While this isn’t a major
radical idea, I haven’t seen this idea mentioned before, but maybe it has.
I think most people would agree that one of the weaker aspects of Revenge of the Sith is how Padmé does not really have much to do in that film. Luckily it has become commonplace for ROTS edits to reinsert most, if not all, of her deleted scenes. While this does give her more to do, really what she does doesn’t have much an influence on the overall story. It’s more of a sideplot, and it really doesn’t go anywhere.
While the scenes technically show us the beginnings of the Rebellion, it’s not really the Rebellion, but more about the Petition of the 2000.
Basically, I’m wondering if the subplot could be restructured to give Padmé a more fundamental role in the founding of the Alliance.
I’m curious about the possibility of slightly reordering the appearance of these deleted scenes in a convincing way. Instead of being last, the first deleted scene we see could be when Padmé meets with Palpatine about the Petition of 2000. Palpatine “reassures” them that he’ll do the right thing. This versions would cut the reference to the regional governors, and just refer to more constitutional amendments in general.
The next deleted scene would be when the senators discuss Palpatine appointing Regional Governors across the Republic. With this restructure, the senators are now clearly upset that Palpatine is still abusing his power despite their wishes. Now, the “organization” that Bail alludes to more clearly appears to be referring to what eventually will be the Rebellion. They are taking the next step in order to preserve the Republic. I do think this scene could be trimmed too, like Padmé being defensive of Palpatine, since she would have already seen that Palpatine can’t be trusted.
Now, while not totally necessary, and I still don’t know for sure where the last scene could be placed best, but adding the scene where Padmé requests involving a Jedi she trusts could help tie her plot into the main crux of the story.
Since she never refers to the Jedi she trusts by name, it leaves room for doubt in the audience. Of course we’d assume this is Anakin, but has his close position with Palpatine affected this?
It would be nice if this scene could take place before Anakin visits Padmé, when he asks if Obi-Wan has been there to see her. Anakin senses that he had been there, and now the audience is wondering if Obi-Wan is the Jedi she was referring to earlier. It is not made clear, so we would begin doubt Padmé’s honesty, just like Anakin probably is.
If Padmé did speak to a Jedi about the proto-Alliance, it would not only help add to why Bail immediately goes out searching for Yoda and Obi-Wan after Order 66, but it makes Anakin’s paranoia regarding the Jedi, the Senate, and especially the two people he is closest to, Obi-Wan and Padmé, more understandable. It could add to Anakin’s suspicions regarding Padmé, so him lashing out at her on Mustafar would be a more predicatable reaction.
All the scenes would require slight trims to have the restructure not be contradicted by each other, removing references regarding the Petition of 2000, regional governors in the first scene, cutting Bail saying not to get the Jedi involved just yet, etc.
It also could add to the tragedy of ROTS, because in a way Palpatine isn’t wrong about the seeds of doubt he plants in Anakin. Even though they have good intentions, the Jedi and a group of Senators are really making plans against the Chancellor. For obvious reasons, but Palpatine is still technically right. He made them react exactly the way he wanted them to.
With this restructure, we now could see Padmé take a more active role in the narrative. Also, since Padmé makes active decisions in the last two films, returning to liberate Naboo on her own and going to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, this could fit more into her previously established character.
My biggest problem at the moment though is figuring out where to place these scenes.
If generally sticking with the theatrical format, I think the Palpatine/Padmé scene would need to go in between Obi-Wan asking Anakin to spy on the chancellor and Obi-Wan, Yoda and Mace’s gunship conversation. I think this scene could replace the Anakin and Padmé couch conversation “You’re sounding like a separatist!”
The scene where Bail discusses this secret “organization” would need to go after the gunship scene. And the third scene, where Padmé requests that they involve a Jedi she trusts, would probably need to go inbetween the first Kashyyyk scene and the scene where Anakin says goodbye to Obi-Wan.
It would be pretty tight, but I think it could work. And I like how other edits reorder certain scenes, like rearranging the opera scene, but o haven’t figured out such a restructure would fit other edits. And like I said before, one could at least swap the Palpatine/Padmé meeting and Bail’s “organization” deleted scenes to imply that Padmé is a founding member of the early Rebellion.
While just swapping those two deleted scenes would add more to Padmé’s story and tie her legacy into the next films, I think adding the other deleted scene in this way also does a lot to add to Anakin’s growing doubts regarding the people he’s closest to, and how he would feel like Palpatine is the only person he can turn to.
Anyway, just a thought I’ve had for awhile. Not sure if it would work but maybe it is something that could be explored. If you guys have any ideas about scene order or anything else, please share them.