So, this is a little spontaneous and unconventional, but I'm rolling with it.
I've mentioned that I've scoured interviews (both video and print) for insights into the story building process by the people who know these characters best. Well, we're about to enter into a new, big stage of Suppression. This is kinda the last gulp of air before we start a marathon run, one full of original scenes. I'm basically putting Anakin and Padmé backwards into a rollercoaster, blindfolding them, and pulling the lever. That being said, I want to do all of it while staying as true to the characters as I absolutely can, and I want readers to trust me as I navigate everybody through it. If you came here for romance, angst, character development, and an unrushed love story— which stays faithful to the source material while taking creative license to expand it— you're in good hands. All I ask in return is that you don't do the same thing to Padmé that she fears Anakin does to her: Don't put her on an impossibly high pedestal. I love, respect, and admire this woman so much, but if I portray her as a flawless human being, I'm doing her the same disservice that any critic who's called her a 1-dimensional character has done. To think of her as Perfect strips away her ability to learn and grow. She's our angel, but she's still human. She's going through "an overwhelming wave of chaos brought about by love", as GL says below, so she's not always going to say or feel the exact right thing in the moment. But she learns, because she cares enough to learn— and that is who she is.
But on that note, let me just say, this is not an "Anakin is an emotional bulldozer who submits Padme to his will/brainwashes her" fic. She is strong, and I will write 90% of her vulnerabilities as coming from a place of strength (that 10% leans into her being human and not perfect). If you want proof, pay attention to the first Hayden quote. It's first for a reason.
I constantly refer to the list below (and more) to help guide me, inspire me, and keep me on track. For some of you, these quotes may be new. In that case, enjoy! For others, you may have seen these before in your own hunt for BTS info, and in that case, enjoy the walk down memory lane! Either way, because I appreciate the trust of anyone who has ventured 100k words with me thus far, I figured I would share the list.
A lot below is connected to what you've already read, a lot is connected to what's about to transpire on Varykino over 4.5 days, and a lot is connected to the final, long stretch between Tatooine and the wedding. Some quotes that may seem odd today will make sense (as to why I included them here) when we get to post-Geonosis.
If you only have the time or interest to read one block of quotes, read Natalie's at the top. Everything below contributed in one way or another to Suppression, but as it's written in first person POV, her insight will clue you in the most.
NP = Natalie Portman
HC = Hayden Christensen
GL = George Lucas
Quotes from Natalie Portman on Anakin, Padmé's mindset, and the love story:
"Padmé's matured as a woman. She's idealistic, honest and good, and because of that, sometimes naive. She doesn't imagine that other people aren't as good as she is. She's very strong and intelligent, but her weakness is that she doesn't think about what she needs for herself. She is always thinking about her career and role as a leader, as opposed to her role as a woman, a person, a human being. Padmé doesn't want to fall in love because she thinks she has more important things to accomplish. She sees a future for herself as a leader, which doesn't allow for much vulnerability, which in turn is a key component of romance."
"She sacrifices her own happiness because her convictions are so strong."
"It's really a struggle for her to say, "Can I be selfish and fall in love myself when I have all these aspirations and all these things I need to accomplish?"
"The forbidden nature of her love for Anakin makes it all the more important for Padmé to submerge her true feelings and play the part of the politician. She's more comfortable in the role of leader, and she's obviously more comfortable acting the older person, especially at the beginning of the film with Anakin."
"Anakin Skywalker, who was the little boy in the first film, comes back as her protector. And all of a sudden, he's this strapping young gentleman and they hit it off. They have this tension, because they're not allowed— both of their formal roles don't allow for them to fall in love. But they can't help it, because you can't put those kinds of restrictions on love. So it's this classic 'duty vs love' story. Obviously, love always wins out."
"And all of a sudden, he comes back and she's like— WOW— you know, he's grown up into this handsome, young Hayden Christensen. So their relationship really goes from her sort of looking down on this younger guy to him proving himself as a real force."
"Padmé's attracted to Anakin mainly for his looks, I mean let's be honest. No! (laughs) He allows her to be a little less serious about herself, and laugh a little, and fall in love."
"So, then they have these encounters where they discuss their ideas and they discuss their lives. He's trying to show off to her all the time, probably in ways that he's not allowed to, using his Jedi tricks."
"Padmé's a politician, she's been a leader of many people. This is sort of a combining being a woman with being a politician, which is an interesting combination we don't see much of. I think the role is really sort of what the true meaning of feminism is in my interpretation of it. I think the true feminism is bringing what is particular to women— because we are different, that's undeniable— to the opportunities that men have. So it's not, you know, just going into some place and behaving like a man or necessarily desiring what men want just because you can get it. Rather than being consumed with the thirst for power as many of the people around her do— both men and women— she stays true to her compassion, and her belief in democracy and humanity."
