After making my comment on music a few days ago, I soon realized that – yes (duh) - certain music is meant to be associated with certain characters. Anakin and Jar-Jar’s themes in TPM perfectly suit them and Princess Liea’s theme is only played in association with her.
In thinking back, what threw me off was the references to the Coruscant chase music and Yoda’s theme being employed during the Droid Factory sequence. To me, the chase music fit perfectly. It’s played as R2 is flying and it reminds me of the flying cars. Therefore, I was taken aback by the idea that it should only be used during the chase. Having forgotten the specific cue for Yoda’s theme, I listened to it and then The Death of Yoda. I was surprised to hear that the cues played most frequently during Yoda’s death were the Force theme and not the music from the Dagobah sequences in Empire. Again, this made me wonder if Yoda’s theme was in fact meant to be his trademark music. Also, concerning track names, some like “The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul” seemed so expository that it made me wonder if someone at Sony was simply trying to approximate a name for each cue as a way of to market the soundtrack.
Anyway, I was wrong.
CoGro, you make very cogent points about your musical expectations with the films. I agree that there are “stylistic rules” and it does seem strange when these rules are not applied in a consistent manner.
Regarding your puzzlement about the use of Duel of the Fates in ATOC, its context is in relation to the Tusken slaughter. Anakin’s Darth Vader persona finally emerges when he takes vengeance on the Tusken tribe. Therefore, when he is on the bike and the music is playing, he is literally rushing headlong towards his destiny. The jawa shot is just the conclusion of the search. The next time the film checks in with Anakin, he is on the ridge over the Tusken camp. (Consequently, that shot is both an allusion to the conclusion of The Searchers and provides Anakin with a drop which appears to represent his forthcoming fall to the Darkside.)
The Fates scene works in conjunction with the preceding one where he and Padme hug. During their goodbye, GL uses a shot of the character’s shadows to heighten the situation and draw emphasis to the action. He is indicating that this is a very prophetic farewell. When Anakin returns with his dead mother, he is not fully himself. In order words, Anakin Skywalker has begun to fade out of the picture and is becoming a shadow of himself. (Later on in the film, this idea of atrophy is taken a step further when Anakin loses his arm.)
Overall, I don’t believe explained myself very well when I complemented Clones story. On one level I was referring to transition from plot points within the film and between episodes. But, to a larger extent, I was referring to the rich subtext of the film.
This subtext encompasses the symbolism (like the elements I discussed in part previously), the symmetrical story structure (for example having Anakin and Obi-wan on watery or arid environments at the same time or having Anakin and Obi-wan’s meetings with old friends lead to dark revelations), and the use of parallels.
Regarding parallels, “lazy” is the last word that comes to mind for me. When Kevin McLeod stated that Lucas use of the parallels was the
most prolific in the history of cinema, I wasn’t too surprised. After ROTS was released, I attempted to do a scene by scene catalogue of parallels in the film. After finding much more than expected up, I gave up out of desperation after going through the opening sequence. My initial draft is below. (I’m sure I’m missing some.)
[spoil][align=left]
ROTS: The Jedi Interceptors are an echo of the design for …
ANH: ... Vader’s TIE Interceptor and ....
TPM: ... the Maul’s Sith Infiltrator.
ROTS: The ARC Fighters are echoes of the design for ....
OT: .... the Rebel X-wings.
ROTS: Obi-wan is Red leader.
ANH: There is a Red Leader on the assault on Death Star I.
ROTS: Oddball: “Set S-foils in attack position.”
ANH: Red Leader: “Lock S-foils in attack position.”
ROTS: Obi-wan: “You’ve got four on your tail.”
ANH: Red Leader: “Watch it! You’ve got one on your tail.”
ROTS: Oddball: “There are too many of them.”
ROTJ: Rebel Pilot: “There are too many of them.”
ROTS: Droid fighter and ARC fighter fly head to head at one another. Droid fighter destroys ARC fighter and flies through its debris.
ANH: Wedges X-wing and a TIE Fighter fly head to head at one another. Wedge destroys the TIE fighter and flies through its debris.
