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A Thousand Stars: Episode II, Part 21
Apr. 13th, 2023 09:26 amPlot-wise, it's a simple sequence. Anakin has another nightmare of his mother's suffering; he decides he has to go help her and Padmé decides to come along. But the camera choices, the imagery, the symbolism all speak so much about Anakin's character arc as well as his and Padmé's evolving relationship.
First off, when he wakes up from his dream, we have a dissolve. Much as Lucas likes to play with all sorts of wipes and transitions between scenes, dissolves are very rare. Let's look at what this one says.
Gradually Anakin's face disappears into the cloudy sky. He is fading; slipping into the storm. Ultimately his fears will lead him into the awful transformation of the Dark Side.
And what an evocative image the stormy sky provides. There is no uniformity or consensus. Dark clouds, but the sun fights through with a shaft of light. The water is shadowed but calm. Some people even claim the sky has a yin-yang symbol, which is a nice coincidence of the actual weather that Italy was so kind as to provide. Light/darkness, calm/turbulence, sun/shadow.
What a powerful image of Anakin's mind. Absolute stillness. The discipline of a Jedi, perfect mediation and calm. Except....the very water that reflects his pose is an indication of the torrents of rain that have just ended -- the remnants of the storm that still rages within Anakin. The rain has stopped but the clouds still haven't lifted. He is trying to find peace with all his might, but deep inside, there is only fear and pain.
Then Padmé enters, and we have a sort of dance. She tries to keep her distance, leave without bothering him, but he senses her even with his back turned. When she moves again, he turns with her as if they're two parts of a compass (you know, the kind with two legs that you used in geometry class) that can't help turning in tandem.
They've both agreed that they can't act on their feelings for each other, but their physicality speaks more than words. And the fact that Anakin even says he saw his mother as clearly as he sees Padmé now, brings in an awful foreshadowing about the fate of those pulled into Anakin's circle. Ahhh, I've made myself sad.
Next time, action!
First off, when he wakes up from his dream, we have a dissolve. Much as Lucas likes to play with all sorts of wipes and transitions between scenes, dissolves are very rare. Let's look at what this one says.
Gradually Anakin's face disappears into the cloudy sky. He is fading; slipping into the storm. Ultimately his fears will lead him into the awful transformation of the Dark Side.
And what an evocative image the stormy sky provides. There is no uniformity or consensus. Dark clouds, but the sun fights through with a shaft of light. The water is shadowed but calm. Some people even claim the sky has a yin-yang symbol, which is a nice coincidence of the actual weather that Italy was so kind as to provide. Light/darkness, calm/turbulence, sun/shadow.
What a powerful image of Anakin's mind. Absolute stillness. The discipline of a Jedi, perfect mediation and calm. Except....the very water that reflects his pose is an indication of the torrents of rain that have just ended -- the remnants of the storm that still rages within Anakin. The rain has stopped but the clouds still haven't lifted. He is trying to find peace with all his might, but deep inside, there is only fear and pain.
Then Padmé enters, and we have a sort of dance. She tries to keep her distance, leave without bothering him, but he senses her even with his back turned. When she moves again, he turns with her as if they're two parts of a compass (you know, the kind with two legs that you used in geometry class) that can't help turning in tandem.
They've both agreed that they can't act on their feelings for each other, but their physicality speaks more than words. And the fact that Anakin even says he saw his mother as clearly as he sees Padmé now, brings in an awful foreshadowing about the fate of those pulled into Anakin's circle. Ahhh, I've made myself sad.
Next time, action!
