One of the subplots that was just about entirely removed from the final film has to do with the beginnings of what would later be known as The Rebellion (AKA The Rebel Alliance). The seeds of that organization started by Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Padmé Amidala, and a secret group of other senators were originally supposed to be planted in this film. Three of these scenes can be found on the Episode III DVD. To see them all, all you have to do is pop it in and check them out.
BAIL ORGANA’S OFFICE
This short scene in Bail’s office was to occur after Palpatine appoints Anakin as his personal representative in the Jedi Council. It’s like a meeting of the minds, in a way. Some of the Senators are voicing their concerns, hinting to the fact that they’ve had enough of the Chancellor’s slow, incremental grabs at more and more power. Padmé seems a bit reluctant to distrust Palpatine, much to her fellow Senators’ chagrin. They make a pact to do something about Palpatine and tell no one else.
It’s clear that Genevieve O’Reilly put as much work into properly duplicating her original trilogy counterpart (Mon Mothma) as Ewan McGregor did with Obi-Wan. She’s spot on. I also enjoy Christopher Kirby’s voice and delivery. I wouldn’t mind seeing this scene reinserted into the film but I think understand why it was deleted: to keep the focus on Anakin.
There are only a few extra lines that didn’t make it into the DVD version of this scene, most of which refer to Palpatine as an enemy or dictator, interestingly enough. I’m not sure if these lines were actually filmed but here’s the scripted version:
81 INT. CORUSCANT-BAIL ORGANA’S OFFICE-DAY
PADME, BAIL ORGANA, and SENATORS MON MOTHMA, FANG ZAR, TERR TANEEL, and GIDDEAN DANU sit in Senator Organa ‘s office.BAIL ORGANA
Now that he has control of
the Jedi Council, the Chancellor
has appointed Governors to
oversee all star systems in
the Republic.FANG ZAR
When did this happen?BAIL ORGANA
The decree was posted this morning.PADME
Do you think he will
dismantle the Senate?MON MOTHMA
Why bother? As a practical matter,
the Senate no longer exists.GIDDEAN DANU
The constitution is in shreds.
Amendment after amendment…
executive directives, sometimes
a dozen in one day.BAIL ORGANA
We can’t let a thousand
years of democracy disappear
without a fight.EVERYONE looks at each other, a little worried at the implications of what was just said.
TERR TANEEL
What are you suggesting?BAIL ORGANA
I apologize. I didn’t mean to
sound like a Separatist.MON MOTHMA
We are not Separatists trying to
leave the Republic. We are loyalists,
trying to preserve democracy
in the Republic.BAIL ORGANA
It has become increasingly clear
to many of us that the Chancellor
has become an enemy
of democracy.PADME
I can’t believe it has come to this!
Chancellor Palpatine is one of my
oldest advisors. He served as my
Ambassador when I was Queen.GlDDEAN DANU
Senator, I fear you underestimate
the amount of corruption that has
taken hold in the Senate.MON MOTHMA
The Chancellor has played the
Senators well. They know where the
power lies, and they will do whatever
it takes to share in it. Palpatine has
become a dictator and we have
helped him to do it.BAIL ORGANA
We can’t sit around debating any
longer, we have decided to do what
we can to stop it. Senator Mon Mothma
and I are putting together
an organization…PADME
Say no more, Senator Organa.
I understand. At this point, it’s
better to leave some things unsaid.BAIL ORGANA
Yes. I agree and we must
not discuss this with anyone,
without everyone in this
group agreeing.MON MOTHMA
That means those closest to you…
even family… no one can be told.They ALL nod their heads. PADME considers this for a moment.
PADME
Agreed.
PADMÉ’S APARTMENT MEETING
This scene includes another clandestine meeting, this time in Padmé’s apartment. There’s more talk about what to do about Palpatine and once again I lament the fact that Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma) was removed the final version of the film.