ROTS: An ARC fighter explodes and the clone pilot is jettisoned into space.
ESB: A TIE fighter explodes upon impact with an asteroid and the TIE fighter pilot is jettisoned into space.
ROTS: Anakin spins his Jedi Interceptor.
TPM: Anakin spins his Naboo fighter.
ROTS: Obi-wan: “Flying is for droids.”
AOTC: Obi-wan: “This is why I hate flying.”
ROTS: Obi-wan: “Oh, I have a bad feeling about this.”
TPM: Obi-wan: “I have a bad feeling about this.”
AOTC: Anakin: “I have a bad feeling about this.”
ANH: Luke: “I have a very bad feeling about this.”
ANH: Han: “I got a bad feeling about this.”
ESB: Leia: “I have a bad feeling about this.”
ROTJ: C3PO: “I have a bad feeling about this.”
ROTS: Anakin and Obi-wan crash land inside the Invisible Hand. (Belly of the Whale motif)
TPM: Anakin crash lands inside the Federation Ship.
AOTC: Anakin lands the Naboo cruiser in the Geonosis crater.
ANH: The Millennium Falcon is pulled inside the Death Star.
ESB: The Millennium Falcon lands inside the space slug.
ROTJ: The Millennium Falcon flies through the Death Star II to destroy it.
ROTS: R2 taps into the Invisible Hand’s computer.
AOTC: R2 taps into the Droid Factory computer to save Padme.
ANH: R2 taps into the Death Star computer.
ESB: R2 taps into the Cloud City computer.
ROTJ: R2 taps into the Endor Bunker.
ROTS: Two Destroyers droids attack Anakin and Obi-wan on the Invisible Hand.
TPM: Two Destroyers droids attack Obi-wan and Qui-gon on the Federation Ship.
ROTS: Obi-wan asks R2 to activate the elevator on the Invisible Hand.
ANH: Luke asks C3PO to deactivate the garbage machine on the Death Star I.
ROTS: Two Battledriods lean over the elevator shaft and aim art Anakin.
ANH: Two Stormtroopers lean over the elevator shaft and fire at Luke and Leia.
ROTS: Chancellor Palpatine is seated in a chair directly in front of a window that overlooks the battle outside the Invisible Hand.
ROTJ: Emperor Palpatine is seated in a chair directly in front of a window that overlooks the battle outside the Death Star II.
ROTS: Anakin and Obi-wan duel with Count Dooku.
AOTC: Anakin and Obi-wan duel with Count Dooku.
ROTS: Anakin uses two lightsabers against Count Dooku.
AOTC: Anakin uses two lightsabers against Count Dooku.
ROTS: Palpatine encourages Anakin to kill Dooku.
ROTJ: Palpatine encourages Luke to kill Vader.
ROTS: Dooku: “I sense great fear in you Skywalker. You have anger, you have hate, but you do not use them.”
TPM: Yoda: “Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you.”
ROTS: Palpatine hangs over the elevator chasm.
ROTJ: Palpatine is thrown down a chasm on the Death Star II.
ROTS: The heroes are caught in a force field.
ROTJ: The heroes are caught in a net.
ROTS: Anakin (to Grievous): “You’re shorter than I expected.”
ANH: Leia (to Luke): “Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?”
ROTS: Grievous: “Jedi scum.”
ROTJ: Imperial Officer: “Rebel scum.”
ROTS: R2 causes a distraction. The heroes retrieve their lightsabers, free themselves, and escape.
ROTJ: On Jabba’s sail barge, R2 discharges Luke’s lightsaber. The heroes free themselves and escape.
Achilles heal motif:
ROTS: I) The Buzz driods can be debilitated by sending an electrical short in here center eye. II) Grievous is vulnerable in his stomach.
ANH: The Death Star can be destroyed by triggering a chain reaction on its exhaust port.
ESB: The AT-AT walkers can be destroyed by tripping them with tow cables or by placing a grenade inside the hull.
ROTJ: I) Boba Fett’s Jetpack is debilitated, resulting in his death. II) The Death Star shield can be destroyed by destroying the in workings of the bunker on Endor. 3) The Death Star II can be destroyed by firing missiles into its core.
