A Thousand Stars: Episode I, Part 6

Movies are more than a series of still images. The movements of the camera and the juxtaposition of shots are a crucial and unique aspect of their ability to convey a story and a mood. Here's a potent example, entirely free of dialogue.





First we see a long shot of the queen. In contrast to our first look at her in a regal position on her throne, bristling with power and authority, we now view her dwarfed by the enormous hall, a small figure in a wide, lonely space. In a closer shot, she gives a simple but eloquent gesture of bowing her head. The next shot tells us why. Through the bars of the window, reminiscent of imprisonment, the queen is a helpless witness to the invasion of her city.

Not only is this conveyed with an adroit, economic use of wordless visuals, it is also brutally brief. Theed had no real defenses; their communication was shut off; there was nothing they could do to stop this. Just like that, they have fallen to the Federation's power.

Next, a secret hiding in plain sight, if you know where to look...