MovieChat Forums > Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) Discussion > Could Jar Jar have worked with a charact...

Could Jar Jar have worked with a character arc?

posted 8 years ago by laslopaniflex
8 replies | jump to latest

If there had been more of a character arc? When the Jedi's found him, he was a dopey easy going Gungan who had never encountered the dangers and darkness of the world.

Then as the story unfounded, Jar Jar starts to learn to be less of a buffoon and by the final battle actually learns about heroism (like all the other Gungans going into battle) and saves the day legitimately (rather than accidentally blowing up the tanks etc)

They could have eased off on the wacky arm waving OTT'ness, and had more of an arc of a buffoon/coward learning to be a hero who has earned his medal at the end, do you reckon it could have worked??

"What are you, some kind of doomsday machine, boy?"

[–] FlyingJ87 8 years ago

The sad part is that Jar Jar is the closest one to having an actual arc through the course of TPM. He's this outcast buffoon when they find him and by the end he helps out and earns people's respect. Now granted, it's not that he changed at all as a person (he's still the same clumsy idiot by the film's end), but rather people tolerate him now because he happened to be useful one time.

Meanwhile, Qui-Gon is exactly the same person when he dies as he was when he entered the film.

Obi-Wan is often relegated to the background (hell, he's left on the ship the entire Tatooine segment), just complains a lot, and then his "character arc" is jammed into the last 15-20 minutes with him apologizing to Qui-Gon, then Qui-Gon's death and him taking on Anakin out of guilt. He didn't change. He's no wiser than when he started.

Amidala, there's a bit of an arc here with her resolving after everything she's seen to go back to Naboo...too bad it's completely undermined by Portman's bland and monotone performance, even out of costume during important moments (like pleading with the Gungans, holy hell that was death on film). We don't get to know much about her as a person, other than she appears nice and normal around Anakin when pretending to be a handmaiden. Yawn.

Then there's Anakin. Again, the pieces are here, but the problem is he's what you call a "pinball protagonist." Events are largely out of his control, and he has little understanding of what's actually going on. He lacks agency.

[–] The_Kingpun 8 years ago

Jar Jar doesn't need an arc, as he's a secondary character. Chewbacca, R2 and C-3PO don't have arcs. They're there to maintain the consistency of their personalities and as the plot changes around them, their distinctive characters affect it in different ways. Jar Jar's good heart and naïveté were harmless in Phantom Menace. But when Attack of the Clones came around, those traits in a different situation caused quite a bit of harm.

I don't think Qui-Gon needs an arc either. He's basically surrendered himself to the will of the force rather than any of his own wants or needs. What does that mean? It initially makes his goal simple; stop the invasion of Naboo. There's no "well maybe the Trade Federation has a point..." view of it. They're clearly in the wrong. While on this mission, he happens upon Anakin; a tangible flesh and blood extension of the force that has fallen right into his path. The guy has lived his whole life dedicated to the will of the force and he can't just ignore him. But he never tells Anakin what to do beyond small things like to stay in the cockpit et cetera. The choice to leave and train as a Jedi was his own. Qui-Gon defied the council because basically the force itself decided they were wrong. So his ultimate goal was tied to the objectives of others. He was the affecter of chance, not the affected.

Anakin's arc is pretty small in just Phantom Menace is small but that's because we see it play out across six movies. Not much more beyond glimpses of him seeing the Jedi life is not all it's cracked up to be. He doesn't grow to accept this because he never does, and the end result is a shiny black helmet and a cape.

Amidala's arc is plain and simple. She wants to stop the invasion and the senate, the ultimate governing body in the Galaxy will make it happen. Coruscant is that end of second act low point for all involved and for her, it is the shattering of the ideal that the senate will help her. So she finally steps up and dives into the danger like few other of her political contemporaries would.

Obi-Wan doesn't have much of an arc because this isn't his movie. He doesn't quite learn the lesson of the movie, to trust the force's will, but follows anyway as per Qui-Gon's dying wish. He still maintains the more dogmatic Jedi structure through II and III, till the Republic becomes the Empire. At the end we find out he and Yoda will be training with Qui-Gon from beyond the grave. So for as much as people like to say nothing happened across the prequels, it seems like the opposite. People wanted Obi-Wan and Yoda to be exactly as they were when we met them in A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, but instead Lucas wrote an arc to get them to that place.

[–] FlyingJ87 8 years ago

Jar Jar doesn't need an arc, as he's a secondary character.

True, he doesn't. But what does it say about George's priorities making this movie when Jar Jar is probably the closest to having a full arc?

I don't think Qui-Gon needs an arc either. He's basically surrendered himself to the will of the force rather than any of his own wants or needs. What does that mean? It initially makes his goal simple; stop the invasion of Naboo. There's no "well maybe the Trade Federation has a point..." view of it. They're clearly in the wrong. While on this mission, he happens upon Anakin; a tangible flesh and blood extension of the force that has fallen right into his path. The guy has lived his whole life dedicated to the will of the force and he can't just ignore him. But he never tells Anakin what to do beyond small things like to stay in the cockpit et cetera. The choice to leave and train as a Jedi was his own. Qui-Gon defied the council because basically the force itself decided they were wrong. So his ultimate goal was tied to the objectives of others. He was the affecter of chance, not the affected.

