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So the new Chancellor arrives to congratulate the queen on freeing her people. With just a teensy bit of smug foreshadowing....



Watch your career with great interest indeed, you snake.



His smirk only intensifies as he slips out of sight. Ugggh.

But the real kicker is at Qui-Gon's funeral. In case we had any doubts, after Mace and Yoda worriedly wonder where the remaining Sith might be, whether master or apprentice, we pan across the faces to settle quite firmly on this one.



There's no nonsense about a "surprise box" or any of that sloppy, hack-ish storytelling. When people asked George Lucas who the Phantom Menace was, he immediately answered "Darth Sidious." And here you are.

Yet there's subtlety as well, and I still discover something new everything I look at these films. Just today, while I was screencapping this moment, I noticed a comment pointing out that there are two people standing between Palpatine and Anakin. And those two, Obi-Wan and Padmé Amidala, will be his biggest obstacles to claiming Anakin for the Dark Side. Eep! A picture can, indeed, say so much more than words.

Next time, some intriguing closing shots....

All the battles are resolved except one -- the one that will determine Anakin's fate. (Hence, "Duel of the Fates" for the music.) Obi-Wan, wracked with grief at his master's defeat, charged into battle with reckless anger. It didn't work out so well.



Maul kicks his weapon into the abyss, then has only to wait till Obi-Wan's grip weakens. But wait, what's this?



Obi-Wan gets a Look. Maul responds with another Look.



The lightsaber duels in the original trilogy were very, very talky. I think it becomes clear throughout the prequels that this chattiness can be attributed to Vader/Anakin's involvement. In stark contrast, not a word is spoken during this battle. It's purely physical. But this exchange of meaningful Looks is fascinating. Maul thinks he's won, and then suddenly Obi-Wan gets the slightest smile. The glimmer of hope, of reaching out through the Force in a decidedly non-aggressive way. Maul is baffled. And before he has a chance to guess what Obi-Wan's attempting, it's already being done.


Simultaneously propelling himself from the pit and summoning his fallen master's weapon, then delivering the killing blow (just out of frame). I love how we don't get the full reveal of Maul's injury right away. First we just see his facial reaction, another of those meaningful Looks.


Perhaps just a touch of indigestion?


Not quite. Actually, most of his digestive system is now a separate piece from his body. Yup, that'll do it.

Half-cyborg Maul cracks me up. You don't walk away from that, and I mean that both literally and otherwise. He could not have been killed off more definitively. Whatever. It's a great death scene, a resounding defeat of a menace -- who will turn out to have been nothing more than a puppet of the true menace.

Next time, parallels....

Four battlefronts is a lot to keep track of, but the editing keeps the pacing consistent. One by one we see each group reach their low point.


Padmé's line acknowledges this. Put down your weapons. They win this round. (But only this round. The battle's not over yet.)

On the Jedi front, we have the cruelest blow with the defeat of Qui-Gon. Just like his future apprentice Luke, Obi-Wan doesn't handle this well.


"Agggh! Where are my arms!"

Just kidding. Here's the image that sums up the loss.


Then little Ani, in way over his head as the engine overheats.


Then the Gungans are rounded up by victorious battle droids.


The tide turns, however. Back to the palace, with the conflict that everything else is revolving around.

At the sight of the apparent queen the Viceroy redirects his soldiers. This one's a decoy. Ha. You've got it backwards, Nute. And so Padmè, with a few tricks up her sleeve/in her throne's secret compartment, earns her victory.


Consider once again the contrast. The Trade Federation leaders are towering, imposing figures -- and they're the cringing cowards. Diminutive Padmé is the strong and capable one, handily taking out battle droids with perfect aim and confronting the Viceroy fearlessly. Decoys, indeed. The battle plans were built on one decoy after another, from the distraction of the Gungan army to the apparent surrender (conveniently giving Padmé access to the throne room) and the multiple queens. Never judge by appearances. I could also say: Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them.

Next time, another ironic symbol....

The Gungan/battledroid battle might only be a distraction, a ruse to draw away the bulk of the Viceroy's protection, but there's still a lot of meaningful imagery here.



