Here we see Anakin's first interview with the Mighty Jedi Council.
Script copyright George Lucas
Script excerpted from this site:
http://www.supershadow.com/star_wars/episode_1/the_phantom_menace/script.html
EXT. PALACE OF THE JEDI - BALCONY - SUNSET
OBI-WAN and QUI-GON stand outside the palace on a balcony.
OBI-WAN
The boy will not pass the Council's
tests, Master, and you know it. He
is far too old.
QUI-GON
Anakin will become A Jedi... I promise
you.
OBI-WAN
Don't defy the Council, Master..not
again.
QUI-GON
I will do what I must.
OBI-WAN
Master, you could be sitting on the
Council by now if you would just
follow the code. They will not go
along with you this time.
QUI-GON
You still have much to learn, my
young apprentice.
INT. PALACE OF THE JEDI - COUNCIL CHAMBERS - SUNSET
ANAKIN stands before the TWELVE JEDI. MACE WINDU holds a
small hand-held viewing screen. In rapid succession, images
flash across the screen.
ANAKIN
A ship...a cup...a speeder.
MACE WINDU turns the viewing screen off and nods toward YODA.
YODA
Good, good, young one. How feel you?
ANAKIN
Cold, sir.
YODA
Afraid are you?
ANAKIN
No, sir.
MACE WINDU
Afraid to give up your life?
ANAKIN
I don't think so.
ANAKIN hesitates for a moment.
YODA
See through you, we can.
MACE WINDU
Be mindful of your feelings...
KI-ADI
YOur thoughts dwell on your mother.
ANAKIN
I miss her.
YODA
Afraid to lose her..I think.
ANAKIN
(a little angry)
What's that got to do with anything?
YODA
Eveything. Fear is the path to the
dark side... fear leads to anger...
anger leads to hate.. hate leads to
suffering.
ANAKIN
(angrily)
I am not afraid!
YODA
A Jedi must have the deepest
commitment, the most serious mind. I
sense much fear in you.
ANAKIN
(quietly)
I am not afraid.
YODA
Then continue, we will.
Here's an interesting line from Obi-Wan:
ReplyDeleteOBI-WAN
Master, you could be sitting on the
Council by now if you would just
follow the code. They will not go
along with you this time.
I'd like to hear more of this rogue Qui-Gon. Maybe a little backstory passed from Obi-Wan to Amidala in some other scene, if they talk again later. Perhaps Qui-Gon has even toyed with the dark side in his past before rejecting it, which may be making him subconsciously more attracted to Anakin.
As is, I don't see the point of the comment, however.
The fact that Qui-Gon looked into the dark side may also explain his readiness to believe that the Sith have returned. Would be interesting to see Yoda suspicious of Qui-Gon's interest in the Sith/Dark Side, given this mysterious past.
ReplyDeleteTempting also to make some sort of connection from Qui-Gon to the Emperor, but I don't see how you can do that without making Qui-Gon aware of Palpatine's Sithiness, and that's clearly going too far.
Qui-Gon's temptation and redemption, even if related as an aside, would provide a nice prelude for the six-movie epic that is Darth Vader.
The Yoda-Anakin scene reads pretty well. Again, it would be better with an older Anakin, but otherwise I think I'm ready to move on.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to ponder: Anakin appears to have a much better grasp of the Force at 8 than Luke did at 18. Is he that much stronger? Certainly in Empire, Darth Vader beats the crap out of Luke in their duel, but in Jedi it is Luke who wins. Seems questionable, unless Vader is hesitant to kill his son...I'd have to go back and watch that sequence again.
You know, I remember thinking about how that Qui-Gon thing HAD to go somewhere. Psych!
ReplyDeleteIs this really from THIS movie?!?:
YODA
Eveything. Fear is the path to the
dark side... fear leads to anger...
anger leads to hate.. hate leads to
suffering.
I would have bet you money that was from Empire. It's a great line, because it suggests that this is more subtle than someone choosing to be "evil". If we had a decent actor cast as "adult" Anakin, this would even be compelling when he turns. As it is, it's comical.
You raise an interesting point about how strong Vader is. With the element of surprise, he also "beats" the Emperor. I think we're supposed to believe that natural-talent-wise, he's the strongest ever... or at least in this era. Was it just a string of critical 20s that lets Luke beat him in Jedi? Because we're also led to believe an EQUALLY skilled Jedi will lose to the Sith because the individual Sith is more powerful, and more combat oriented. Yes, a lot of that's from the video games, but I think it's subtext in the movies, too. How else can the Emperor beat everyone they throw at him?
Alternatively, as you say, Vader is holding back. Tough to see behind the mask and pull that off as an actor. I wonder what the novelization says?
I would have sworn that quote was from Empire. I was thinking that Lucas had just recycled it for cuteness, but now I can't find a reference to it being in Empire after a good two minutes of internet searching.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like I remember from the duel in Jedi that Vader has the chance to kill Luke and holds back, even though the Emperor is urging him on. But I could be imagining it. I can just see Vader pausing, and looking back at the Emperor...now the sequence is all mixed up in my head. I suppose I should look it up, but let's leave that up to our intrepid readers.
ReplyDeleteGot it:
ReplyDeleteYoda: Yes, run! Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice.
Luke: Vader... Is the dark side stronger?
Yoda: No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.
Luke: But how am I to know the good side from the bad?
Yoda: You will know... when you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, NEVER for attack.
Luke: But tell my why I can't...
Yoda: No, no! There is no "why".
Also:
Yoda: Stopped they must be; on this all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer Vader and his Emperor. If you end your training now - if you choose the quick and easy path as Vader did - you will become an agent of evil.
Obi-Wan: Patience.
Luke: And sacrifice Han and Leia?
Yoda: If you honor what they fight for? Yes.
Obi-Wan: If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere.
Luke: I understand. R2? Fire up the converters.
Obi-Wan: Luke! Don't give in to hate. That leads to the Dark Side.
Yoda: Strong is Vader. Mind what you have learned. Save you it can.
Luke: I will. And I'll return, I promise.
And I'm calling bullshit on "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, NEVER for attack."
ReplyDeleteI definitely remember Vader pausing in the RotJ duel. But whether that's evidence that he was holding back I can't be sure. We'll make that a lot more obvious in our rewrite when we get to movie #6.
Obi-Wan: If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere.
ReplyDeleteUm...yeah? I mean, that whole deal with him telling Vader that "if you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" is kinda working out okay for Vader here.
But I'm attacking the wrong movie here. I do find that particular scene in Empire to be very irritating. Obi-Wan and Yoda are just BSing Luke all over the place.
Agreed... and I think we were supposed to expect it from Obi-Wan but not from Yoda. Which is why it's interesting that Obi-Wan is such a stick in the mud in the prequels.
ReplyDelete