Ah! It is good to be back. I took a break from my Star Wars: Deconstructed series during the Major League Baseball World Series. My congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, who won in splendid fashion. I was also taking a break in order to begin analyzing the second half of the Phantom Menace from a fresher perspective.
In the next ten minutes of the Phantom Menace, politics is the name of the game, both in the Republic Senate and the Jedi Council.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace (01.20.26-01.29.53)
I cannot say enough about the acting of Ian McDiarmid. As Senator/Chancellor Palpatine aka Darth Sidious/Emperor he is magnificent, especially throughout the Prequels before he permanently dons his evil black robe. Unless a person knows nothing about Star Wars, everyone knows that lowly Senator Palpatine will become Emperor Palpatine, but McDiarmid creates a character that is duplicitous and evil without ever being obvious. He has his share of dumb dialogue, but 90% of acting happens outside the lines, and that is where McDiarmid is a master.
After the Tatooine debacle, Queen Amidala finally makes it to the capital planet of the Republic to speak against the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. Once she arrives, the leader of the Republic, or at least the Senate, Chancellor Valorum, informs Amidala that he has called for a special session of the Senate in order for her to present her plight to the Republic.
The senate hearing should be a quick presentation followed by the official condemnation of the Federation’s actions and summary fines, arrests, and trials. I know that Palpatine is orchestrating events to make this Senate hearing a farce, but without being able to be overt, his plans should fall through in the face of eyewitness accounts of what has happened, coupled with the hard evidence that the Queen could produce. Upon debarking from her ship and meeting Chancellor Valorum, the Senate leader even says that he “must relate to [Amidala] how distressed everyone is over the current situation” right on the heels of Palpatine expressing relief that she is alive, having perhaps spread rumors of her death since the communication blackout with Naboo (01:21:39).
Right before boarding the air taxi, Palpatine murmurs to Amidala, “There is a question of procedure, but I am confident that we can overcome it” (01.21.52). Procedure for what? A special session of Congress to hear a plea for help? This line is meaningless. I am sure it could be confusing as to which form to fill out (light blue Invasion of Planet form or the pale green Infringement of Civil Liberties form) but that is Palpatine’s job. He risks looking like he is doing nothing if he doesn’t already have a plan for how to beat this invasion legally. But, Amidala is apparently an idiot, because she never notices how inept of a Senator Palpatine has to be in order to pull off his evil little scheme.
Once the entourage makes it to the Senate, Amidala’s presentation is interrupted by a Federation delegate demanding that “a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth” stating that “there is no evidence” of what Amidala says (01:28:04). What? No evidence? Why not produce R2-D2’s memory banks of the attack, or footage from Amidala’s ship? or Jar Jar Binks who witnessed the landing and deployment of troops? Or, since there is the vague possibility of Amidala making up the charges, why not have Jinn and Kenobi provide statements? Surely the Jedi are still above reproach and their role as “guardians of peace and justice” makes them excellent and expert witnesses. Finally, there is a verifiable communication blackout that I am sure more senators than Palpatine are aware of, and if “everyone is distressed” than it appears obvious that the situation on Naboo is at least minor news, if not the Hot Topic of the week. Finally, why didn’t Palpatine or Amidala at least get to finish their opening statements? This isn’t even a debate yet, merely a statement of allegations. It is premature for the Trade Federation to object: it makes them look guilty. But, beyond all that, it makes complete and total sense for Amidala to allow a commission be appointed. As soon as an independent team enters the Naboo system and takes a look around, the invasion would be obvious. I know that apparently people are dying, which would only make the Federation’s crimes worse, but it is never made clear whether the deaths are real or just a ploy, so on one hand it excuses Amidala’s impatience, but on the other it makes her dumb.