Much like the Ewok battle from Episode VI, this provides a stark visual contrast of nature vs. technology. But the contrast is even more severe, as our heroes are literally fighting emotionless machines. On the other hand, their methods are not so primitive as the Ewok's. I love the unusual technology Lucas envisioned for them, glimpsed earlier in their underwater city. It has a curiously organic feel that's different from anything we've seen before in Star Wars films, primarily based on shields that repel violent attacks but give way at gentle pressure. That in itself presents a fascinating metaphor.



Their army uses beasts of burden rather than entire mechanized transport, and there's something deeply evocative about their most common means of attack, the "boomas" that resemble giant blue balls. It's a curious melding of tech and nature, modern and what we think of as primitive. The only other thing I can think of that fits that description is the lightsaber.

Of course, this sort of army does have certain disadvantages. Once the soldiers figure out they can slip softly through the shield, they do plenty of damage. Eventually even the massive shields are destroyed from within, paving the way for some truly brutal attacks from the droid army's major hardware.


Like the Ewoks, the only way to turn the tide of battle is by using the enemy's own technology against them. In this case, that means destroying the droid control ship. Now, this Achilles heel of sorts might seem like a major design flaw -- and it is, and that's why the Empire will favor stormtroopers rather than battledroids -- though you can see the advantages to it as well. It's very well suited for a mercenary, cowardly organization like the Federation, who would prefer to control the battle from a safe, removed distance. Besides, the likelihood of someone infiltrating the control ship and blowing it up from the inside was insanely low. Not quite destroying-the-Death-Star low, but still the sort of victory only made possible by the Force.

Padmé's plan wasn't even dependent on successfully destroying the ship; they made provisions for it but knew it was more likely the Gugans would have to serve as a sacrificing force until the Viceroy was captured. Boss Nass knew the risks; his people were committed to play their part. Also like the Ewoks, they were determined to fight for their home, no matter the odds. The battles provide lovely bookends for the saga.

Next, a silent study in character....

Padmé Amidala's plan to thwart her enemy's expectations is working. A massive army gathering on the plains? Better direct all their attention on that. The Federation leaders are terrified, Darth Maul is wary. Darth Sidious is ruthless. With his famous line to wipe them out...all of them, we transition to the Gungan's battle preparations.


The transition of Maul's face overlooking the field was chilling enough, but this takes it to a whole other level. Sidious looms over the entire battle, coolly commanding a total extermination. In my Star Words entry I already explored the multiple meanings of his phrase. The imagery here further emphasizes Sidious's dominance and duplicitous nature. Note how he is ultimately consumed by fog. Remember how fog and mist serve as visual motifs in these films? Evoking an air of mystery, uncertainty or menace? Well, here's the phantom menace himself.


Interestingly, this image of the army emerging from the fog (so striking and evocative that it was included in the original trailer) hints at their hidden nature as well -- a diversion, to draw the Federation's attention away from the true attack on the palace. Curious that the cut from Sidious to the army could draw an association between the two -- because Sidious's alter-ego is also a diversion to draw attention away from his true intent to conquer the galaxy. Whew. That's a whole lot of meaning in a few seconds of screen time. These movies are brilliant.

Next time, another iconic trailer-worthy image....

You can see that Boss Nass is intrigued by Padmé's choice to reveal her hidden identity. But is it enough? She speaks eloquently, passionately, for the welfare of all their peoples. But it's only her final words, and accompanying gesture, that has the crucial impact. I beg you to help us. And she kneels.



Everyone kneels. Every human (and Jar Jar) bows before the Gungans, a clear physical token of their humility. And as I explored in the Star Words series, Padmé's use of the phrase humble servants is an exact match for the words Jar Jar uses to describe his life debt to Qui-Gon. This might be the only way to really convince Boss Nass that they are not the prideful, aloof race he assumed them to be. That are truly willing to serve. That they do not consider themselves better than the Gungans. At last, they can work together as allies.

Next time, an excellent use of juxtaposition....

