Star Words: Episode II, Part 26
Mar. 22nd, 2018 02:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matrilThe arena sequence shows us something we had never had the chance to see before in a Star Wars film: the genesis of a full-scale galactic war. (No coincidence that it takes place on a place called Geonosis.) In the original trilogy we're dropped into the middle of a civil war, with a tiny Rebellion hugely outnumbered by a massive Empire, while Episode I revolves around the invasion of a single planet (though it will, of course, have galactic implications). But in Episode II we finally get to witness the literal beginning of the Clone Wars. And it all starts with three people.
Oh, Separatist-Republic tensions have been brewing for some time, thanks to Papaltine's machinations, but before this point they've kept the veneer of diplomacy. Now, as two Jedi and a Senator are about to be executed, we watch the very definition of mutual escalation play out before us. Three humans? Well, how about three monsters? Oh, an army of Jedi? How about an army of droids? Then what about an army of clones? And suddenly the entire surface of Geonosis has become a battleground.
On a superficial level, it's thrilling to watch, and there are quite a few entertaining one-liners. Obi-Wan's sarcastic "Good job" at Anakin's claim that they came to rescue him, and his punny "She seems to be on top of things" as Padmé resourcefully finds a safe perch atop her pillar. Speaking of puns, I just can't get enough of Threepio's ridiculous plight during this battle. A lot of people cringe at bits like "This is such a drag" and "I'm quite beside myself" but cheesy wordplay is one of my favorite kinds of humor. And yet, as with the droid factory sequence, there is a certain darkness to Threepio's humorous situation -- a darkness that reveals the truly brutal nature of what is happening. He is dismembered, forced to fight against his nature, enduring what is essentially a living nightmare. Beneath the silliness, there is a sort of existential horror.
That brings us to the exchange between Anakin and Padmé as they fight alongside each other in the arena.
"You call this a diplomatic solution?"
"No. I call it aggressive negotiation."
It's funny, and a cute callback to previous moments. Just the sort of battlefield banter you'd expect from two people who have acknowledged their love at last and would give anything to have a future together. But it's also subtly tragic. Padmé has always been characterized as someone who hates war and fighting, who does everything in her power to resolve things peacefully instead. The Jedi, as well, are supposed to be "keepers of the peace, not soldiers." Now Palpatine and Dooku have manipulated the situation to the point that diplomacy no longer seems possible. The only choice is aggression. But that choice will lead to their downfall.
Consider the fact that all of the droids and every single clone are present only in the form of CGI. I've always thought this could be a sly commentary on the fact that the war itself is entirely fabricated, an imaginary cause that Palpatine constructed for the sole purpose of gaining power. Take away the illusion, and there's nothing there. The Republic is betraying its ideals for no reason at all.
Next, a mid-battle argument between Master and Padawan...
Oh, Separatist-Republic tensions have been brewing for some time, thanks to Papaltine's machinations, but before this point they've kept the veneer of diplomacy. Now, as two Jedi and a Senator are about to be executed, we watch the very definition of mutual escalation play out before us. Three humans? Well, how about three monsters? Oh, an army of Jedi? How about an army of droids? Then what about an army of clones? And suddenly the entire surface of Geonosis has become a battleground.
On a superficial level, it's thrilling to watch, and there are quite a few entertaining one-liners. Obi-Wan's sarcastic "Good job" at Anakin's claim that they came to rescue him, and his punny "She seems to be on top of things" as Padmé resourcefully finds a safe perch atop her pillar. Speaking of puns, I just can't get enough of Threepio's ridiculous plight during this battle. A lot of people cringe at bits like "This is such a drag" and "I'm quite beside myself" but cheesy wordplay is one of my favorite kinds of humor. And yet, as with the droid factory sequence, there is a certain darkness to Threepio's humorous situation -- a darkness that reveals the truly brutal nature of what is happening. He is dismembered, forced to fight against his nature, enduring what is essentially a living nightmare. Beneath the silliness, there is a sort of existential horror.
That brings us to the exchange between Anakin and Padmé as they fight alongside each other in the arena.
"You call this a diplomatic solution?"
"No. I call it aggressive negotiation."
It's funny, and a cute callback to previous moments. Just the sort of battlefield banter you'd expect from two people who have acknowledged their love at last and would give anything to have a future together. But it's also subtly tragic. Padmé has always been characterized as someone who hates war and fighting, who does everything in her power to resolve things peacefully instead. The Jedi, as well, are supposed to be "keepers of the peace, not soldiers." Now Palpatine and Dooku have manipulated the situation to the point that diplomacy no longer seems possible. The only choice is aggression. But that choice will lead to their downfall.
Consider the fact that all of the droids and every single clone are present only in the form of CGI. I've always thought this could be a sly commentary on the fact that the war itself is entirely fabricated, an imaginary cause that Palpatine constructed for the sole purpose of gaining power. Take away the illusion, and there's nothing there. The Republic is betraying its ideals for no reason at all.
Next, a mid-battle argument between Master and Padawan...