"It definitely did come into play how strong and smart a character Carrie Fisher portrayed, because I think that a lot of that is passed on from parent to child. I think George wrote Amidala as a strong, smart character, but it helped to know that I had this great woman before me who had portrayed her character [Leia] as a fiery woman."
"Amidala is now a Senator— she's not a Queen anymore. She has resigned because she believes that is the way a rightful government is conducted, that one leader should not be in power too long. At this point, she is still very powerful and respected, and she's putting her career in front of her personal plans. The fact that Amidala doesn't start a relationship with Anakin when she has feelings for him shows that she doesn't really think of her own desires before her role as a leader of people."
Quotes from Hayden Christensen on Padmé, Anakin's mindset, and the love story:
"Padmé's a very strong-willed person. He's not so much attracted to the power that she holds in her political arenas, but rather the power and strength that she holds within herself."
"He's always had a sense of longing for love in his life."
"When he first sees Padmé, his attraction changes from when we first saw their relationship and how it was left. It was a much more child-like affection."
"She's very beautiful and intelligent, and it would be easy for anyone I think to fall in love with her."
"They're put in these very extreme settings, because they're in hiding, that really lend themselves to falling in love. They spend a lot of time in a lakeside palace or in grassy fields, and it's really conducive to two people finding very passionate emotions for each other."
"He understands that, as a Jedi, he's not allowed to fall in love— even though he feels so passionately for Padmé, and it's this, sort of these conflicting emotions."
"He feels very passionately about becoming a great Jedi, but at the same time, he feels so passionately for Padmé. It's that confusion that really causes him all of his anxiety."
"The anger is a product of his confusion. He's very passionate about the path he wants to take as a Jedi, and he's very determined, and he feels like he's being held back. He wants to break free of that, but then at the same time, he's found this love in his life, which takes him in a completely different direction."
"He's very determined to break free, wants to be the best at everything he does, and never backs down from a challenge."
"I've always understood his contempt for sand. Growing up on a desert planet, that upbringing that he had— he was a slave from a young age, some bad memories there for sure. Going back and looking for his mom, and all the stuff with the Tusken Raiders. So, sand represents a very negative thing for him."
Quotes from George Lucas on Anakin, Padmé, and the love story:
"It's the same struggle for Padmé. She's the more mature one, the more rational one. The one that's not letting her emotions run away with her. So, it's the struggle to maintain some sanity in the overwhelming wave of chaos brought about by love."
"Anakin has been in love with Padmé ever since he was ten years old. He worshiped her when he was young, and now they're finally getting back together." (He says 10 here, but I think it was an honest slip by the Flannel God himself, because anywhere and everywhere else, Anakin is referred to as being nine in TPM)
"Padmé just thought of him as a little kid. So, it's Padmé adjusting to the fact that he's now a grownup guy."
"Anakin, in this movie, is a transitional character. He's going from being a young, Padawan learner to becoming aware that there's more to it than that. He's a much more complex character than the surface implies."
"They fall in love, and the struggle is whether they should allow this to happen to their lives, even though they know it's going to be very destructive. In the end, they do decide to give in to their emotions. And, ultimately, they will suffer all the consequences of that."
Quotes from Natalie, Hayden, and George specifically on Anakin's darkness in AOTC:
"She sees this sort of darkness to him, but obviously that's always intriguing. (half-joking) Girls always like the bad boys." - NP
"If evil can love, then what is evil? If love is what makes you human? And then, is someone who is evil human still? It just makes all the questions involved in the film a lot more complex." - NP
"You try to give flashes of darkness and flashes of just pure innocence, just to tie everything together." - HC
"When we left in him in Episode II, he was consumed by conflicting emotions— his love for Padmé, a resentment of his Jedi obligations and the restrictions that that placed on his life, a feeling that he was being held back, a lust for power— which was really magnified by his mother's death, and a fear— which is important— that such an occurrence could happen again. And as a very wise man once said, fear leads to anger…" - HC, in a ROTS interview
"He believes that he's The Chosen One. He's not doing wrong things knowing that it's having a negative impact. So there's that naivete to him now that wasn't there before, and it makes him more human in a lot of ways." - HC (a ROTS interview, but confirms that Anakin believed he was The Chosen One)
"...I think that's a result or a derivative of Anakin's emotions, and not being able to focus them and control them. Which is just, you know, the root of Anakin's inabilities." - HC
"In Attack of the Clones we begin to see flashes of anger from Anakin, and the seeds of his feelings are moving toward the dark side. The same flaws and issues that all humans are cursed with, curse him. There's a lot going on there." - GL
"Darth Vader became such an icon in the first film, Episode IV. That icon of evil sort of took over everything, much more than I intended. If it had been one movie that wouldn't have happened. He would've been revealed to be this pathetic character at the end of the movie. But now people, by adding Episodes I, II, and II, people begin to see the tragedy of Darth Vader as it was originally intended to be. I like the idea that the person you thought was the villain is really the victim. And that the story is really about the villain trying to regain his humanity." - GL
"Everybody thought of Darth Vader as this big evil guy that had no heart, who was just evil. But in the end, it's not that at all. I mean, here's a guy who's lost everything." - GL
"You have a sense with Anakin that there's a dark side to him, and his dark side already clouds the relationship." - John Williams, in an AOTC interview
Quotes from Jonathan Hales (AOTC screenwriter) on Anakin in AOTC:
"Anakin is still a gifted, talented, likable, good person who is determined to be the best and most powerful Jedi. He doesn't set out to be evil, but in this film we see that pressures are being put upon him, and we become aware of some new temptations to which he is subjected."