TPM: The Federation Ship can be destroyed by firing missiles into its core.
AOTC: Jango Fett’s Jetpack is debilitated, making him fatefully vulnerable to Mace.[/align][/spoil]
The use of parallels is a literary and cinematic tradition. (I think the more common term for parallels is “juxtaposition.” In the TPM DVD commentary, Lucas himself describes the parallels as “rhymes” and compares them to musical notes which are played in varying degrees to create different but similar sounds.) But, parallels for the sake of parallels wouldn’t hold up that well if they didn’t tie into larger concepts. As I have stated before, the reoccurring themes and sequences are really an extension of the mythological and historical iconography in the Saga. As Lucas is an ardent admirer of Joseph Campbell (and as Campbell was an ardent admirer of Carl Jung), he is deeply interested in concepts and symbols which repeat through differing cultures. Moreover, myths are communicated as ideas and stories that are passed down from generation to generation through re-telling. The repetition in the Saga storyline mirrors the repetition in myths through world cultures. Also, putting it another way, GL is retelling the same story in a different way much like myths get retold by new generations
The parallels require active viewership by the audience. As the each parallel varies in their degree, the viewer has to actively discern its context in the chapter they are viewing and compare in the relation to the other moments. (As Obi-wan and Qui-Gon discuss at the start of the entire Saga, one has to be mindful of both the immediate action and larger picture if you are to appreciate the full story.) While some parallels are not significant and merely done to give viewers a familiar grounding, others relate back to the larger ideas of morality and human nature and may lead to questions. (For example, why did Dooku turn out to be a refined old gentleman who is evil while Obi-wan turned out to be refined old gentlemen who he is good? Also, in looking at the parallels between the Fett’s and Skywalker’s, it makes you wonder if in a different life it would be Luke firing cover shots at Boba as he walks into a trap set by Jango.)
Overall, if you take the Saga’s story on the surface, it’s fun and can hold up against or surpass other similar genre films. However, what makes the films transcend beyond escapism is the depth of the story and the intelligent point-of-view of its creator. Even though the prequels are more detached and bookish than the predecessor films, they help elevate the overall Saga and add to the richness of the six part story.
CoGro wrote:
There are a lot of 'ideas' at play in AOTC - some miss and some hit. In my opinion, more miss than hit.
Regarding the Sifo-Dyas plot, no further information needs to be explained to the viewing audience. The essence of the plot is that Sifo-Dyas or someone impersonating him ordered the clones, someone murdered Sifo-Dyas, a Jedi erased Kamino from the archives, and someone named Tyranus recruited Jango. When Sidious calls Dooku Lord Tyranus, it is meant to be the final puzzle piece for the audience. Since Dooku is a former Jedi who had access to Sifo-Dyas and the archives, since he recruited Jango, and since he is a Sith Lord, all signs point to him. (I believe that the inclusion of the Sifo-Dyas plot in ROTS was merely to shed light for benefit of the Jedi characters and not the audience)
Regarding the Fett’s, I can only explain Lucas' mindset. The Fett’s inclusion in a prequel film was due to Lucas’ acknowledgment of fans’ appreciation for the minor character and his feeling that Boba’s death in ROTJ was dramatically wrong (listen to the DVD audio commentary.) Therefore, he wanted to make the Fett’s central to the overall story, show all their gadgets in use, and give at least one Fett a proper death. One aspect that gets unappreciated is Lucas’ elevation of the Fett’s to the same level of the Skywalker family. Specifically, the character of Boba Fett is set up to be parallel of both Anakin and Luke. He is a parallel to Anakin in that he only has one father and becomes orphaned through violence. He is parallel to Luke in that he follows the path of his armored father and, in the OT, there is the danger that Luke will follow the path of his armored father. Jango’s headless flop and Boba’s moment with his father’s helmet are not a superficial image parallels, but thematic links. When Luke beheads the ghostly Vader (just like Jango), it’s his father’s helmet which clues Luke into his own inner darkness.
