THE CLONE WARS: POLITICAL ANIMALS!

Keeping the galaxy-shattered Clone Wars going through lies, treachery and false promises, whilst fellow corruptible Senators and the near powerless Jedi continue to be fools unaware of their murderous and power-grabbing dark side autonomy, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and his key assistant Mas Amedda enjoy the manipulation and chaos before their final plans come into effect.

Another great image from The Clone Wars animated series.

THE CLONE WARS: REPUBLIC INSPECTION!

The birth of a war, and the emergence of a Clone Army in the millions luckily ready for use - a force of efficient soldiers impressively and ominously assembled for inspection and orders instruction on the core world of Coruscant by the Galactic Republic's trusted, total overseer Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, with guidance from his Jedi colleagues Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 A brief and memorable visual moment from the original The Clone Wars animated movie of 2008.

'ATTACK' AT 20: TO SAVE THE REPUBLIC...

Bail Organa with Mas Amedda and Senator Ask Aak  in the Supreme Chancellor's Office, discussing the fate of the Republic. Art by Paolo Puggioni.

Sent prior to being captured by the enemy, Obi-Wan Kenobi's urgent warning message about the assembling Separatist army on Geonosis has been received by the Republic, whose key leaders and the Jedi Council watch with alarm and decide their next critical course of action, an action that will surely need the intervention of the mysteriously created Clone Army on Kamino...

Several sequences of dialogue were trimmed from the scene with the final editing- Yoda tells Palpatine that only two hundred Jedi out of a thousand are readily available to go to Geonosis, whilst Jar Jar Binks would lose several lines that would ultimately be held over to his important senate chamber scene.

The disturbing message from a now captured Obi-Wan Kenobi triggers the need for action against Count Dooku and his new army.

Master Yoda's concerns grow for both the Republic's dire situation and the building aura of the Dark Side of the Force. 

Jimmy Smits proves a well cast addition to the saga as Bail Organa.

Pondering the decisions alongside corruptible Twi'lek Senator Orn Free Taa (Matthew Rowan).

Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and Mas Amedda (David Bowers) wonder who can boldly represent the Senate's need for the newly discovered Clone Army during Senator Amidala's absence?

A behind the scenes publicity team capture Orn Free Taa and his lovely associates on set.

Matthew Rowan and Jay Laga'aia enjoy a break between filming.

The Clone Army usage idea is discussed in senate.

A duped Senator Jar Jar Binks coerces the Republic into accepting and using the Clone Army residing on Kamino. An important turning point for the doomed Republic in the Prequel saga.

CLASSIC IMAGE: UNSETTLED TIMES!

As part of the Jedi delegation, Plo Koon listens intently to the conversation between his colleagues Yoda and Mace Windu with the steadfast Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, his alien thoughts surely as concerned as they are with the rise of the Separatists under former Jedi Count Dooku, during the mystery-building beginning to EPISODE II.

BEHIND THE SCENES: JAR JAR'S IN CHARGE!

She doesn't like the idea of hiding from an assassin on the eve of a critical political vote. Nonetheless, Senator Amidala cannot resist an executive order from the Supreme Chancellor. Can Jar Jar Binks cut is as a political replacement? Well, we all know the answer to that one, in this scene filmed at FOX Studios, Australia in 2000 for EPISODE II, with Natalie Portman and Ahmed Best.

DELETED SCENE: A REBELLION IS BORN!

Meeting under top secret and politically sensitive conditions, a group of disenchanted senators (led by Bail Organa with Mon Mothma, and Padme Amidala) meet regarding the disturbing decisions affecting the galaxy being made by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. From their early actions as the peace-seeking Delegation of 2000, a Rebellion will soon be born. A deleted scene of future importance, sadly cut for storytelling reasons being more centred on the fate of Anakin Skywalker, from EPISODE III.

BEHIND THE SCENES: READY FOR THE JEDI!

Proud to house a STAR WARS movie in Australia, at their then all-new FOX Studios, technicians prepare the supporting cast of Jedi characters for the important scene-setting of a Republic now under political turmoil from the rising Separatist tide, during EPISODE II's shooting in 2000.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS...

