Here we see Qui-Gon Jinn propose a bet with Watto, with slaves as the pot.
See comments section for our thoughts.
Script copyright George Lucas
Script excerpted from this site:
http://www.supershadow.com/star_wars/episode_1/the_phantom_menace/script.html
EXT. TATOOINE - DESERT MESA - NIGHT
The sinister looking Sith spacecraft lands on top of a desert
mesa at dus, scattering a herd of banthas. DARTH MAUL walks
to the edge of the mesa and studies the landscape with a
pair of electrobinoculars. He picks out the lights of three
different cities in the distance, then pushes buttons on his
electronic armband.
Six football-sized PROBE DROIDS float out of the ship and
head off in three different directions toward the cities.
DARTH MAUL stands on the mesa and watches them through his
electrobinoculars.
EXT. MOS ESPA - SLAVE QUARTERS - PORCH - SUNRISE
Padme exits the hovel.
EXT. MOS ESPA - SLAVE QUARTERS - BACK YARD - SUNRISE
As the twin suns rise, ARTOO is busy painting the racing
Pod. ANAKIN is asleep. PADME passes ARTOO.
PADME
I hope you're about finished.
ARTOO whistles a positive reply. PADME sees KITSTER riding
toward them on an EOPIE, a strange camel-lile creature. He
is leading a second EOPIE behind him. PADME goes over to
ANAKIN. He looks very vulnerable as he sleeps. She watches
him, then touches him on the cheek. ANAKIN wakes up, yawns,
and looks at her, a little puzzled.
ANAKIN
You were in my dream... you were
leading a huge army into battle.
PADME
I hope not, I hate fighting. Your
mother wants you to come in and clean
up. We have to leave soon.
ANAKIN stands up and stretches just as KITSTER arrives.
ANAKIN
Hook 'em up, Kitster.
(to Padme))
I won't be long. Where's Qui-Gon?
PADME
He and Jar Jar left already. They're
with Watto at the arena.
EXT. MOS ESPA - ARENA - MAIN HANGER - DAY
RACE CREWS mill about outside the Main Hanger.
INT. MOS ESPA - ARENA - MAIN HANGER - DAY
The hanger is a large building with a dozen or so Podracers
being readied for the race. ALIEN CREWS and PILOTS rush about,
making last minute fixes on their vehicles. WATTO, QUI-GON,
and JAR JAR walk through the activity.
WATTO
...I want to see your spaceship the
moment the race is over.
QUI-GON
Patience, my blue friend. You'll
have your winnings before the suns
set, and we'll be far away from here.
WATTO
Not if your ship belongs to me, I
think... I warn you, no funny
business.
QUI-GON
You don't think Anakin will win?
WATTO stops before an orange racer. Sitting to one side,
having his shoulders and neck massaged by TWIN YOBANAS, is
SEBULBA.
WATTO
Don't get me wrongo. I have great
faith in the boy. He's a credit to
your race, but Sebulba there is going
to win, I think.
QUI-GON
Why?
WATTO
He always wins.
(laughs)
I'm betting heavily on Sebulba.
QUI-GON
I'll take that bet.
WATTO
(suddenly stops
laughing)
What??!! What do you mean?
QUI-GON
I'll wager my new racing pod
against... say... the boy and his
mother.
WATTO
A Pod for slaves. I don't think so...
well, poerhaps. Just one...the mother,
maybe...the boy isn't for sale.
QUI-GON
The boy is small, he can't be worth
much.
WATTO shakes his head.
QUI-GON
For the fastest Pod ever built?!
WATTO shakes his head again.
QUI-GON
Both, or no bet.
WATTO
No Pod's worth two slaves... not by
a long shot... one slave or nothing.
QUI-GON
The boy, then...
WATTO pulls out a small cube from his pocket.
WATTO
We'll let fate decide. Blue it's the
boy, red his mother...
WATTO tosses the cube down. QUI-GON lifts his hand slightly;
it turns blue.
QUI-GON smiles. WATTO is angry.
WATTO
You won the small toss, outlander,
bou you won't win the race, so... it
makes little difference.
ANAKIN and PADME enter the hanger on one of the EOPIES,
pulling an engine. KITSTER, on the other EOPIE, is pulling
another engine. With THREEPIO walking alongside, ARTOO
trundles behind, pulling the Pod with SHMI sitting on it.
WATTO passes ANAKIN as he leaves.
WATTO (SUBTITLED)
Bonapa keesa pateeso, o wanna meetee
chobodd.
(Better stop your friends betting,
or I'll end up owning him, too.)
WATTO walks off, laughing.
ANAKIN
What did he mean by that?
QUI-GON
I'll tell you later.
ARTOO beeps at THREEPIO.
THREEPIO
Oh my! Space travel sounds rather
perilous.
ARTOO emits a series of beeps.
THREEPIO
I can assure you they will never get
me onto one of those dreadful
starships!
KITSTER
(to Anakin)
This is so wizard! I'm sure you'll
do it this time, Annie.
PADME
Do what?
KITSTER
Finish the race, of course!
PADME
You've never won a race?
ANAKIN
Well... not exactly...
PADME
Not even finished?!
ANAKN looks sheepish.
ANAKIN
...but Kitster's right, I will this
time.
QUI-GON
Of course you will.
First, the brief Darth Maul scene: Excellent. Menacing. Technology serving the Dark Side. You know it's only a matter of time. Suspenseful, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe Darth Maul scenes are the antithesis of the bloated Anakin scenes on Tatooine.
"ANAKIN
ReplyDeleteYou were in my dream... you were
leading a huge army into battle."
Err...what? The viewer will think (as I did) that this foretells something from II or III. But uh...no? The only thing I can think of is that battle in the Geonosis arena where Padme is chained to an obelisk and the Jedi swoop. Hardly seems to qualify.
The Watto gamble I feel pretty good about. I like it. I like Qui-Gon rigging the no-doubt-already-rigged-the-other-way roll of the die.
ReplyDeleteObviously we kill Kitster and his stupid alien cartoon camels.
I like the quick R2-3PO banter.
I'm not excited about Sebulba winning every race. Boring. I'd personally be happier if anyone might win any race, but Anakin had never won at all. But whatever, that's personal preference.
I DON'T like that Anakin has never even finished a race. THIS is the incredibly gifted pilot? He can build C-3PO and a podracer and the Force loves him but he can't finish one of these little races? That seems unnecessary, and makes the whole thing harder to believe rather than more dramatic.
Overall, I'm happy with this scene and I think it's important enough to keep. Just eliminated Kitster. Please.
Yeah, the failed foreshadowing is just awful.
ReplyDeleteI also like the gambling... except that I don't believe for one minute that Watto would go to the dice. He knows perfectly well that QG cheats.
I agree that Sebulba winning all the races is dumb. How is there even a market for betting if he wins all the time?
If we're keeping the pod races at all, then yeah, this scene needs to be here. But we HAVE to tweak the previous results bit.
Yes, the "one roll of the dice" aspect is weak. I think Qui-Gon could have found some other way to bargain Anakin into the stakes.
ReplyDeleteAlso....Anakin's been working on the pod for years? What, since he was 5? Seriously?
Luckily, our Anakin is older.
ReplyDelete