The Phantom Menace: We are introduced to Amidala and Palpatine.
From The Phantom Menace screenplay, copyright George Lucas:
INT. FEDERATION BATTLESHIP - BRIDGE
TEY HOW recieves a transmission.
TEY HOW
Sir, a transmission from the planet.
RUNE
It's Queen Amidala herself.
NUTE
At last we're getting results.
On the view screen, QUEEN AMIDALA appears in her throne room.
Wearing her elaborate headdress and robes, she sits,
surrounded by the GOVERNING COUNCIL and FOUR HANDMAIDENS,
EIRTAE, YANE, RABE, and SACHE.
NUTE
Again you come before me, Your
highness. The Federation is
pleased.
AMIDALA
You will not be pleased when you
hear what I have to say,
Viceroy...Your trade boycott of our
planet has ended.
NUTE smirks at RUNE.
NUTE
I was not aware of such a failure.
AMIDALA
I have word that the Senate is finally
voting on this blockade of yours.
NUTE
I take it you know the outcome. I
wonder why they bother to vote.
AMIDALA
Enough of this pretense, Viceroy!
I'm aware the Chancellor's Ambassadors
are with you now, and that you have
beencommanded to reach a settlement.
NUTE
I know nothing about any
Ambassadors...you must be mistaken.
AMIDALA, surprised at his reaction, studies him carefully.
AMIDALA
Beware, Viceroy....the Federation is
going too far this time.
NUTE
Your Highness, we would never do
anything without the approval of the
Senate. You assume too much.
AMIDALA
We will see.
The QUEEN fades off, and the view screen goes black.
RUNE
She's right, the Senate will never....
NUTE
It's too late now.
RUNE
Do you think she suspects an attack?
NUTE
I don't know, but we must move quickly
to disrupt all communications down
there.
INT. NABOO PALACE - THRONE ROOM
The QUEEN, EIRTAE, SACHE and her Governor, SIO BIBBLE, stand
before a hologram of SENATOR PALPATINE, a thin, kindly man.
PALPATINE
...How could that be true? I have
assurances from the Chancellor...his
Ambassaodrs did arrive. It must be
the...get...negotiate...
The hologram of PALPATIONE sputters and fades away.
AMIDALA
Senator Palpatine?!?
(turns to Panaka)
What's happening?
Capt. Panaka turns to his SARGEANT.
CAPT. PANAKA
Check the transmission generators...
BIBBLE
A malfunction?
CAPT. PANAKA
It could be the Federation jamming
us. Your Highness.
BIBBLE
A communications disruption can only
mean one thing. Invasion.
AMIDALA
Don't jump to conclusions, Governor.
The Federation would not dare go
that far.
CAPT. PANAKA
The Senate would revoke their trade
franchise, and they'd be finished.
AMIDALA
We must continue to rely on
negotiation.
BIBBLE
Negotiation? We've lost all
communications!...and where atre the
Chancellors Ambassadors? How can we
negotiate? We must prepare to defend
ourselves.
CAPT. PANAKA
This is a dangerous situation, Your
Highness. Our security volunteers
will be no match against a battle-
hardened Federation army.
AMIDALA
I will not condone a course of action
that will lead us to war.
Script excerpted from this site:
http://www.supershadow.com/star_wars/episode_1/the_phantom_menace/script.html
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ReplyDeleteYou know, I've seen this movie like four times.
DeleteI still am not sure I know just what the hell is going on in this scene.
Other than introducing Amidala as the queen of the Naboo, I'm not sure what it accomplishes that wasn't already accomplished in the opening sequence.
How do we make this better? I think you show Amidala and Palpatine come face to face LATER in the film, when there is some suspense built up about who Darth Sidious is, and at that time you make it REALLY obvious that he's the Emperor-to-be.
So: 1. Don't shroud his damned face when he talks to the evil Chinese dudes. Let us get familiar with the love contours of his cheeks, so we'd recognize him in a dark alley. 2. Don't *show* his face when he talks to Amidala, if he must do so at this time. Use the "disrupted transmission" excuse to give him voice-only communication ability, maybe show a few millisecond flashes off his face interrupted by static.
So then, 3. when Padme finally gets to Coruscant After Many Adventures, she walks in a room and chills with her boy Palpatine at the same time the audience GASPS: OH CRAP SHE'S TALKING TO DARTH SIDIOUS AND OMG SHE DON'T EVEN KNOW!
hahah! The queen rolls into Coruscant with two and a half Jedi behind her, walks up to her dorm room. The door slides open. Inside, a man standing at the window turns and smiles...the audience gasps! Closeup of Darth Sidious's face, his smile widens as Padme says in her faux Alec Guinness accent: "Senator Palpatine, how excellent to see you. We have much to discuss regarding the Trade Federation's criminal actions on our planet."
ReplyDeleteNOTE: This will require all of Padme's previous conversations with the Palpatine to have used "Senator" as his address rather than "Senator Palpatine."
:makeitso
Brilliant. I approve. And I agree that this scene is really off the rails as written. I, too, had no idea what was going on.
ReplyDeleteNext!
Historical reference - Neville Chamberlain. Peace at all costs. Amidalla still can't believe "Poland" is being invaded, even as it happens. Is this Lucas attempting to show off the historical backing for his plot? Damned poor effort.
ReplyDeleteI think the real reason is to show the Naboo as a peace loving, almost defenseless people. And perhaps, by extension, the whole civilization has slipped to this point. Not only are they incapable of protecting themselves, the infrastructure simply does not exist. The Jedi have maintained peace on a grand scale for centuries? millenia? The galaxy is so peaceful that Palpatine had to recruit killer robots and clone the only ruthless man in the galaxy in order to have an army.
Maybe a nicely timed sentence or two from Amidala, expressing helplessness and reliance on the Jedi would set some things up later in the movies.
Bibble: ....we must prepare to defend ourselves
Amidala: With what? Our security forces? We can arrest pirates, but have no hope against an army of battle droids. We haven't had a standing army for a thousand years.
The Jedi have kept peace for generations, and they must save us now. They are our only hope.
Ah, that's very good.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, you could bring some anger into Padme's lines as she mentions the Jedi. Have her question the Jedi. Create a little more tension between her and Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan when they arrive.
A lingering resentment of the Jedi over this issue, or with the Republic at large, could help lead to her eventual suggestion that the Chancellor be removed...it would also provide a little more tension to her eventual relationship with Anakin. It would certainly be better than the tension that does show up in Attack of the Clones, which is based solely on Anakin being a humorless, acharismatic tool.