I stumbled across this image by Chris Trevas the other day, and it was the first time in a while that something Star Wars related startled me. I mean, sure Vader's a huge dick, but that's his own (step) flesh and blood! By that point in the movie you're so caught up in other stuff that by the time you see their charred corpses, you forget what that actually means to Vader. I guess I just never once thought about this moment... but it had to have happened. It's nice to see something new from something you know so well.
9 comments:
It was sort of one of those "unseen truths" that you were not shown. Like when they find the attack on the Jawas transport. You can tell that they never had a chance, and the carnage was vast... but you have to leave it to your imagination.
I've always liked that one of Vader holding 3PO's disembodied head in Cloud City. Possibly the most powerful image based on Star Wars. There's no greater symbol of Anakin's ruin than C-3PO.
The prequels may not be the greatest movies ever made, but if they accomplished anything, it was to bring out and enhance the otherwise hidden dramas in IV, V, and VI.
Man, this was hard to track down. I've never seen the full page before this, always just the last panel.
From Star Wars Tales #6. Non-canon.
I too found this image disturbing, but after lots of analysis I ended up with more questions than answers.
I have a problem beleiving that Vader was in the loop of "Operation: Find Droids", because if he had known they were found on Tatooine, wouldn't this send up a red flag that Obi Wan or Yoda was involved? I think Vader was likely not even aware the droids had showed up on his home turf, or surely he would have sent far more soldiers to investigate any link between his own past and the rebellion.
But forget all that: let's just assume Vader takes it purely as coincidence that the droids showed up at the Lars Homestead, and take this image at face value. This is the more interesting scenario...what could Vader/Anakin be thinking as he gives the order to kill the people who had helped to free his mother from slavery? Is the Anakin side angry they coudln't protect her from the horrible death she suffered at the hands of the Sand People? Is he jealous of the time they spent with her, of her second family? Is the Vader side glad to destroy this last tenuous connection with his past? Or is Vader just so far gone he doesn't even care (or remember) who these people are?
Anyone?
Well, ok, let us analysize further. So the stormtroopers radio back to Vader, "Hey, these knuckleheads say their nephew Luke has the droids." Vader would tell them to wait for the kid to come home and grab the droids.
It seems particularly stupid to not only kill them, but to burn them out in the open, and then not even stick around for an ambush. That's thug bullshit, and that is why I believe some Imperial lieutenant gave the order, or the stormtroopers did it themselves. Actually, that is a scenario straight out of Platoon.
Who's to say the Lars family even told them about Luke... Vader doesn't know whether or not they have kids... they probably just sold the stormtroopers some BS story bout the droids running away, and due to their lack of cooperation, Vader ordered them executed (personal baggage aside).
Also, I think its highly likely that Vader would monitor the droid mission. Remember, he isn't even sure if these droids have the plans-he's just hedging his bets by sending troopers to the planet. But of course he'd be getting updates. And the latest was "we've tracked them to this family, but they're not here-they aren't cooperating" Well shit, then kill em.
And i don't see any reason why this'd raise some sort of Obi Wan red flag... Vader doesn't know he's on Tatooine... otherwise he would have hunted him down ages ago. This is just some coincedence
Now i'm not dealing with Vader's personal feelings in these theories... i'm sure there was a mixed bag of emotions stirring in that helmet... and perhaps he was a bit trigger happy to cut off this last connection to his former life. Either way, I think the scenario is definitely plausible. (especially since it happened, duh!)
DJ - thanks for find that Vader/Threepio panel, I've never seen it. Looking into the void of those robot eyes...it's like....LOOKING INTO HIMSELF.
Though I'd find it a little more moving if Annie's parting words to Threepio weren't "Later loser, I'm leaving on a spaceship, try not to get sold."
A more startling image would be a photograph taken in Lucas' bunker at Skywalker ranch the moment he devised the concept of "midichlorians" in a Jack Daniels and Xanax induced bender.
Post a Comment