STAR WARS CONJECTURE
Here are some selected posts I've made on the subject of Star Wars, mostly on the CHUD message boards. Every once in awhile I try to explain to someone what I think is actually going on in Episode II, so it's good to have this page to refer to.
TOPICS
Secrets Revealed! A Scene From Episode III
Behind the Scenes Video Releases
Palpatine vs. The Audience
The Plot So Far...
SECRETS REVEALED! A SCENE FROM EPISODE III:
EXT. VOLCANIC TERRAIN - NIGHT Obi-Wan pauses. Anakin lies at his feet, battered and bruised. Defenseless, his light saber cut in half. Obi-Wan shakes his head. OBI-WAN I can't do it. There is good in you still. I won't finish you off. He gestures to the Gungun, still watching from a safe distance. OBI-WAN Come along, Jar-Jar. Obi-Wan turns and heads for the ship. Jar-Jar runs to catch up, but loses his footing. He trips and collides with the wounded Anakin. The dark Jedi tumbles into the volcanic pits with a scream. Jar-Jar does a double take. JAR-JAR Oopsy Daisy!
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posted by maddogmike 06-08-2002 12:31 AM
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posted by maddogmike 10-25-2002
I'm just saying this as a tangent. I'm pretty sure everybody knows that Anakin=Vader by this point.
But what about first time audiences 20 years from now? If the transformation from Anakin to Vader is left ambiguous instead of shown in a definite way, that could make things interesting for a new generation of viewers. They could watch the movies in numerical order, and might still be surprised by Vader's "I am your father" in part 5.
Kids (the target audience) don't take in plot details the first few times they watch these movies. They like the humor, action, and characters. Many of us are fans because we noticed more and more layers with these films as we grew older. I think the same could happen with the prequel trilogy. Especially AOTC. That had a really twisty plot.
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posted by maddogmike 12-07-2002 12:07 AM
Behind the Scenes Video Releases
From an interview with David McCallum at videobusiness.com:
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That's cool for two reasons. It would be great to see more behind the scenes details on the Star Wars films, but it would also be cool to help understand aspects of filmmaking in general.
McCallum: On Episode I and II, we shot about 600 to 700 hours of behind-the-scenes material. Unfortunately, we're backed up against the wall with the limits of DVD technology in terms of space. One day, I know it's [filmmaker] George [Lucas]'s dream, we'll take all the craft grades--hair, make-up, photography, focus-puller, operator, everything--and do a one-, two- or three-hour film on each person. Because that's the way we've been doing this for the last 25 years. We have enough material now to actually do a serious film about each person who makes the movie. So you get to see part of the process of coming up with an idea; the compromises that are made, the disciplines that you need, the social and technical skill sets that you need to actually be a part of the business. People then can say, "God, that doesn't interest me, but editing does," or make-up does, or hair does. That is a big, big dream for us. We don't have the time now, but when we finish Episode III, that's where I think we're going to go.
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Palpatine vs. The Audience
When Episode I came out, I was surprised that so many people didn't know that Senator Palpatine would someday be the Emperor. But upon reflection, I could understand it. The name "Palpatine" is never mentioned in the original trilogy, only the books. And just because I know a thing or two about Ian McDiarmid, it doesn't mean casual fans would recognize him without the make-up. I was shocked, however, when some people didn't even figure out that Palpatine and Sidious were the same person.