The setup for all of this happens in Palpatine’s office. He is pacing and talking about the Senate. He says, “There is no stability: only politics” (01.22.57). I think I know what he means, but this is a dumb thing to say. Try it this way, “There is no stability: only Congress/the Senate.” Both statements mean the same thing. Palpatine should have said “There is no stability, only endless political maneuvering.” I won’t call Palpatine’s dialogue here bad writing, but only because it is nearly impossible to separate bad writing from misdirection and lying, given that one has to make things up and say illogical things in order to lie and misdirect. He says “there is no interest in the common good” and that “there is little real chance the Senate will act on the invasion” and only because only three senators say anything does this hold true (01.23.16). I am wondering where Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, or any of the “good” senators are during the charade. Also, why does the Trade Federation have senators? It would be like UPS having senators in the US Senate. Since when do corporations get their own representation? I suppose this could be part of the Republic Constitution, but it is a bad idea in the Star Wars universe for the same reasons that it is bad idea in America, and it is hard to believe that a galactic senate would allow such a thing, but it has, so I accept it. (But I still call it out as bad writing. Stacking the deck in a story is cheating just like in poker.)
Palpatine moves right from lambasting the Senate for being a Senate to destroying the reputation of the Chancellor. I am unsure of the role of the Chancellor in Lucas’ political system, at times he seems like a president or prime minister, at other times he merely seems like the chairman of the senate, but I fail to see how merely replacing him will make anything better. Presumably things are still decided by votes, and the Chancellor, as a position, wouldn’t have any voting power (else Valorum could have merely decided to help out Amidala on his own) so I fail to see how replacing Valorum would help, or change the situation, at all. The only way this makes sense is to add in the factor of Palpatine making his bid for ultimate power, which is only a symptom of things happening to make things happen which is de facto Bad Writing. In other words, nothing that happens here should happen.
In either case, Amidala has no patience because she has absolutely no proof that a single Naboo citizen has died. She bases everything she does on Coruscant on the belief that Nute Gunray is killing a Nubian citizen every hour she doesn’t sign his illegal treaty, but she does not know that this is actually the case. Even the Jedi seemed extremely reluctant to believe the one message the ship apparently received, dismissing it as a blatant attempt to trace their location. There is presumably still a communications blackout of the planet, so presumably only Palpatine knows what is happening. But, Lucas’ bad writing reinforces Palpatine’s manipulation as he allows Amidala to believe lies and come to premature conclusions. Amidala rejects any plan that calls for waiting, and to be fair, I doubt she has any idea that the best way to win might be to wait. History is replete with exiled governments waiting and fighting from a distance and winning in the end, but I suppose Amidala is ignorant of such history. In either case she gives Palpatine what he wants, and calls for the replacement of Chancellor Valorum.
Meanwhile, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan make their report to the Jedi Council, a report in which, apparently, all they care about is the fact that Darth Maul might be a Sith. Aside from his obviously red lightsaber and black robes, the Jedi Council is not sure the Sith could be all sneaky and not tell them that they “returned” from being utterly wiped out, but they promise to check on it. Seriously, the ineptitude of the Jedi is staggering, but long years of complacency will do that, so this is actually evidence of realistic writing. It is very hard to remain vigilant against an enemy you think you have destroyed for “a millennia” (01.24.41). What is sort of alarming is that Jinn, apparently, makes no report about the Naboo situation, the illegal invasion, or anything. Given that it was their mission to go a reach a settlement, you would think this would be part of the discussion. Granted, his report on Naboo could have happened just before the scene begins, but that doesn’t explain why the Jedi do nothing or say nothing about it. The only conclusion I can reach is that this is more Bad Writing because this movie is all about the finding of Anakin Skywalker and the ascension of Palpatine to power, so with one out of the way, this scene must be about the other.
Jinn, on cue, demands that Anakin be tested for Jedi training. Something about a prophecy is mentioned, and seeing as this is a key factor in support of Anakin’s training, you would think that it would be discussed a little more, but the prophecy is never actually even quoted, just referred to (01:25:25). In any case, judging by the body language of Yoda and Mace Windu, it seems that Jinn has been finding the Chosen One most of his life, and the council is a little weary of these conversations. Seriously, watch this scene and watch the rolled eyes, listen to the sighs, and the long-suffering nature of the Jedi Council is obvious (01:25:55).
Following this, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon enjoy the setting of the sun, and Kenobi voices his displeasure over Jinn’s defiance of the Jedi Council. Qui-Gon flashes his haughty gaze and condescends “I will do what I must” (01.29.39). I know he is supposed to be driven by a desire to do what is right against all odds, but he comes off as a whiner doing what it takes to get his own way. His arrogance is mind-numbing.
Anyway, Anakin is about to be tested, and the Senate is bogged down in politics.
(01.29.53)
a simple man 