A Thousand Stars: Episode I, Part 36
Sep. 15th, 2022 09:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matrilDarth Maul's first reveal to the Jedi was swift and brutal, sweeping in out of the nowhere in the desert of Tatooine. This time, though, he draws out the moment of confrontation at a pace that is almost comical.
There are storytelling reasons for this, of course. A big build-up lets us know that the coming fight is going to be epic and it is, indeed. Jedi vs. Sith in a conflict that symbolizes much more than the fate of one planet. (Funny that in Star Wars we think of one planet as small stakes, when in real life one planet is all we've got!) This is a duel of the fates, the fate of good or evil in the galaxy, the fate of the Chosen One, the fate of the Jedi Order. This is big.
But I also like to imagine Maul being all about the drama here. Take a look at this.
You just know he positioned himself there in the doorway for a perfect framing.
Sloooowly he lifts his head....
Sloooowly he pulls back his hood....
And I mean, it works, doesn't it? The first reaction we see is Qui-Gon's, so it's plain who Maul is targeting.
We'll handle this, he declares, and Padmé Amidala doesn't argue. We'll take the long way is an under-appreciated comic line to me. A wry understatement, I would say. So Darth Maul gets his dramatic showdown.
Like the Old West in a lot of ways. Lots of long, intimidating stares. Who will draw first? Well of course the Sith is always the aggressor. Though it's a little different with lightsabers. Even after you've drawn, there's still a moment to pause, to draw breath. But Maul has an extra surprise in his bag of dramatic tricks.
I remember a fan video (not online; it was at a talent show in 1999) that parodied this scene with the combatants spending about ten minutes taking off various layers of clothing. It really is amusing that the characters are so gracious as to allow time to toss off their robes, ready their weapons...okay, but it works. The Force responds to emotion, after all, so of course a Sith would want to stir up the nervous anticipation, the impatience, the aggression. Obi-Wan isn't immune. Qui-Gon is more serene, but that doesn't mean he's indomitable. This is a fantastic setup with an equally fantastic payoff.
Next, a striking portrayal of warfare....
There are storytelling reasons for this, of course. A big build-up lets us know that the coming fight is going to be epic and it is, indeed. Jedi vs. Sith in a conflict that symbolizes much more than the fate of one planet. (Funny that in Star Wars we think of one planet as small stakes, when in real life one planet is all we've got!) This is a duel of the fates, the fate of good or evil in the galaxy, the fate of the Chosen One, the fate of the Jedi Order. This is big.
But I also like to imagine Maul being all about the drama here. Take a look at this.
You just know he positioned himself there in the doorway for a perfect framing.
Sloooowly he lifts his head....
Sloooowly he pulls back his hood....
And I mean, it works, doesn't it? The first reaction we see is Qui-Gon's, so it's plain who Maul is targeting.
We'll handle this, he declares, and Padmé Amidala doesn't argue. We'll take the long way is an under-appreciated comic line to me. A wry understatement, I would say. So Darth Maul gets his dramatic showdown.
Like the Old West in a lot of ways. Lots of long, intimidating stares. Who will draw first? Well of course the Sith is always the aggressor. Though it's a little different with lightsabers. Even after you've drawn, there's still a moment to pause, to draw breath. But Maul has an extra surprise in his bag of dramatic tricks.
I remember a fan video (not online; it was at a talent show in 1999) that parodied this scene with the combatants spending about ten minutes taking off various layers of clothing. It really is amusing that the characters are so gracious as to allow time to toss off their robes, ready their weapons...okay, but it works. The Force responds to emotion, after all, so of course a Sith would want to stir up the nervous anticipation, the impatience, the aggression. Obi-Wan isn't immune. Qui-Gon is more serene, but that doesn't mean he's indomitable. This is a fantastic setup with an equally fantastic payoff.
Next, a striking portrayal of warfare....
