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More movie thoughts
Jun. 4th, 2005 11:06 amAgain I don't have too much time on this library computer (though we have hopes of getting the Internet in our home soon, maybe...) but I must write some more reflections, if only to get them out of my brain and into words. I've seen the movie four times now, and would see it more if I could justify spending the money. I just can't get enough of all the little details and motifs and symbols. Here's just a few.
Opening scene: First of all, what a way to start! I don't think I completely caught my breath again until the crash-landing on Coruscant. Visually blew me away, and put me on the edge of my seat in spite of the fact that I knew they all had to survive. What I love, though, is that what could have been a purely action-oriented scene is, instead, just jam-packed with characterization. Every interaction between Anakin and Obi-Wan reveals where their relationship has gone - from chiding master and padawan to friends who still clash a bit, but work very well together and care very much for each other. All the more heartbreaking knowing what's going to happen. And Palpatine in his seat, coolly confident in spite of the bindings on his arms (some prisoner, "captured" by his own underlings!), with clear parallels to the throne room scene from ROTJ. The crash landing is full of quick humor and Anakin's own brand of combined skill and arrogance. And it contains one of many images of disintegration, which comes up again and again in the film, particularly during the lava planet duel. Disintegration is such a crucial motif, what with Anakin's character and the Republic undergoing disintegration under Palpatine's influence.
Speaking of Palpatine's influence, there's many things left open as to whether he had a hand in them or not. Anakin's nightmares? Quite possible. And painfully ironic and Oedipal-ish that in his attempts to prevent them he caused them to be fulfilled. Would they have been fulfilled anyway if he hadn't turned? We can't know for certain. Always in motion, the future. But if it was Palpatine's doing in the first place...agh! So many fascinating questions. And what is this of causing midichlorians to create life? I personally don't believe that Anakin was created by a Sith Lord - the Sith destroy, not create. Simiarly, I think if there is a sithly way of keeping people from dying, it is unnatural, like the undead or zombies, keeping people miserably alive when they'd rather become one with the Force. And in fact, it's a Jedi that overcomes death, though not the way Anakin imagines. Note that Yoda doesn't tell Anakin whether he could keep people from drying or not -that's not the point. The point is that fear of loss is dangerous...if only they had taught this to Anakin early enough for him to really feel it. I think the Jedi aren't right in forbidding attachment, because Luke's attachment to his father is what saves Anakin - fear of loss is the real problem. Luke is able to let go and see his father die without anger or fear, simply pure grief. Luke is my hero! Back to the movie, though...I LOVE that Qui-Gon is the one who teaches Yoda and then Obi-Wan to become blue-ghosties. I intend to write oodles of fan fic about that...speaking of which, the fan fic bug has bit me quite insistently. I've already started writing something about Leia and her memories of Padmé - which is made difficult by the whole dying when she's just born thing, but that's all right.
Let's see - not much time left...I would have liked a little more of the pre-Rebellion subplot, but the little there was worked very well - Padmé's "are we on the right side" conversation, and Bail immediately taking the side of the Jedi, without question, when he arrives at the temple. Of course, seeing a little boy get brutally killed probably helped convince him - but he knows what side to take - he's one of my favorite minor characters now.
Loyalty is dealt with so fascinatingly here - loyalty is one of the sticky virtues. Yes, it is a virtue, but only when properly placed. Anakin's loyalty is steadfast and implacable - but completely misplaced. How clever of Palpatine to make himself appear so much the embodiment of the Senate and the Republic that Anakin sees those who oppose him, even when Palpatine is revealed to be evil, as traitors. He sees himself as static and everyone else changing loyalties around him, when in fact he is the one who has moved. I don't know how intentional this image was, but I was struck by it - during the duel, he's floating through the lava on that little droid thingy, and not moving a bit - yet moving because what he's standing on is moving. What a great image for his perceptions - he has completely shifted loyalties, and yet thinks he has stayed still. Motion is relative, you see. And to think that Padmé has betrayed him when she is the same good person she always was - that is truly a painful example of loyalty twisted from a virtue into the worst of vices.
The parallel scenes were beautiful done - the grandiose, arrogant duel between the Emperor and Yoda intercut with the much more personal, painful duel between old friends. (I adore the music, by the way - I've listened to the soundtrack till it's fairly well always running through my head - and the bonus DVD is fantastic!) Then the parallel scenes with Anakin and Padmé being rescued, taken to medical centers (one brutally ultilitarian and dark, Empire-ish, the other pristine white - very nicely done) and undergoing their respective agonies. Having just given birth a month ago, of course, I kept thinking "So was she induced into regular labor or did they perform a Cesaerean? She seems to be undergoing the pain of childbirth, but is there time for regular labor before this mystical dying thing comes about? Heh. The answer is, of course, it doesn't matter.
And then, that Padmé's dying words are echoed by her son years later - that sure brings on the tears. And the funeral music, starting not with the procession but with the rise of Vader, because this is also the death of Anakin - bravo, John Williams! I bawl shamelessly to see the japor snippet clutched in her hands - I'm so glad that came back.
The twins - lovely. I knew, years and years ago, that Episode III must end on Tatooine with the twin sunset - it's just too fitting. And oh, the music! My favorite music cue now is just two seconds long - the transition between Leia's theme and the brief bit of Luke's theme - that little trasition, two or three notes, just captures precisely what I'm feeling there. It's over, all has fallen, and yet, here is hope - we've come home. Good grief, all I have to do is think of that music cue and I'm weeping. Golly, I love this movie.