As Palpatine 'persuades' Queen Amidala to initiate a vote of no confidence against Chancellor Valorum, due to his seeming lack of power, influence and apathy in their continuing crisis, amidst the packed and angry stadium of senators, the visibly stunned leader, flanked by aides Mas Amedda (Jerome Blake) and Sei Taria (Kamay Lau), returns to his senate podium seat, soon realising (in an ultimately deleted moment) that his old friend Palpatine has betrayed him.

A decisive moment for evil as the political events of EPISODE I play out.

"George (Lucas) was looking for something visually interesting and dynamic for the senate chamber scene, so we pulled the unused idea of the flying platforms from Tatooine, put them on Coruscant, and refined the designs to make them look big, bowl-shaped enclosures."

Doug Chiang - The Making of EPISODE I book - 1999

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: THE FINER POINTS OF DIPLOMACY! DELETED SCENE

Palaptine activates the senate pod to address the galactic representatives in a deleted moment.

Escorted to her pod in the Galactic Senate audience chamber, Queen Amidala watches as her ambassador for Naboo in the kindly but pushy Senator Palpatine prepares to enter the ongoing conversations concerning the blockade of their world. Naboo is the tinder to Galactic War in much the same way that Poland was to our own real-life events during World War II.

Entering their senate pod in an earlier deleted moment.

"In terms of (remembering) the actual sequences (filmed), there's the scene in the Senate that stands out. It was one of the last sequences completed by the digital guys at ILM. Filming it was extraordinary. We had a vast expanse of blue, and the senators, the representatives of the various planets, were in pods that rose and moved in (when it was their turn to speak). There was one pod that we all shared at different time. It certainly rose, but it didn't move (around, although) it revolved. Natalie and I were at the top of this pod, revolving around. She had on this very huge headdress and we were both doing our best to keep ourselves steady while being accurate over our lines. And somebody said, 'Oh, by the way, we're here.'"

"That was amusing, as it was hard to focus on anyone or anything else. There were two angel cams going in the opposite direction of the turning pod. I was trying not to step on Natalie's dress and she was trying to look composed and regal. We knew that this would all be on screen soon enough and we had to make sure there was not even a flicker in our eyes that betrayed the work involved. It had to look real and in the moment. People may say, 'Surrender to technology,' or 'There's nothing for the actor,' but ultimately the camera was on me and Natalie and we had to act. We had to make it believable. You may have all these sets and people, but it's all just to make it possible to believe that this moment between the characters in this setting is actually happening."

Ian McDiarmid - Starlog magazine - 1999

More on the deleted scene likely cut for time (seen in the above two images) - a shame, as Ian McDiarmid is so deliciously evil in such political scenes:

Palpatine: If the Federation moves to defer the motion, Your Majesty, I beg of you to ask for a resolution to end this congressional senate.

Amidala: I wish I had your confidence in this, Senator.

Palpatine: You must force a new election for Supreme Chancellor... I promise you that there are many who will support us... it is our best chance... Your Majesty, our only chance.

Amidala: You truly believe Chancellor Valorum will not bring our motion to a vote?

Palpatine: He is distracted... he is afraid. He will be of no help.

Iain McCaig's striking design for Padme's senate costume, with looming droid camera. 

"The outfits are so beautiful. (Costume Designer) Trisha Biggar did one of the most amazing jobs ever. Concept artist Iain McCaig drew pictures for Trisha and she made them a reality. The costumes are one of the most special parts of the movie. I wasn't the happiest of people having to wear the senate costume with the big hairpiece, however. The outfits were made so that they could be easily taken on and off, because if you have to go to the bathroom at some point during the day, you can't spend five hours for a bathroom break. The hair and make-up usually took about two, two-and-a-half hours, but the costumes took 15 minutes."

Natalie Portman - Starlog magazine - 2000

Posed image used for international magazines promotion.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: UPDATING THE CHANCELLOR

Newly arrived on Coruscant, described as ' a giant city in space' by pilot Ric Olie, the Jedi and the Royal party disembark on a floating landing platform, flanked by arrived Royal Guards in the presence of a concerned Chancellor Valorum and Naboo representative Senator Palpatine. As Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan report to Valorum on what happened with their secret dispatch to Naboo, Queen Amidala and her retinue, including an at first unsure where to go Anakin Skywalker, enter a transport that will take them to Palpatine's spacious political office/apartment block.

"The situation has become much more complicated."

