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The Prequel Feminism: Part 2 - Page 2

© Paul F. McDonald

Padme is so beautiful and Anakin idolizes her so much she could have easily been reduced to little more than an object. It has long been argued by some feminists that that is precisely what the "traditional male gaze" does to women, particularly as they are portrayed in Hollywood. Yet more recently some have countered that women enjoy the gaze, and that in it lies a real source of empowerment. This is directly addressed in this romance, as Padme covers the security cameras in her room, negating Anakin's view of her when she chooses. The love story does nothing to detract from her role as a strong woman, and while she may not be well-versed in the ways of the heart, she is clearly the one in control. It is she who makes the final decision during the fireside scene, and it is one Anakin respects. He even tells her, "I will do anything you ask."

Later in the film, Padme goes with Anakin to Tatooine to rescue his mother, and then once more she takes matters in her own hands. Hearing Obi-Wan Kenobi has been captured by the Separatists, she decides to go to Geonosis to rescue him. When she and Anakin arrive on the arid planet, they discover all the galactic corporations have banded together and are creating more droid armies to overwhelm the Republic. As the two make their way through the droid factories, they confront all the traditional modes of male experience and attempts to conquer nature. Everything is regimented, mechanized, and commercialized, and Padme eventually discovers that the Trade Federation is behind the plot to assassinate her.

When seen in the greater context of the saga, the meaning of all this becomes clearer. In A New Hope, the Imperial dream is more or less established. It is to be found in the scene when the Death Star is being discussed among the Empire's elite - basically a bunch of old white men sitting around a table, carving the galaxy up for themselves. Many have noted the lack of women and children in the original trilogy when the Empire is in power, and it now seems deliberate. Cold, sterile technology has reduced the biological galaxy to a wasteland, and as clones and droids take on more of a dominate role, life is no longer being born, but manufactured. It is not implausible to speculate that the end goal of the Empire is to completely eradicate the natural process of procreation itself. Therefore women would have to be subjugated, their essence as vessels of life a constant threat to the Imperial regime.

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