MYST Post #1

Star Wars: A Phantom Menace
          Before I start talking about the plot or theme or any of the outright things let me talk about the more subtle aspects that make this movie great.  The first “cinema” component that came to mind was Lucas’s use of sound/music.  In my mind, If you were blindfolded you would still be able to create a picture in you mind of what’s going on.  The soundtrack is unlike any other movie soundtrack.  The music sets the tone of each setting whether Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan are in the middle of a battle or when Anakin is saying goodbye to his mom to leave with Qui-Gon.  Although the music and sounds play a huge role it is really the animations and computer work that make this movie.  Its pretty amazing how director George Lucas was able to combine real people with animated characters like Yoda.  I think one of the best scenes portraying this is when Anakin is racing against non-human like creatures in a desert/canyon place.  They race on vehicles that hover over the ground and zip across the plain.  And when I saw 8-year-old Anakin driving one, my mind was blown. 

          

         There are 7 Star Wars movies so far but I have only seen 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7.  But in each one that I’ve seen, George Lucas stays consistent with his cinematic elements.  When comparing this movie to movies in the past I would link it to the Star Trek movies.  Both sagas take place in extraterrestrial areas, both deals with war, and they both have very noticeable sound/music elements.  I believe one major theme in this movie is, never pass up an opportunity to potentially do something great.  Anakin was told by Qui-Gon that he would train him to become a Jedi.  As much as Anakin wanted to, he also didn’t want to leave his mother alone in this desert town.  Qui-Gon talks to his mother and tells her how her son is the “chosen one” and she quickly realizes that she must let her son go with them and do good.  She knows that anything would be better than staying in the little desert town as a slave.  There is also a huge component of deception in the movie, for deception is used often.  Although deception is used often I don’t think it is important enough to use as a theme because every time deception was used, it was merely to get out of a bad situation.

         

          One of the greatest scenes in the whole movie is when Qui-Gon and Obi-Won are dueling against a dark-side Jedi, Darth Mol.  The scene starts of with a heated battle placed on the plane runway of a star ship.  They are both able to push Darth Mol back into a huge cylinder room with a bottomless pit.  The battle continues.  Then, they are able to drive Darth Mol back into a secluded chamber.  But Obi-wan had gotten hit and had fallen to a lower level.  As he struggles to get back up, Qui-Gon is left to battle the skilled Jedi himself.  He gets stunned and Mol is able to run by Qui-Gon and separate themselves by a shield to regain composure.  However, there are a series of shields to get by and Obi-won is about 4 shields back whereas Qui-Gon is on the other side of Mol.  So when the shield is lifted the two Jedi’s go at it again and all Obi-Won can do is watch until the shields are lifted.  He watches for what seems like years and finally, Qui-Gon is over powered and is killed by Darth Mol.  This infuriates Obi-Won, and when the final shield is lifted and the movie soundtrack intensifies, the two Jedi’s now battle.  Qui-Gon was his mentor and he was ready to do whatever it took to kill Darth Mol.  During the intense battle Obi-Won is kicked and fallen into a hole barely hanging on.  He then thrusts himself up, uses the force to grab a light saber, and finally kills Darth Mol.  The hectic scene ends by Obi-Won weeping for the death of his best friend and mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn.

                              4 STARS