Just one more thing - I'm sick to death of people praising this film while simultaneously dumping on the first two. "Lucas has redeemd himself" and garbage like that. Ha! This movie would be nothing without the first two. And if anything, this film must makes me love the first two more. Everything has more meaning - I can see how carefully Lucas set everything up from the very start. Bravo!
Opening scene: First of all, what a way to start! I don't think I completely caught my breath again until the crash-landing on Coruscant. Visually blew me away, and put me on the edge of my seat in spite of the fact that I knew they all had to survive. What I love, though, is that what could have been a purely action-oriented scene is, instead, just jam-packed with characterization. Every interaction between Anakin and Obi-Wan reveals where their relationship has gone - from chiding master and padawan to friends who still clash a bit, but work very well together and care very much for each other. All the more heartbreaking knowing what's going to happen. And Palpatine in his seat, coolly confident in spite of the bindings on his arms (some prisoner, "captured" by his own underlings!), with clear parallels to the throne room scene from ROTJ. The crash landing is full of quick humor and Anakin's own brand of combined skill and arrogance. And it contains one of many images of disintegration, which comes up again and again in the film, particularly during the lava planet duel. Disintegration is such a crucial motif, what with Anakin's character and the Republic undergoing disintegration under Palpatine's influence.
Speaking of Palpatine's influence, there's many things left open as to whether he had a hand in them or not. Anakin's nightmares? Quite possible. And painfully ironic and Oedipal-ish that in his attempts to prevent them he caused them to be fulfilled. Would they have been fulfilled anyway if he hadn't turned? We can't know for certain. Always in motion, the future. But if it was Palpatine's doing in the first place...agh! So many fascinating questions. And what is this of causing midichlorians to create life? I personally don't believe that Anakin was created by a Sith Lord - the Sith destroy, not create. Simiarly, I think if there is a sithly way of keeping people from dying, it is unnatural, like the undead or zombies, keeping people miserably alive when they'd rather become one with the Force. And in fact, it's a Jedi that overcomes death, though not the way Anakin imagines. Note that Yoda doesn't tell Anakin whether he could keep people from drying or not -that's not the point. The point is that fear of loss is dangerous...if only they had taught this to Anakin early enough for him to really feel it. I think the Jedi aren't right in forbidding attachment, because Luke's attachment to his father is what saves Anakin - fear of loss is the real problem. Luke is able to let go and see his father die without anger or fear, simply pure grief. Luke is my hero! Back to the movie, though...I LOVE that Qui-Gon is the one who teaches Yoda and then Obi-Wan to become blue-ghosties. I intend to write oodles of fan fic about that...speaking of which, the fan fic bug has bit me quite insistently. I've already started writing something about Leia and her memories of Padmé - which is made difficult by the whole dying when she's just born thing, but that's all right.
Let's see - not much time left...I would have liked a little more of the pre-Rebellion subplot, but the little there was worked very well - Padmé's "are we on the right side" conversation, and Bail immediately taking the side of the Jedi, without question, when he arrives at the temple. Of course, seeing a little boy get brutally killed probably helped convince him - but he knows what side to take - he's one of my favorite minor characters now.
Loyalty is dealt with so fascinatingly here - loyalty is one of the sticky virtues. Yes, it is a virtue, but only when properly placed. Anakin's loyalty is steadfast and implacable - but completely misplaced. How clever of Palpatine to make himself appear so much the embodiment of the Senate and the Republic that Anakin sees those who oppose him, even when Palpatine is revealed to be evil, as traitors. He sees himself as static and everyone else changing loyalties around him, when in fact he is the one who has moved. I don't know how intentional this image was, but I was struck by it - during the duel, he's floating through the lava on that little droid thingy, and not moving a bit - yet moving because what he's standing on is moving. What a great image for his perceptions - he has completely shifted loyalties, and yet thinks he has stayed still. Motion is relative, you see. And to think that Padmé has betrayed him when she is the same good person she always was - that is truly a painful example of loyalty twisted from a virtue into the worst of vices.
The parallel scenes were beautiful done - the grandiose, arrogant duel between the Emperor and Yoda intercut with the much more personal, painful duel between old friends. (I adore the music, by the way - I've listened to the soundtrack till it's fairly well always running through my head - and the bonus DVD is fantastic!) Then the parallel scenes with Anakin and Padmé being rescued, taken to medical centers (one brutally ultilitarian and dark, Empire-ish, the other pristine white - very nicely done) and undergoing their respective agonies. Having just given birth a month ago, of course, I kept thinking "So was she induced into regular labor or did they perform a Cesaerean? She seems to be undergoing the pain of childbirth, but is there time for regular labor before this mystical dying thing comes about? Heh. The answer is, of course, it doesn't matter.
And then, that Padmé's dying words are echoed by her son years later - that sure brings on the tears. And the funeral music, starting not with the procession but with the rise of Vader, because this is also the death of Anakin - bravo, John Williams! I bawl shamelessly to see the japor snippet clutched in her hands - I'm so glad that came back.
The twins - lovely. I knew, years and years ago, that Episode III must end on Tatooine with the twin sunset - it's just too fitting. And oh, the music! My favorite music cue now is just two seconds long - the transition between Leia's theme and the brief bit of Luke's theme - that little trasition, two or three notes, just captures precisely what I'm feeling there. It's over, all has fallen, and yet, here is hope - we've come home. Good grief, all I have to do is think of that music cue and I'm weeping. Golly, I love this movie.
Just one more thing - I'm sick to death of people praising this film while simultaneously dumping on the first two. "Lucas has redeemd himself" and garbage like that. Ha! This movie would be nothing without the first two. And if anything, this film must makes me love the first two more. Everything has more meaning - I can see how carefully Lucas set everything up from the very start. Bravo!
