Special Deliveries

Let’s talk about delivering the twins. Padmé delivered Luke and Leia on Polis Massa, and then Obi-Wan delivered baby Luke to the Lars family on Tatooine while Leia went to Alderaan with the Organas.

POLIS MASSA

There are some extra lines of dialogue in the published screenplay that take place during the twins’ delivery by various characters. These are all, for the most part, three scenes intercut with Vader’s reconstruction happening on Coruscant. Yoda mentions a “last hope,” C-3PO discusses human reproduction, Obi-Wan coaches as best he can, and Padmé gives Obi-Wan her japor snippet (from Episode I) which only confuses the poor Jedi. Here are the relevant excerpts from the published screenplay:

MEDICAL DROID
She’s carrying twins.

YODA
Save them, we must.
They are our last hope.

The MEDICAL DROID rushes back to the operating room. ARTOO and THREEPIO watch, greatly puzzled. ARTOO BEEPS.

C-3PO
It s some kind of reproductive
process, I think.

---

228 INT. POLIS MASSA-MEDICAL CENTER-NIGHT
The TWINS are being delivered as BAIL ORGANA, YODA, ARTOO, and THREEPIO watch. OBI-WAN is in the operating theater with PADME. He takes her hand.

OBI-WAN
Don’t give up, Padmé.

PADME winces from the pain. The MEDICAL DROID is holding the BABY.

MEDICAL DROID
It’s a boy.

PADME
Luke…

PADME can only offer up a faint smile. She struggles to touch the baby on the forehead.

MEDICAL DROID
… and a girl.

PADME
… Leia.

R2-D2, THREEPIO and BAIL ORGANA watch from an adjoining space.

---

230 INT. POLIS MASSA-MEDICAL CENTER-NIGHT
OBI WAN leans over PADME and softly speaks to her.

OBI-WAN
You have twins, Padmé
They need you… hang on.

PADME
I can’t…

PADME winces again and takes OBI-WAN’s hand. She is holding Anakin’s japor snippet.

OBI-WAN
Save your energy.

PADME
Obi-Wan… there…
is good in him. I know
there is… still…

A last gasp, and she dies. Obi-Wan studies the necklace.

It seems like some of these shots were used for the dream sequences that take place earlier in the film. I also remember reading that Padmé’s big leg coverings were added in post-production.

TATOOINE

When George Lucas was shooting Episode II in Tunisia, there was much ado over George Lucas’ admission that he was shooting a scene for Episode III while he was out there so they wouldn’t have to come back in a few years for one shot. Of course, fans put two and two together and figured this was the moment when baby Luke was handed over, but no one could ever confirm it. As it turns out, there are two images at the beginning of The Making of Revenge of the Sith that show Obi-Wan handing the baby over to Owen Lars from that day of filming on the Episode II set. Back then, Lucas hadn’t written the screenplay so he just used Owen alone. In the end, however, we know that Owen isn’t the one who takes the baby from Obi-Wan; it’s Beru. The scene was re-shot on a greenscreen set for Episode III that was designed to mimic the Lars homestead.