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A Thousand Stars: Episode II, Part 16
Mar. 9th, 2023 11:59 amIf you have no stomach for kissing scenes, you'd best be warned: I am going to analyze every stinking shot of this kiss.
This scene gets a lot of flak because of its dialogue, but that's missing the point. The words are just background noise to the real story, told through visuals. I like to contrast it with Han and Leia's first kiss because it actually casts Anakin in a much better light than Han. They are both the man pursuing the woman in their situations, but the similarities end there. Han presents a cocky front, pushing past Leia's barriers, ignoring her protests. He backs her against a wall so she has no way to escape until Threepio shows up. Granted, the creepy factor is dialed back quite a bit because Leia so obviously does want to kiss Han, in all her body language and whatnot, but let's not give too much credence to the "her lips said no but her eyes said yes" excuse.
In contrast, Anakin is a timid kid (who's obviously never kissed anyone before) venturing forward with considerable caution, in spite of his overwhelming feelings for Padmé.
He's hunched over, a self-deprecating pose, during his infamous line about hating sand. It's not really sand he's talking about, though -- it's himself, his unhappiness about his lowly origins and his hope that he might somehow be worthy of what seems unattainable. Padmé, meanwhile, is perfectly relaxed alongside him, no tension in his presence, listening sympathetically.
His eyes say "I really like you but I'm terrified"
She answers "I like you too"
So he attempts a little smile.
And starts to make his move, slow and careful. She doesn't pull back; what's more, she's gazing quite fixedly into his eyes...
...and then her gaze drops to his mouth. So he goes for it.
But look at how incredibly cautious he still is. Nothing but their lips touching, his hand gripping the railing as if for dear life, holding back any other contact. So when she changes her mind --
She pulls apart from him in an instant, no fight, no struggle. And Anakin, flummoxed though he may be, respects her wishes and keeps back.
Oh, I did catch some priceless expressions on his face, though.
You might call this sequence "Mixed Signals: a story in 10 pictures."
Next time, lots of meaning in what isn't said....
This scene gets a lot of flak because of its dialogue, but that's missing the point. The words are just background noise to the real story, told through visuals. I like to contrast it with Han and Leia's first kiss because it actually casts Anakin in a much better light than Han. They are both the man pursuing the woman in their situations, but the similarities end there. Han presents a cocky front, pushing past Leia's barriers, ignoring her protests. He backs her against a wall so she has no way to escape until Threepio shows up. Granted, the creepy factor is dialed back quite a bit because Leia so obviously does want to kiss Han, in all her body language and whatnot, but let's not give too much credence to the "her lips said no but her eyes said yes" excuse.
In contrast, Anakin is a timid kid (who's obviously never kissed anyone before) venturing forward with considerable caution, in spite of his overwhelming feelings for Padmé.
He's hunched over, a self-deprecating pose, during his infamous line about hating sand. It's not really sand he's talking about, though -- it's himself, his unhappiness about his lowly origins and his hope that he might somehow be worthy of what seems unattainable. Padmé, meanwhile, is perfectly relaxed alongside him, no tension in his presence, listening sympathetically.
His eyes say "I really like you but I'm terrified"
She answers "I like you too"
So he attempts a little smile.
And starts to make his move, slow and careful. She doesn't pull back; what's more, she's gazing quite fixedly into his eyes...
...and then her gaze drops to his mouth. So he goes for it.
But look at how incredibly cautious he still is. Nothing but their lips touching, his hand gripping the railing as if for dear life, holding back any other contact. So when she changes her mind --
She pulls apart from him in an instant, no fight, no struggle. And Anakin, flummoxed though he may be, respects her wishes and keeps back.
Oh, I did catch some priceless expressions on his face, though.
You might call this sequence "Mixed Signals: a story in 10 pictures."
Next time, lots of meaning in what isn't said....
