Darth Vader Diagnosed With Mental Illness

[Treblaine]

Well, he did suffer the ultimate abandonment (mother's death).

What I love about that scene in particular, is how his mum tries so hard to say "I love you" but just can't quite get the 'you' part out before dying. You can see that this is so important for Shimi to say and Anakin to hear, but it alas it is unfulfilled. The next delicious part is seeing Anakin resolve himself to revenge.

Yes revenge against the women and children too... as he explains in way too much detail to Padme he didn't just kill the men. That's fucking psychotic only the film didn't even have the balls to show any more than him drawing his sabre and attacking.

I love the scene at the end of Episode 1, where all is sorted and the Jedis can now take a brief trip back to Tatooine and with their much larger resources save Anakin's mother from slavery... yeah, lets go do that... guys? Space ship is RIGHT there, I'm sure Padme can spare some coin.

Seriously, the film series LITERALLY forgets about her till half way through the sequel Anakin is like:

"oh shit, we left my mom as a slave on that desert planet for the past decade or so! Bummer."

I'll tell you who should have abandonment issues: Anakin's Mother!

Even if Anakin couldn't see his mother the least they could do is free her and give her a comfortable job so their padawn learner isn't worried about his mother's condition, and won't cause PRECISELY the problem as seen in episode 2, him going on a killing spree over his mother's death.

Anakin has more a case of selective amnesia (brought on by a severe case of plot-hole-itis).

And I think this is a direct result of George Lucas not consulting about his script, I don't think he shared it with anybody before he started filming, and certainly was not open to any feedback.

 

[QuickDEMOL1SHER]

I laughed out loud when I read "Let's be real here"

 

[Kevvers]

So what kind've mental illness does the Emperor have>?

 

[Lukeydoodly]

Now this is News Room material.

 

[Treblaine]

Let me guess, most of this is based on how illogical and irrational Anakin acts in the original Trilogy?

Bloody Hell. Why can't we just have Episodes 1-3 retconned out of the Star Wars Canon.

Possibly because George Lucas wrote and directed them.

Hmm, maybe if he'd just admit he has completely lost it. I mean in the original trilogy it was great, he worked COLLABORATIVELY with other directors, writers and so on. Now he thinks he can do no wrong when apparently he can do no right.

Films are collaborative works of art, humanities greatest achievements have not been done by lone individuals but many working together. Lucas runs his latest projects like a dictator, all top down, and he seems to have completely lost the spark that his early films had. I think his problem is he's now unable to ask the opinion of others and grow from that.

I agree.

For me, Anakin changed sides far too easily. The dialogue in 3 between him and Palpatine/Sidious suggests that the Dark Lord had been influencing him for a long time, but the event(s) perceived or real that cause his turn to the dark side seemed so arbitrary to me. And because I dislike Natalie Portman... greatly.

One thing I don't get is how in Return of the Jedi they were able to so convincingly show Vader turn from the Dark Side... yet fail so terribly in showing him go to the Dark Side in the first place.

One idea that occurred to me is why is Episode 1 set on a new planet called Naboo... why not set it on Alderan?

I mean that would server a perfect function as a prequel, as one slight problem with A New Hope is Alderan was destroyed but we never saw any more than a distant view of the planet, though the actors did a great job of adding emotion to the scene.

Now if they had set an entire movie revolving around that planet, there would be the dramatic irony knowing it would be utterly destroyed in a later movie and also add greater significant to it being destroyed in A New Hope. And why not have Anakin come from this planet, so that pivotal scene he destroys his own home world as well as Leia's home planet.

Ultimately, for a prequel trilogy that is where it failed, it seemed to ignore how most people KNOW what is going to happen. Prequels should be used to add greater significance to events in later films, and also subvert expectations, I mean Vader's turn to the Dark side was just all too straight forward and predictable. How could they have subverted expectations?

How much significance would it be to Anakin if after confessing to murdering all those sand-people Padme told him "I know there is good in you" bringing greater significance to Vader's redemption in Part 6. Rather than just saying "to be angry is human" which is a bullshit statement if anything.

 

[T-Bone24]

They really needed to do fuckin' research to figure out that Darth Vader is slightly mentally unstable!?

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

Ok interesting enough, now go analyse real people...

