On the other hand, if putting it in grinds things to a halt-- 108 min. is fine. We want this to be a good movie first, a good "Star Wars" movie second. If making it a "good Star Wars" movie length makes it a bad movie in general-- then what's really been gained?
Thoughts about the final kiss:
The first thing I noticed, screening it, was how un-OT the preceeding "Clone Army" marching off to war scene was. That thing is a real killer because I find that to be the most obvious CGi in the movie. It's like watching a scene from Roger Rabbit to have to pretend Palpatine and those troops are really sharing the same space. The most crippling aspect, imho, is how the camera moves around so much-- those computer made mattes allow the camera to do things that weren't possible during the OT-- so we get stuck with footage that will never match (unless Trooperman pulls off some magic). Too bad there aren't static shots of those troops and ships. I think it would all look more real and feel more OT.
I mention all that because the failings of that scene spill over into the failings of the Anakin wedding/kiss scene. I'm already in a "bad mood" so to speak, fighting to stay in the movie as it keeps doing things that take me out.
But forgetting the troops and just looking at the wedding footage, I think a solution is there. What makes th wedding/kiss so bad? It feels awkward to me. They kiss like teenagers on a date. The sequence has no grace in its cutting-- a moving shot cuts to a static shot that starts moving a fraction of a second later, then to another static shot that starts moving a fraction of a second later. Then more awkward, hesitant kissing and "meaningful" glances that convey no meaning. The result of all these bits of awkwardness make me dislike the scene for seeming to want to be more than it is. Is it just a happy wedding? Or is something brewing underneath? The awkwardness hints at something a little wrong-- but the awkwardness is the only hint.
Solution? I say, edit out the awkwardness.
FIRST SHOT: Pulling back from the sun in the mountains, then to the wide shot of the couple exchanging vows.
The priest steps away, Anakin reaches for Padme. CUT ON MOTION as his golden hand also reaches for her-- make these movements be graceful; all in one.
They move in for the first kiss-- and just after their lips touch for the first time, CUT to the droids moving and congratulating each other. Then CUT to the close-up 2 shot of Padme and Anakin kissing with sunlight behind them-- as they FINISH their last kiss (so the effect is that they had one LONG kiss -- not twenty hesitant awkward kisses).
Then as Padme and Anakin manage to separate and look at each other, let Padme look at Anakin ONCE, then CUT TO the final long shot as they turn together to look at the sunset. (the idea here is that we should be Cutting away before she awkwardly looks at his eyes, looks down, looks up, looks down and basically communicates to us "Who is this guy and what am I doing here?").
To me, that improves this final scene a lot by eliminating a lot of weird "static" that comes in because of the clumsy filmmaking/acting choices. It won't be half-so objectionable if it is simply graceful.
Them's my thoughts.
And if possible, figure out a way to make the Clone Army stuff seem to contain more still shots.
Glad to hear progress is being made, TM!
