend from a very different part of Coruscant. We've already seen the seedy underbelly during the Zam Wessel chase, but Dex's diner is a little different -- not a wretched hive, just not genteel and fancy. And I'm pretty sure a lot of Jedi wouldn't even consider entering such a place, let alone making friends with the owner. It's fun to speculate when and how Obi-Wan made his acquaintance with Dex -- while he was still Qui-Gon's apprentice? Later on? Does Anakin know him? -- but it's clear that their friendship is a very useful resource. Dex recognizes the dart immediately, and points out the analysis droids' short-sightedness in searching only for symbols. This, he claims with a chuckle, is a symptom of a greater problem.
"I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and...wisdom."
Knowledge, like the encyclopedic wealth of information contained in the Jedi archives, is important and valuable. But it can only get you so far. And if you think you know everything, that knowledge is little more than a stumbling block. Too often the Jedi can't look beyond their hard-set assumptions. They can't believe a former Jedi could murder. They can't believe anything exists if it's not in their archives. And they can't imagine that a Sith Lord is right under their noses. Obi-Wan is at least somewhat willing to look beyond typical Jedi assumptions. He and Yoda might be a teensy bit wiser than the rest. That may be why they are the only ones to survive the purge. But maybe they were just lucky.
Wisdom can't be obtained in a set of carefully curated data entries, however expansive. It can only be gained from experience, and perhaps more importantly, the willingness to learn from that experience. Well, a lot of learning opportunities are coming for the Jedi. By the time Obi-Wan and Yoda are left as the last surviving members of the Order, they will have considerably more wisdom, gained at a terrible cost.
Next, Anakin tries to find a little loophole in the Jedi Code...
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Date: 2017-11-18 01:57 am (UTC)Your alluding to this scene at the end of your last post did get me thinking about the very line you quoted here, and in thinking about it I found myself wondering about "the difference between knowledge and... wisdom" as illustrated in those fans who can provide the "official" name, species, and biography for every alien in the cantina, but who don't quite seem to enjoy the actual movies as opposed to the hypothetical case they built up from The Empire Strikes Back... I've been willing to suppose I wasn't that far away from that once upon a time (save for some inarticulateness of my own that it just didn't feel satisfying to be dissatisfied with Return of the Jedi like so many other people), and I can recognize how narrow the path that took me to where I am now was. I have seen a few people proclaiming that male fans only "memorize" whereas female fans "create"...
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Date: 2017-11-18 02:34 am (UTC)That's an interesting comparison about wisdom and knowledge among fans. I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with memorizing lots of facts and lines from the films -- I do it myself! -- but it's limiting when they consider that the only "true" way to be a fan. The male/female divide isn't universally divided between memorizing and creating, but there is definitely a trend. I've seen theories that it's because women and their viewpoints are under-represented in speculative fiction, and so they create transformative works to "fix" that. I don't fully agree with that interpretation. It's not how I engage with creative works myself; I generally like the canon. But I suppose it could be a common motivator for other female fans. Myself, if I perceive a film or book or TV show as needing to be dramatically fixed, I don't generally become a fan of it. ;)