Regarding the love story, it’s far from atrocious. First off, its does make sense that Padme returns to Naboo after the assassination attempts. As explained in the film, she is safe among her own people and she can use her familiarity with the surroundings as an advantage when hiding. (Besides, no one thinks she is hiding as the decoy on Coruscant is presented to the would-be killers and everyone else as her.) Concerning the progression of the relationship, it does make sense in hindsight. The courtship is very awkward due to Anakin’s ineptness and Padme’s level headedness. For Anakin, the Force is much easier to understand than Padme. (Here, I think Lucas is taking a kidding jab at the nature of women. As presented, they are more difficult to decipher than the mysteries of the universe. See Anakin’s later statement: “I’ve given up on trying to understand you!”) For Padme, at first, Anakin is just a grown child who she emasculates by calling Ani. During the transition scenes and the Naboo scenes, she starts to see Anakin as an equal. It’s not really until events surrounding Tatooine that her rational mind moves out of the way and her feelings come to the forefront. In the Saga, the most telling scene for her character is the one in the TPM where Anakin gives her the necklace. During this scene, Padme receives a message that the Naboo are being slaughtered. After the message plays, she looks stunned. However, when she sees Anakin, she is immediately concerned for him. He is cold and lonely and needs to be consoled. Despite her own problems, Padme thinks of Anakin first. As such, she is revealed to be a giving, compassionate, and motherly person by instinct. During the sequences dealing with Shmi, Anakin is revealed to be an emotionally needy person. In reality, Padme is only one of can sooth him with her presence (as Anakin puts it.). (I like Lucas use of Oedipus imagery by having Anakin’s mother and motherly bride both be diminutive brunettes.)
After viewing Clones, only couple of items bothered by about the love story. The first was the tumble down the hill. I didn’t mind the knowingly operatic dialogue, but the tumble seemed a bit over the top for me. I now appreciate this moment for its symbolism. In the scene, Anakin fakes injury and Padme instinctually comes to his aide. Anakin grabs Padme and they roll down the hill. The symbolism is that Padme comes to Anakin’s side out of his need for her. He wraps her up in his life and they both ending-up “tumbling” to their deaths.
I’ve also reconciled with the tone of the moment. I think Lucas’ decision to use stilted dialogue in the Prequels partially is in relation to the timeliness of the product he is creating. When I view a film that is almost a hundred year old, I’m not worried if the dialogue is inline with current standards or the lingo a hundred years ago. I’m more worried about the ideas at play. In this scene, to me, substance trumps style, and the same can be said for other allegedly “uncool” moments in the Prequels.
The other item I found to be curious was Padme’s revelation of love. I now see this from a different perspective as well. First off, I think that Padme had come to the same conclusions as I had in analyzing their relation. Both characters are peerless in their respective areas (politics, the Force) and personality wise, they complement each other perfectly. It is only natural that the two be together. Secondly, in light of ROTS, I think Padme’s seemingly quick decision can be seen in proportion to Anakin’s decision to turn to the Darkside. Both moments happened in an instant, but everything in their lives seemed to be conspiring to these moments.
Concerning Han and Leia, I consider their "scoundrel" and princess romance to be just as conventional in its design as Anakin’s and Padme’s freed-slave and queen romance. The fact that Han and Liea’s courtship is more fun and comedic than the AOTC love story doesn’t mean that it’s inherently superior. Empire’s lover story is more stylistically executed, but in analysis, it’s not as intricate as Clone’s. Personally, I’m glad that GL didn’t try to tell the story in the exact same manner.
Alexrd wrote:
Am I the only one who prefers AotC over RotS? My only grip with the movie is the Sifo-Dyas subplot, that never ended up being explained in RotS (as it was supposed to).
From a technical filmmaking standpoint, I consider the films to be ranked in this order: 1) ESB, 2) ANH, 3) ROTS, 4) ROTJ, 5) ATOC, and 6) TPM. (I consider the technical differences between 3) through 6) to be minimal.)
From a personal standard point (of emotional response and level of interest), I rank the films in this order: 1) ROTJ, 2) TPM, 3) ATOC, 4) ROTS, 5) ANH, 6) ESB.
I constantly question whether these rankings matter as its just one long six-part movie.