A quick shot of lil' Anakin and then we're off to the Senate to see the eponymous Phantom Menace!
Script copyright George Lucas
Script excerpted from this site:
http://www.supershadow.com/star_wars/episode_1/the_phantom_menace/script.html
INT. QUEENS QUARTERS - CORUSCANT - DAY
Anakin, tentative, walks down one of the long hallways in
Senator Palpatine's quarters. He stops before a dor that is
flanked by TWO GUARDS.
GUARD
May I help you, son?
ANAKIN
I'm...I'm looking for the handmaiden,
Padme.
The GUARD speaks into his comlink as ANAKIN looks around a
bit nervously.
GUARD
The boy is here to see Padme.
RABE
Send him in.
The doors open, and ANAKIN enters the Queen's quarters.
RABE greets ANAKIN as TWO OTHER HANDMAIDENS come and go into
the next room.
ANAKIN
I'd like to speak with Padme, if I
could.
RABE
I'm sorry, Annie. Padme is not here
right now.
The Queen speaks out in the next room.
AMIDALA (O.S.)
Who is it?
RABE
Anakin Skywalker, to see Padme, Your
Highness.
The QUEEN moves into the doorway and studies ANAKIN. ANAKIN
bows and looks down, then takes a peek at her.
AMIDALA
I've sent Padme on an errand.
ANAKIN
I'm going to the Jedi temple to start
my training, I hope.
The QUEEN just stares at him.
ANAKIN
I may not see her again... and... I
just wanted to say goodbye.
AMIDALA
We will tell her for you. We're sure
her heart goes with you.
ANAKIN bows again.
ANAKIN
Thank you, Your Highness. I'm sorry
to have disturbed you.
The QUEEN dissapears behind the doorway, and ANAKIN exits.
EXT. CORUSCANT - GALACTIC SENATE BUILDING - DAY (FX)
A large, distinctive looking domed building stands out amid
the cityscape of Coruscant.
INT. MAIN ROTUNDA - GALACTIC SENATE - DAY
The Senate chambers are huge. Thousands of SENATORS and their
AIDES sit in the circular assembly area. CHANCELLOR VALORUM
sits in an elevated area in the center. Hindreds of AIDES
and DROIDS hurry about. SENATOR PALPATINE, QUEEN AMIDALA,
EIRTA, RABE, and Capt. Panaka sit in the Naboo congressional
box, which is actually a floating platform. PALPATINE leans
over to the QUEEN.
PALPATINE
If the Federation moves to defer the
motion...Your Majesty, Ibeg of you
to ask for a resolution to end this
congressional session.
AMIDALA
I wish I had your confidence in this,
Senator.
PALPATINE
You must force a new election for
Supreme Chancellor... I promise you
there are many who will support us...
it is our best chance... Your Majesty,
our only, chance.
AMIDALA
You truely believe Chancellor Valorum
will not bring our motion to a vote?
PALPATINE
He is distracted...he is afraid. He
will be of no help.
VALORUM
The Chair recognizes the Senator
from the sovereign system of Naboo.
The Naboo congressional box floats into the center.
PALPATINE
Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the
Senate. A tragedy has occured on our
peaceful system of Naboo. We have
become caugt in a dispute you're all
well aware of, which began right
here with the taxation of trade
routes, and has now engulfed our
entire planet in the oppresion of
the Trade Federation.
A second box rushes into the center of the Senate. It is
filled with Federation trade barons led by LOTT DOD, the
Senator for the Federation.
LOTT DOD
This is outrageous! I object to the
Senator's statements!
VALORUM
The Chair does not recognize the
Senator from the Trade Federation at
this time. Please return to your
station.
LOTT DOD reluctantly moves back to his place.
PALPATINE
To state our allegations, I present
Queen Amidala, the recently elected
ruler of Naboo, to speak on our
behalf.
QUEEN AMIDALA stands and addresses the assembly. There is
some applause.
AMIDALA
Honorable representatives of the
Republic, distinguished delegates,
and Your Honor Supreme Chancellor
Valorum, I come to you under the
gravest of circumstances. The Naboo
system has been invaded by force.
Invaded...against all the laws of
the Republic by the Droid Armies of
the Trade...
LOTT DOD
I object! There is no proof. This is
incredible. We recommend a commision
be sent to Naboo to assertain the
truth.
VALORUM
Overruled.
LOTT DOD
Your Honor, you cannot allow us to
be condemned without reasonable
observation. It's against all the
rules of procedure.
A third box representing Malastare moves into the center of
the room. AKS MOE, the Ambassador, addresses the convention.
AKS MOE
The Congress of Malastare concurs
with the honorable delegate from the
Trade Federation. A commision must
be appointed...that is the law.
VALORUM
The point...
VALORUM confers with several of his AIDES and VICE CHAIRMAN
MAS AMEDDA.
