Tuesday 24 September 2019

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: ENTER, SENATOR PALPATINE!


Seemingly concerned for the well-being of his Queen and her people with the situation on the cut-off, blockaded Naboo, and one seemingly hopeless in resolution - part of a Republic whose politics is mired in corruption and the inability to pursue justice, Senator Palpatine's manipulative presence in the events of EPISODE I is skilfully written and played. If anyone knew better, we'd think that the senator himself might have had a hand in the crisis now playing out. Heaven forbid!

Back in the saga fifteen years on from filming his memorable scenes as the diabolically evil Emperor in Return of the Jedi, Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid, always a favourite of George Lucas, gets a chance to flex his Shakespearean-esque acting muscles as the deceitful puppet master Palpatine, at a time before the character became the legendary disfigured baddie of the Classic Trilogy.

"The great thing about playing him is that it's clear in EPISODEs I and II that he's a hypocrite, a hypocritical politician, so that's what you play."

Ian McDiarmid - Empire Magazine - 2005

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/star-wars-archive-ian-mcdiarmid-interview/



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