Shouldn't this be a major part of changing his views of the world? Couldn't it be? And wtf, Anakin's choice? He takes the kid away from Tatooine and proclaims he'll be Anakin's teacher regardless of the council's reasons (which, as far as Jedi go, are pretty good ones. They are all about feelipngs and premonitions).

It really says so much about Qui-Gon and how utterly pointless he is when this big prophecy he's apparently a fan of and his discovery of what appears to be the "chosen one" doesn't impact him at all.

Anakin's arc is pretty small in just Phantom Menace is small but that's because we see it play out across six movies. Not much more beyond glimpses of him seeing the Jedi life is not all it's cracked up to be. He doesn't grow to accept this because he never does, and the end result is a shiny black helmet and a cape.

The problem isn't that his arc starts small in TPM, the problem (beyond Lloyd's acting and Lucas' directing) is that the character has no agency in the movie. He stumbles around getting lucky throughout, and by the end he's not a remarkably different person, either inside or out.

Amidala's arc is plain and simple. She wants to stop the invasion and the senate, the ultimate governing body in the Galaxy will make it happen. Coruscant is that end of second act low point for all involved and for her, it is the shattering of the ideal that the senate will help her. So she finally steps up and dives into the danger like few other of her political contemporaries would.

And this changes that Portman's monotone performance undermines any emotional impact to her arc (her 2 biggest scenes in said arc, deciding to leave Coruscant and pleading with the Gungans for help are delivered so flatly, I can't help but wonder if George's direction was "No, Natalie, like you're dead inside! Like you couldn't care less about the situation!") because? She also takes a back seat to Qui-Gon for the vast majority of the movie, which doesn't help matters on top of the performance.

There also seem to be several beats missing. Supposedly I guess Qui-Gon's maverick plan on Tatooine should have impressed her and led her to taking actions into her own hands as far as her planet is concerned? But we never see her acknowledge this. Would have been nice to lay that seed right as they left Tatooine. Instead, it's all Jar Jar talking about Gungans being "warriors" (complete with his mentally handicapped-esque speaking patterns) that do it? Barf.

Obi-Wan doesn't have much of an arc because this isn't his movie. He doesn't quite learn the lesson of the movie, to trust the force's will, but follows anyway as per Qui-Gon's dying wish. He still maintains the more dogmatic Jedi structure through II and III, till the Republic becomes the Empire. At the end we find out he and Yoda will be training with Qui-Gon from beyond the grave. So for as much as people like to say nothing happened across the prequels, it seems like the opposite. People wanted Obi-Wan and Yoda to be exactly as they were when we met them in A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, but instead Lucas wrote an arc to get them to that place.

So Obi-Wan doesn't have a real arc in TPM. Thanks for agreeing. Instead, any real character development for Kenobi apparently all happened off screen between IIIand IV. Genius, George! Way to get us invested! 

[–] Kruleworld 8 years ago

Obi-Wan doesn't have much of an arc because this isn't his movie.

This trilogy should have been Obi-Wan's story, much like the OT is Luke's story and the overarching story of all six movies is Anakin's fall and redemption.

"He's dusted, busted and disgusted, but he's ok"

[–] Conan-1982 8 years ago

Yes, in a normal movie made by a sane and competent person we would probably have seen something like that, though other characters should have priority when it comes to giving them a story arc and a purpose to exist.

Actually Jar Jar is the only one that has some sort of story arc already: he goes from being an outcast of his society to become a prominent Gungan and also he is the bridge between the two societies that share the planet of Naboo.

The problem is that he is still portrayed as a buffoon so his "character progression" is not tangible as it is only in words (and the words of Boss Nass, so half of it is incomprehensible lol)

Before giving Jar Jar more character I would have thought about giving a character to those who have none, but yes I agree with what you wrote: making Jar Jar go from a goofball to a more responsible and competent character would have benefitted the movie IMO

Ever seen the Anti-Cheese version of this movie ? Or the "mature edit" ? They're on youtube.

Jar Jar is respectable there, I liked him: he is quiet, humble, helpful and shares nothing in common with the turd that crazy Lucas gave us.

The complete overhaul of his character almost makes the movie "good" (ok it's still crap but at least it's enjoyable crap, not torture)

[–] zaphod67 8 years ago

A large part of Star Wars has been its authentic references to films of the past. Jar Jar's antics and story arc have strong echoes from silent film slapstick comedies such as what might have been produced by Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd.

Jar Jar is clumsy, and most of the other characters find him annoying, including the otherwise eternally patient Qui Gon. Padme, however, likes Jar Jar. She is never shown scowling at him, and instead befriends him.

I find that to be an interesting reflection on those characters.

Time to make up a new signature.

[–] Kruleworld 8 years ago

and saves the day legitimately (rather than accidentally blowing up the tanks etc)

The final battle is definitely where we should have seen this happen.

I think people would have warmed much more to JJ if he'd stepped up and become the hero that George thought he should have been, rather than remaining the buffoon (or drunken boxing master if you believe some people) up until the very end of the movie.

"He's dusted, busted and disgusted, but he's ok"

[–] danmax67 8 years ago

For one thing, Jar Jar could never work, for me at least, with his near incomprehensible speech. Even with subtitles on, I barely understand what the heck he's trying to say. Add to that the overdone slapstick and I'm must mentally shut off from the character.