Here’s the scripted version:
95 INT. CORUSCANT-PADME’S APARTMENT-DAY
PADME, MON MOTHMA, and five other Senators (BANA BREEMU, FANG ZAR. CHI EEKWAY, GIDDEAN DANU, BAIL ORGANA) sit in Padme’s living room. C-3PO serves drinks to the guests.PADME
We cannot let this turn
into another war.BAIL ORGANA
Absolutely, that is the last
thing we want.MON MOTHMA
We are hoping to form an
alliance in the Senate to stop
the Chancellor from further
subverting the constitution,
that’s all.PADME
I know a Jedi I feel it
would be wise to consult.BANA BREEMU
That would be dangerous.MON MOTHMA
We don’t know where the
Jedi stand in all this.PADME
I only wish to discuss this
with one… one I trust.GIDDEAN DANU
Going against the Chancellor
without the support of the
Jedi is risky.PADME
The Jedi aren’t any happier
with the situation than we are…CHI EEKWAY
Patience, Senator.FANG ZAR
We have so many Senators
on our side, surely that will
persuade the Chancellor.BANA BREEMU
When you present the
“petition of the two thousand”
to the Chancellor, things
may change.BAIL ORGANA
Let us see what we can
accomplish in the Senate,
before we include the Jedi.PADME takes a deep breath in frustration and disappointment.
PRESENTING THE PETITION
The group of deleted scenes featuring a group of concerned “loyalist” senators wouldn’t be complete without the big payoff scene of the leadership committee known as the “Delegation of 2000” taking some kind of action, which in this case is purely diplomatic.
Little do they know it’s also completely fruitless since Palpatine has no intention of meeting their demands. He effectively brushes aside the situation with political ease and vagueness. I especially like the part where Palpatine says Amidala is “hiding something.” It would have been funny if he turned to Anakin and said, “Hmmm, it looks like she’s been putting on weight. Don’t you agree, Anakin?” Then again, Palpatine isn’t exactly known for his humorous side.
This scene was originally placed right after the shot of Obi-Wan losing his lightsaber on Utapau. As with the other scenes related to this deleted subplot, the dialogue is pretty much the same as the following scripted version:
115 EXT. CORUSCANT-SENATE OFFICE BUILDING-SUNSET
The sun is setting as the lights come on in the massive Senate Office Building. The sky is red.116 INT. CORUSCANT-CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE-SUNSET
PALPATINE listens to a delegation from the Senate, which includes PADME and five other Senators: NEE ALAVAR, FANG ZAR, MALEDEE, SWEITT CONCORKILL, and MON CALAMARI. ANAKIN stands to one side of PALPATINE.PALPATINE
I understand your reservations
completely, Senator, and I assure
you the appointment of Governors
will in no way compete with
the duties of the Senate.PADME
May I take it then, that
there will be no further amendments
to the Constitution?PALPATINE
I want this terrible conflict to
end as much as you do, My Lady,
and when it does I guarantee an
immediate return to democracy…PADME
You are pursuing a diplomatic
solution to the war, then.PALPATINE
You must trust me to do the right things, Senator. That is why I am here.FANG ZAR
But surely…The Chancellor turns on FANG ZAR.
PALPATINE
I have said I will do what
is right, that should be enough
for your… committee.PADME
On behalf of the “delegation
of two thousand,” I thank
you, Chancellor.PALPATINE
I thank you for bringing
this to my attention, Senator.PADME gives ANAKIN a frustrated look, then turns and exits with the other FIVE SENATORS. PALPATINE turns to ANAKIN.
PALPATINE
(continuing) Their sincerity is
to be admired, although I sense
there is more to their request
than they are telling us.ANAKIN
What do you mean?PALPATINE
They are not to be trusted.ANAKIN
Surely Senator Amidala
can be trusted…PALPATINE
These are unstable times for
the Republic, Anakin. Some
see instability as an opportunity.
Senator Amidala is hiding something.
I can see it in her eyes.ANAKIN
I’m sure you’re mistaken.PALPATINE
I’m surprised your Jedi
insights are not more
sensitive to such things.ANAKIN
I simply don’t sense
betrayal in Senator Amidala.PALPATINE studies ANAKIN carefully and gives him a skeptical look.
PALPATINE
Yes, you do, but you don’t
seem to want to admit it. There
is much conflict in you, Anakin.