Specially requested to appear in EPISODE I by George Lucas, respected British actor Terence Stamp, best known to sci-fi/fantasy fans for playing the malignant General Zod in the early Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve, flew in to Leavesden Studios from Australia for four days work, barely knowing what his small role was about, and, apart from this one scene, of which practically the film's entire cast were assembled (on 2nd July, 1997), did most of his remaining work against blue screen for later senate chamber scenes, a scenario that Stamp ultimately found boring to do, especially as Natalie Portman, whom the actor was impressed with in The Professional, was having a well-deserved day off!

For the scene where the Jedi confer with Valorum, note the sly use by John Williams of several bars of his theme for Stamp's General Zod from the 1977 Superman film!

Stamp on set with Lucas and producer Rick McCallum in the background.

"(Valorum) is the President of the Universe. Lucas said, "Well, he's a good man, but he's beleaguered- a bit like Bill Clinton."

"He (George Lucas) loves movies, and the child in him is unselfconsciously present, but he's very charming-he's just a guy doing what he loves to do and having a ball. I liked him."

Terence Stamp - Empire magazine interview - 1999

CLASSIC IMAGE: YODA, THE FUGITIVE!

His powerful battle with Darth Sidious may have come to failure, and the loss of his lightsaber, but at least Master Yoda survives to fight another day, planning his escape attempt from the Senate complex during the tense finale to EPISODE III.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: A QUEEN'S COURAGE!

Image via Fit for a Queen website.

"There are things I cannot do. I cannot watch while people suffer. I cannot sit when something must be done. I cannot judge those who are different. There are things I cannot do. But there are certainly things I will do."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkom2hptpvs

Queen Amidala - EPISODE I tone poem character commercial - 'One Will' - 1999

CLASSIC ART: THE BUSINESS OF WAR!

The battle between newly arrived Republic forces against the mechanical armies created by the repulsive Geonosians is in full chaotic, destructive swing, as seen in this excellent Ryan Church conceptual work for EPISODE II, an intense image captured on screen exactly as painted.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TO HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT!

As a creepy mural of a centuries old Sith conflict hangs unnoticed in the Supreme Chancellor's office on Coruscant all this time, hero Anakin Skywalker's confused and conflicted loyalties to the Jedi Order intensify, in this scene of ominous dread from EPISODE III.

The mural as seen in the film, now referred to as The Great Hyperspace War.

DELETED SCENE: POLITICAL TIME-WASTING!

In his senate podium on Coruscant, the greedy and quite repulsive Twi'lek senator Orn Free Ta (played by Jerome Blake) and his equally dubious retinue observe political goings-on, in unused second unit footage filmed at Leavesden Studios, for EPISODE I.

CLASSIC IMAGE: IN DUTY TO THE REPUBLIC!

Bail Organa, adoptive father-to-be of Princess Leia, is finally revealed in the cinematic universe during the opening scenes of EPISODE II, a strong leader amidst a Senate locked in problems with the growing anger of the Separatists, of which the casting of Jimmy Smits couldn't have been more spot-on. It was truly great to have Organa/Smits back in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, via a worthy appearance successfully bridging further the Classic and Prequel Trilogies timelines.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TWILIGHT OF THE REPUBLIC

As the Jedi Temple Master's investigate young Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi enjoy a moment of peace watching the Coruscant twilight- a twilight not just the last pure one for the Republic but also for the friendship and union that exists for this unique Master and Padawan pairing, from EPISODE I.

CLASSIC IMAGE: INTO THE GALACTIC CORE!

Queen Amidala's Royal Cruiser prepares to enter the heady commercial traffic packed atmosphere of the core planet of the Republic: Coruscant, in a striking visual effects moment from EPISODE I.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TO END A SITH!

The long hunt for Darth Sidious has ended with the shocking truth concerning the Supreme Chancellor- a man, an enemy, too dangerous and influential for Mace Windu to let survive. A moment that will have consequences and lead to further slaughter, in EPISODE III.

STAR WARS AFICIONADO sends out its Birthday regards to Samuel L. Jackson!

CLASSIC ART: BROTHERHOOD OF THE FORCE!

Our favourite family heroes and villains pose, lightsabers ready, against the backdrop of intergalactic war and emerging tech firepower, in this fine saga bridging art by Matt Busch for a STAR WARS GALAXY card series from a few years back.