Things are looking pretty tense as our heroes prepare to return to Naboo. Anakin is worried about being a problem, despite Qui-Gon's assurances. Obi-Wan is pretty miffed at his master's obvious preferential treatment of the boy. And, as Panaka reminds the queen, they are headed straight into Federation-occupied territory without any sort of army to bolster their assault.

Ah, but Amidala has been quietly formulating plans of her own. She has a trick up her sleeve that no one counted on -- least of all, the trick(ster) himself.


See Jar Jar's body language as he responds to the queen's declaration, accompanied by a disbelieving "Meesa?!" She needs his help? Who would ever need the help of a clumsy exiled Gungan, least of all the leader of the Naboo? It's especially amusing to me that he pops his head out as if he were hiding behind Obi-Wan, even though he's way too tall to hide behind a human. And yet he does blend into the background metaphorically if not literally, because everyone underestimates him, discounts his abilities, assumes he's nothing but a dead weight. Here we get to see one of my favorite themes of Episode I: never underestimate the underdog (underfrog, as it were.)

Next time, the power of humility....

The results of Anakin's tests are curt and to the point. Yes, the Force is strong with him, and no, he will not be trained.


Mace's body language here is so flippant, matching his careless words. No tension or concern, only cool, casual authority. But here's Anakin's reaction.


Brrr. You could almost imagine him thinking I'll kill you first. Obviously he's not thinking that now; Anakin is still an innocent child who's more hurt than angry. But that hurt will fester, quietly growing worse and worse after years of resentment and denial, and Mace will in fact be the first of Anakin's victims as he plummets to the Dark Side - a pivotal figure in his decision to change his allegiance from the Jedi Order to Palpatine. It's all quietly foreshadowed here; not as an inevitability, but one more seed planted in Anakin's impressionable mind.

Next, the hurt and resentment keeps coming...

The sequences on Coruscant are essentially a series of disappointment after disappointment. The queen cannot get the Senate to help her people; the Jedi are skeptical about the Sith's return and dismissive of Anakin. Just look at how they scrutinize him, a circle of judgmental Masters around a boy who's only just escaped a life of slavery.



Yes, we know that Yoda's warning about fear is valid, and that it will in fact lead to Anakin's downfall, but they're all criticism and no helpful advice.



The composition of these shots is so evocative. The startling but fading orange light of sunset, the shadowed figures inside the Council chamber, the lone figure of Anakin growing darker and darker as the light diminishes. That frightened boy will one day confront a reflection of himself in that same chamber, another frightened boy pleading for help, and as the Council had no compassion for him, so Anakin/Vader will show no compassion for that child. Certainly I'm not claiming that it's all the Jedi Order's fault and Anakin is blameless! Only that the seed of his resentment was planted here, and will grow into a destructive hatred.

Next, hope arises from the depths of despair....

In light of his summons to the Jedi Council, Anakin goes to say goodbye to Padmé. Back in my days in the Royal Handmaiden Society, we used to call this the "Ani can't count" scene, because there's clearly three handmaidens and a queen in the room, and she only ever had three handmaidens, so one of them must be Padmé, right? But let's not be too hard on the kid. He's totally without guile; he would never imagine that sort of deception even for benevolent purposes like protecting the queen's identity. If he thinks about it at all, he might assume she had an extra handmaiden hanging around waiting for her on Coruscant.

Now let's look at the imagery.

The difference between Anakin and Padmé's dynamic and Anakin and Amidala's dynamic is quite pronounced, if you contrast this with their last encounter on the ship. Have I mentioned the role of contrasts in the saga as a whole and particularly in Episode I? If so, I'll mention it once more and always. Study the contrasts. They show up again and again, and reveal so much if you're looking for it.


They are literally at a distance. She towers over him in full regalia while he, still in humble slave garb, bows and keeps back in the corner. Amidala rules a planet; Anakin is a nobody from the Outer Rim. And even if he attains Jedi status, he'll still be in a completely different sphere than royalty.

Yet Padmé is still there beneath the queen's trappings, even if Anakin doesn't know it yet. The distance between their two spheres will provide considerable obstacles in the next film, but they are drawn together nonetheless.

Next time, a whispering snake...