This scene is fun for me because it touches on many subtle aspects that lie in the background of the film, like Palpatine sowing the seeds of distrust in Anakin. I like how he reads Anakin at the end. He acts very Jedi/Sith-like there, studying the other person and feeling what’s going on inside them. Were Anakin more in tune with his abilities he might have realized what just happened but as Palpatine notes, there’s much conflict with him and that’s clouding things.
I also like how Padmé and Anakin exchange a look before she leaves. It’s almost as if she’s saying, “I told you so.” The underlying thing here is that, if you follow these scenes closely, you see that she is keeping something from Anakin which makes her earlier line in the film about being honest with each other seem a little contradictory.
Palpatine is on the money when he says that she’s up to something and Anakin doesn’t want to admit it. Anakin probably does feel something strange but he needs to figure out what that is first. So he blindly defends her to the Chancellor, who knows better but lets it go for now. This probably all ties into Anakin’s jealousy of Obi-Wan which is in correlation with another scene where Palpatine tells Anakin that Kenobi’s mind has become fogged by the influence of a certain female Senator…but doesn’t name names. It’s enough to get Anakin thinking, for now.
THE REBELLION: ON HOLD
Below are two scenes from the script that contain dialogue that didn’t make it into the final film. Much of this doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the Rebellion, but it all leads up to Padmé’s last line where she tells Bail Organa that now is not the time for action. When they started to remove the scenes dealing with the Rebellion, certain other lines of dialogue scattered throughout the film needed to be excised as well, including that one, I assume.
Here are the scripted scenes:
176 INT. CORUSCANT-SENATE CHAMBER-SUNSET
The Chancellor is in the podium in the center of the vast arena giving a speech. MAS AMEDDA stands to the right of SIDIOUS. BAIL ORGANA walks through the hallway of the Main Senate Chamber. He enters the Senate Pod of Naboo and sits next to PADME. JAR JAR, CAPTAIN TYPHO and TWO HANDMAIDENS are in the pod also.PALPATINE:
…and the Jedi Rebellion
has been foiled.BAIL ORGANA
I was held up.
What’s happening?PADME
The Chancellor has been elaborating
on a plot by the Jedi, to
overthrow the Senate.BAIL ORGANA
That’s not true!PADME
He’s been presenting
evidence all afternoon.BAIL ORGANA
And the Senate will go along with
it, just like they always do.PALPATINE
The remaining Jedi will be
hunted down and defeated. (applause)
Any collaborators will suffer the same fate.
(applause) These have been trying times,
but we have passed the test.
181 INT. CORUSCANT-SENATE CHAMBER-SUNSET
PALPATINE continues his speech at the podium.PALPATINE
The war is over. (applause)
The Separatists have been
defeated, (applause) and the Jedi
rebellion has been foiled.
We stand on the threshold
of a new beginning.There is a long period of APPLAUSE.
PADME
Well, this is the moment we
discover if he intends to return the
Republic to a democracy.PALPATINE
In order to ensure our security
and continuing stability, the Republic
will be reorganized into the first
Galactic Empire, for a safe and
secure society which I assure
you will last for ten thousand years.There is a loud, sustained CHEER from the Senate. BAIL ORGANA and PADME sit, dumbfounded.
PALPATINE
(continuing) An empire that will
continue to be ruled by this august
body, and a sovereign ruler
chosen for life…The Senate CHEERS again. BAIL and PADME are devastated. PADME begins to cry.
PALPATINE
(continuing) An empire ruled by
the majority… Ruled by a new
constitution…The Senate APPLAUDS.
PADME
So this is how liberty dies
with thunderous applause…BAIL ORGANA
We cannot let this happen.He starts to stand up. PADME stops him.
PADME
Not now! There will be
a time.
It’s important to note that some of the lines of dialogue in the comic book version are slightly different, most noticeably Padmé’s final line. This version reinforces why she advises not to act now. There’s nothing they can do, she says. Palpatine will most definitely be taking out those Senators who don’t follow his ways.
We know from background materials that Palpatine has been forming a list of traitorous Senators. In order to take down the new Empire, Padmé knows it must be done from within and not from outside, just as the Old Republic itself was killed. Maybe if they play their cards right, they can stay in the Senate and prompt change from within one way or another.