|| Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace || 1999 || Book Adaptation || Science Fiction || PG || It certainly took me a while to finish The Phantom Menace, but yesterday my driver teacher got sick, we had electricity outage, and because I already did the traditional sketch quota for the day, I was like: why the hell not.
-- I really enjoyed the book, especially that it gave me more understanding what is between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, and you just can't sense this tension in the movie.
-- Anakin is equally the main protagonist of the book just as Qui-Gon, not just a child character who is supporting the adults, therefor we were able to get into his life and mind more.
-- The Trade Federation's politicial game has much more sense
-- I still can't get over Palpatine and Padmé and how they threw over Valorum
But the ending just hits different due to Anakin. When you watch the movie, the ending is an obvious victory to the Republic, to the Naboo. Despite the losses, it radiates hope for the future. But when you read into the mind Anakin, it just breaks your heart:
Anakin Skywalker stood with Obi-Wan Kenobi near the Queen. He was feeling out of place and embarrassed. He thought the parade wonderful, and he appreciated being honored with the others, but his mind was elsewhere.
It was with Qui-Gon, gone back into the Force.
It was with Padmé, who had barely spoken to him since he had been accepted for training by the Jedi Council.
It was with his home, to which he might never return.
It was with his mother, whom he wished could see him now.
He wore the clothing of a Jedi Padawan, his hair cut short in the Padawan style, a student in training to become a Knight of the order. He had achieved all that he had hoped in coming with Qui-Gon to Coruscant and beyond. He should have been happy and satisfied, and he was. But his happiness and satisfaction were clouded by the sadness he could not banish at losing Qui-Gon and his mother both. They were lost to him in different ways, to be sure, but they were gone out of his life. Qui-Gon had provided the stability he required to leave his mother behind. With the Jedi Master’s death, Anakin was left adrift. There was no one who could give him the grounding that Qui-Gon had provided—not Obi-Wan, not even Padmé. One day, perhaps. One day, each of them would play a part in his life that would change him forever. He could sense that. But for now, when it mattered most, he felt all alone.
So he smiled, but he was sick in spirit and lost in his heart.
Anakin lost everyone. He lost his mother. His lost his mentor, and I think it is important that the text focused on this: the stability in his life. Now he is with a person who didn't like him first, and he couldn't be with Padmé that much as before. Anakin feels he lost her too. He is a padawan now, he ventured into the stars, he reached everything he could never hoped for but he feels terribly alone.
I'm glad I could read this book, and I can't wait to start Attack of the Clones to follow more on Anakin's journey!
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