 

[LaughingAtlas]

Don't know if it's been said, but what else is new? Lonliness is the primary reason he doesn't kill Palpatine until the end in spite of his many attempts to kill vader. (sith testing and all that, doesn't come up in the films)

 

[McAster]

I do enjoy all the "why are they wasting their time" and "this is stupid" people are throwing at this target. Of course they are analysing real people or progressing in real world studies, of course they aren't taking this seriously as they know he is just a fictional character. This is nothing more then an exercise and a way to get people talking about mental health in a way more people can identify then just "boring old textbook speech". Use what people know to help inform them of what they don't know and you'll have a fair easier path to take.

It's no worse then a theoretical physicist using Mass Effect to talk about and inform people about dark matter. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99348-Popular-Physicist-Talks-Science-in-Mass-Effect-2
Nor using Civilisation to help teach history in a class. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_08/b3972100.htm

All in all though, I would use Oppositional defiant disorder instead.

 

[S_K]

They're forgetting one important thing here... episodes 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 had different agendas, i.e. 1 to 3 pretty much only exist to sell toys, if they cared about the fans they wouldn't have been made so half assed and full of plot holes like vaders personality for one =P

 

[Treblaine]

Well, he did suffer the ultimate abandonment (mother's death).

What I love about that scene in particular, is how his mum tries so hard to say "I love you" but just can't quite get the 'you' part out before dying. You can see that this is so important for Shimi to say and Anakin to hear, but it alas it is unfulfilled. The next delicious part is seeing Anakin resolve himself to revenge.

Yes revenge against the women and children too... as he explains in way too much detail to Padme he didn't just kill the men. That's fucking psychotic only the film didn't even have the balls to show any more than him drawing his sabre and attacking.

I love the scene at the end of Episode 1, where all is sorted and the Jedis can now take a brief trip back to Tatooine and with their much larger resources save Anakin's mother from slavery... yeah, lets go do that... guys? Space ship is RIGHT there, I'm sure Padme can spare some coin.

Seriously, the film series LITERALLY forgets about her till half way through the sequel Anakin is like:

"oh shit, we left my mom as a slave on that desert planet for the past decade or so! Bummer."

I'll tell you who should have abandonment issues: Anakin's Mother!

Even if Anakin couldn't see his mother the least they could do is free her and give her a comfortable job so their padawn learner isn't worried about his mother's condition, and won't cause PRECISELY the problem as seen in episode 2, him going on a killing spree over his mother's death.

Anakin has more a case of selective amnesia (brought on by a severe case of plot-hole-itis).

And I think this is a direct result of George Lucas not consulting about his script, I don't think he shared it with anybody before he started filming, and certainly was not open to any feedback.

True, but to be fair the Jedi did sort of pride themselves as 'Keepers of the Peace', where they usually try to talk their way through everything. Also, being on the run from the Trade Fed and trying to keep a low profile from the Hutts I would say prevented them from too many overt actions, like forcing Watto to give up Shmi. The Jedi also seemed to be something similar to Zen Bhuddist's, in as much as trying to sever all attachement to worldly things/emotions. Going to rescue Shmi would go against this philosophy. It's my reckoning its this extreme practice that led to their downfall - they spent too much time trying to stifle their emotions rather than mastering them.

They wouldn't have to use any coercion or threats nor anything, just turn up there with a load of money or whatever Watto values and BUY her freedom. At the very least so Anakin is not worrying, I mean is the Jedi training really a CULT that kidnaps children for training?!?! Surely they should secure her precisely to prevent him running off later in life and ending up in a situation murdering sand people in revenge.

I wouldn't give the films too much credit, Lucas simply forgot about Shimi. Or was it simply that Lucas couldn't figure out an even half way reasonable way of writing her out of the plot so simply ignored her. Yes, parents can be a drag in films about action and adventure but this is the MOST hamfisted way of dealing with it.

After the prequel trilogy I have NO IDEA what the Jedis are any more, it seemed so clear in the original trilogy, but not any more.

 

[SextusMaximus]

I think this hilarious but... shouldn't they be like... working?

 

[Dyp100]

You guys in this thread are no fun. NO FUN AT ALL.

Anyway, all know the star wars universe has no health care.

 

[Crayzor]

Does Darth Vader really need to be reduced to a collection of mental illnesses? Did Lucas not butcher Vader's character enough with the prequel trilogy?

 

[Lepre-Khan]

I wont dismiss this like most of the other bowl munchers who have responded but I will say this:A DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 

[Everin]

does Darth Vader know this, because this could change his life

 

[DSK-]

Erm...interesting. I always thought this was proof that Vader was a little wierd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A0rwG39Jzk

 

[ThreeWords]

It's Vader. He's an evil twisted slave to the dark side. How can he have personality disorders that make him act like anything other than a perfectly normal person?