PALPATINE whispers something to the QUEEN.
PALPATINE
Enter the bureaucrats, the true rulers
of the Republic, and on the payroll
of the Trade Federation, I might
add. This is where Chancellor
Valorum's strength will dissapear.
VALORUM
The point is conceded...Section 523A
take precedence here. Queen Amidala
of the Naboo, will you defer your
motion to allow a commission to
explore the validity of your
accusations?
QUEEN AMIDALA is angry but remains composed.
AMIDALA
(angrily)
I will not defer... I have come before
you to resolve this attack on our
sovereignty now. I was not elected
to watch my people suffer and die
while you discuss this invasion in a
committee. If this body is not capable
of action, I suggest new leadership
is needed. I move for a "vote of no
confidence"...in Chancellor Valorum's
leadership.
VALORUM
What?...No!
This causes a great stir in the assembly. A loud mumur
cresendos into a roar of approval and jeers. CHANCELLOR
VALORUM is stunned and stands speechless. His Vice Chair,
MAS AMEDDA, takes over.
MAS AMEDDA
Order! We shall have order...
Things settledown a little. The Federation box settles next
to AMIDALA.
PRINCE BAIL ORGANA moves his box into the arena.
BAIL ORGANA
Alderaan seconds the motion for a
vote of no confidence in Chancellor
Valorum.
MAS AMEDDA
The motion has been seconded by Bail
Organa of Alderaan.
MAS AMEDDA turns to the confused VALORUM, and whispers
something to him.
BAIL ORGANA
There must be no delays. The motion
is on the floor and must be voted
upon in this session.
LOTT DOD
The Trade Federation moves the motion
be sent to the procedures committee
for study.
The assembly begins to chant. VALORUM talks to MAS AMEDDA.
ASSEMBLY
Vote now! Vote now! Vote now!
PALPATINE stands next to AMIDALA.
PALPATINE
You see, Your Majaesty, the tide is
with us... Valorum will be voted
out, I assure you, and they will
elect in a new Chancellor, a strong
Chancellor, one who will not let our
tragedy continue...
MAS AMEDDA
The Supreme Chancellor requests a
recess. Tomorrow we will begin the
vote.
The Federation delegation is furious. VALORUM turns to
PALPATINE.
VALORUM
Palpatine, I thought you were my
ally...my friend. You have betrayed
me! How could you do this?
Now, this is a pretty interesting scene.
ReplyDeleteBUT, consider this:
THIS SCENE is the whole point of the movie. This is IT. The Phantom Menace. Finding Anakin doesn't affect this scene at all. The battle at Naboo is completely meaningless. It's irrelevant to the greater story of Star Wars.
It's like this whole movie is a prequel to the other two prequels. If we take Krista Beaver Goodman's premise* as gospel, there's no way this movie could EVER have been good.
*No prequel is ever better than the original story.
You know, I really enjoyed reading this! Was this just horrifically acted on the screen? Because THIS makes sense! And with our audience knowing who Palpatine is and wondering what happens next, but not, perhaps, knowing who will be elected Chancellor... wow.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if the novelization explains all of this shit. Because a little explanation would go a long way.
Other than the fact that we're setting up Leia, why exactly is Alderaan voting with Naboo? Have they also been screwed over? Or are we supposed to believe that he is righteously indignant over the stall tactics of the Federation?
And yeah, I feel like the prequels really dropped the ball on the birth of the Empire... right here, ladies and gentlemen. Tyranny born from a rejection of bureaucracy. The subjugation of the entire galaxy comes from THAT VOTE RIGHT THERE. But we're not going to tell you that. Here, let's worry about immaculate conception.
Okay, from the first little scene there, the only thing that bothers me is this line:
ReplyDeleteANAKIN
Thank you, Your Highness. I'm sorry
to have disturbed you.
Doesn't sound like something an eight-year-old would say.
Otherwise, I think that bit works well. It needs to be acted well by Portman, who has to show that she recognizes/cares about Anakin without showing him that she cares about him, but that's on her.
Ah, wait, our Anakin's a teenager, right? We'll have get some angst into his little scene with Amidala. Should be easy enough. Just channel "high school."
ReplyDeleteSo...my only real problem with the Senate scene is, unfortunately, a very key element.
ReplyDeleteHow can the Senate not confirm that freaking Naboo is being freaking invaded? No journalists? No spy satellites? No impartial Jedi observers named Qui-Gon Jin and Obi-Wan Kenobi who can confirm?
Oh, and I think the Bail Organa bit is just to introduce us to his character. Why he would have a problem with Valorum, I don't know. In fact, he's looking pretty dumb right now, what with helping to bring the emperor to power and all. Sure, that's where I'd hide a baby from the emperor: with the dumb guy who helped bring the emperor to power!
ReplyDeleteYeah...
ReplyDelete