Natalie Portman Thinks Star Wars Fans Likely Overlooked A Key Part Of Her Performance
Natalie Portman was 16 years old when principal photography commenced on "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace." She was a precocious talent capable of stealing scenes from Oscar winners like Al Pacino (in Michael Mann's "Heat") and Timothy Hutton (in Ted Demme's underrated "Beautiful Girls"), and now she was going to play the eventual mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa in George Lucas' long-awaited, madly anticipated Prequel Trilogy. Career-wise, it was a part no actor her age could afford to turn down. The first film's blockbuster success was preordained; her image would be projected on movie screens all over the world, thus making her a global superstar.
There was just one problem: Lucas hadn't directed a movie in 22 years and wasn't keen on dealing with actors. He offered the helm on "The Phantom Menace" to Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and Ron Howard, and asked playwright David Hare if he'd handle the performance aspect of the production (basically as a glorified acting coach). He ultimately decided to work with the actors, which wasn't a problem for seasoned thespians like Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, and Ian McDiarmid. They understood the pulpy assignment, and could essentially direct themselves. Portman (and, especially, her eight-year-old co-star Jake Lloyd) were still learning the craft. They needed guidance, and it is painfully obvious from what we see onscreen that they were utterly asea (though Lucas' clunky dialogue did them no favors).
The natural, tomboy charm Portman brought to "Beautiful Girls" is barely in evidence in her scenes as Padme. Yes, the role is underwritten (and would remain so throughout the Prequel Trilogy), but she just feels uncomfortable. Interestingly, she's more convincing once she's in her regal getup as Queen Amidala. And according to Portman, there's an excellent reason for this.
The Kabuki soul of Princess Amidala
In a 2018 Vanity Fair interview timed to the release of Brady Corbett's "Vox Lux," Portman revealed that she tapped a specific life experience for her Amidala scenes. Per Portman:
"I had been to Japan. I went to the Kabuki theater, and when I saw the sort of drawings for Queen Amidala, I was like, 'Oh my god, that reminds me of the Kabuki!' And so I tried as a 16-year-old to kind of, like, channel that influence because it was such a specific style. The slow kind of movement, and very, kind of, dreamlike ... I mean, I don't know if any of it reads. You're paying attention to the spaceships."
People began goofing on Portman's performance as early as the release of the full theatrical trailer in early 1999 (based solely on her delivery of "Our people are dying, Senator"). I was one amongst those who winced at the time, but in retrospect I absolutely see it. There is an intriguingly heightened quality to her portrayal of Amidala, so it's not surprising that, 11 years later, her facility for this style of acting would play a significant part in winning her a Best Actress Oscar for Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan."
I still wish Lucas had been able to farm out the direction of the actors to someone who actually likes actors, though I fully understand why this would be an unappealing assignment. Still, Portman has her moments in these films, and she did grow more comfortable as she honed her craft. I can't imagine what it must've felt like getting savaged by critics and snarky nerds while navigating young adulthood, but Portman somehow shook it off and is now one of our finest actors.