Quotes from Jonathan Hales on the grownup nature of A&P in AOTC:
"It's a subtle, grown-up love story. It isn't a question of love at first sight. When they're reunited, she still sees him as a child. Initially, there's tension, but always with an underlying attraction. Add to the fact their feelings for each other are forbidden. That's interesting and it's adult."
Casting director Robin Gurland on casting Hayden, & Anakin's qualities (emphasis mine):
"He had two of the characteristics that we were seeking for the character: vulnerability and edginess. We really had to have that combination, and it's rare to find an actor who can go back and forth so well. I knew he had the physical and emotional attributes to play Anakin at the most complex stage of the character's life."
On specific scenes:
NP, on the dinner scene at Varykino:
"There's a scene where Anakin and I are finishing dinner, and he uses his Jedi powers to make the fruit fly, which scares me a little, but it turns into a flirting tactic. I don't think George was satisfied with the dialogue he had written, because he told Hayden and me to just improvise— which was amusing, because it got inappropriate very quickly. It was a fun scene to shoot." (My takeaway here is that Natalie and Hayden weren't only unafraid to explore a sexual chemistry between A&P, they actually tried to. Shame that GL said no.)
GL, when Anakin finds Shmi:
"This obviously is a very pivotal scene for Anakin, because this is reuniting with his mother and his youth, and dealing with his inability to let go of his emotions and allow himself to accept the inevitable that he can't hold on to things, which is a basic Jedi philosophy. If he would've been taken in his first year, he wouldn't have had this particular connection. He would've been trained to love people but not become attached to him. But he has become attached to his mother and he will become attached to Padmé. These things are, for a Jedi— who needs to have a clear mind and not be influenced by threats to their attachments— it's a dangerous situation. And it feeds into fear of losing things which turns into keeping things. His fear of losing her turns to anger at losing her, which ultimately turns to revenge and wiping out the village."
GL, on the Lars garage scene:
"The scene in the garage here, we begin to see that what he's really upset about is the fact that he's not powerful enough. That if he had more power, he could have kept his mother, and he could have saved her, and she could have been in his life. That relationship could have stayed there if he had just been powerful enough. He's greedy in that he wants to keep his mother around. He's greedy in that he wants to become more powerful in order to control things, in order to keep the things around that he wants. There's a lot of connections here with the beginning of him sliding to the dark side. And it also shows his jealousy and anger at Obi-Wan and blaming everyone else for his inability to be as powerful as he wants to be. Which, here, he swears he will be. So here, he sort of lays out his ambition, and you'll see later on, his ambition and his dialogue here is the same as Dooku's. He says, "I will become more powerful than any Jedi". Later on, Dooku will say "I have become more powerful than any Jedi." So, you're going to start to hear everybody say the same thing."
GL, on Shmi's funeral:
"Because he was unwilling to let go of his mother, and because he was so attached to her, he committed this terrible revenge on the Tusken Raiders. The key part of this scene, ultimately, is Anakin saying "I'm not going to let this happen again." We're cementing his determination to become the most powerful Jedi. The only way you can really do that is to go to the dark side, because the dark side is more powerful. If you want the ultimate power, you really have to go to the stronger side, which is the dark side, but ultimately it will be your undoing. That need for power in order to satisfy your greed to keep things, to not let go of things and allow the natural course of life to go— which is that things come and go and being able to accept the change that happens around you and not want to keep moments forever frozen in time."
GL, on the "Japor snippet" scene in The Phantom Menace:
"What you've really got here are two characters who are both off on a very difficult journey, who are both feeling very alone, and comforting each other. Padmé gets comfort from comforting Anakin."
Misc.:
"It is presented really actually, it isn't tongue-in-cheek at all, and it's played to the hilt. But it is steady, not only with the relaxation of the film, but with the total Star Wars design and style. Most folks do not fully grasp the fashion of Star Wars. They really do not get that there is an underlying motif that is pretty considerably like a 1930s Western or Saturday matinee serial." - GL, on the dialogue in AOTC
