CONTINUED FROM PART 1...

Technically, the love story begins in The Phantom Menace when, upon first seeing Padmé, Anakin asks her if she's an angel. Love at first sight is how courtly love starts. However, at this point, Anakin is only a child and Padmé is only a teenager, so his feelings for her are more of a child-like affection than romantic love. Over the 10 years between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, Anakin doesn't see Padmé anymore. His feelings develop from affection to unrequited infatuation. As he says to Jar Jar, "I've thought about her every day since we parted, and...she's forgotten me completely." However, judging by the sexy clothes she wears around him at the Naboo lake retreat, it seems that Padmé is subconsciously trying to attract Anakin even though she consciously rebuffs him. She's torn between her mind and her heart, her duty and her desires.

He pours his heart out to her in the aforementioned fireplace scene, using stylized dialogue that a knight in a courtly love story might use. But Padmé, true to courtly love tradition, initially rejects Anakin. She does this because of the dire consequences their forbidden relationship could have. Anakin reluctantly agrees. As we see in the next movie, she's correct. The fire in this scene foreshadows the end of their relationship on the fiery, volcanic planet of Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith. There's also a foreshadowing line that Anakin says: "The thought of not being with you - I can't breathe." This refers to Anakin's infamous mechanical breathing in the black metal suit, which he becomes imprisoned into soon after he and Padmé are separated. This also acts as an expression of lovesickness from unsatisfied desire, another convention of courtly love. Padmé also says something like this to Anakin before she pledges her love to him: "I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life."

Usually, after being rejected, the knight would continue to pursue the lady, but Anakin seems to back off after Padmé says no. The knight finally wins the lady's heart by committing some deeds of valor. But again, Anakin doesn't do anything directly that wins over Padmé. However, he does some heroic deeds that probably impresses Padmé. For instance, before he goes off on a seemingly hopeless mission to rescue his mother, Padmé gives him an emotional embrace. Also, Anakin protects Padmé from the Geonosians when they're being attacked in the catacombs.

Later, Padmé suddenly tells Anakin that she loves him in the aforementioned execution scene. It's understandable why Padmé would say this, since she believes they are about to die, but it is still a bad decision. She's letting her emotions run away with her during this desperate time. She has become irrational about their relationship, which is a trait that Anakin admitted about himself during the fireplace scene. Since their relationship is an important factor in Anakin's descent into the Dark Side of the Force, the couple is shown in darkness. Then the musical score completely swells with the movie's beautiful love theme, and I can't help but be swept up into the emotion of it all every time I watch.

Because of this declaration of love, they impulsively get married at the end of the movie, regardless of the outcome. Judging by the apprehensive expression on her face after they kiss, Padmé seems to know the mistake they've made and is scared about what will happen. Anakin, on the other hand, is smiling. This reckless union seals their fate as doomed lovers who try, unsuccessfully, to hide their marriage in Revenge of the Sith. That film is where the final, tragic stage of their courtly love occurs. However, it should be noted that in courtly love stories, marriage didn't play a part. The lady in those stories was betrothed or married to someone other than the heroic knight. Therefore, the relationship was often adulterous.

Overall, is the romance of Anakin and Padmé an ideal love story? I would say no. They get married far too quickly and they really shouldn't be together. Their relationship is flawed at best. However, this is appropriate because their relationship is, above all, a tragic romance. It wouldn't make a great deal of sense if they got together for all the right reasons, made all the right decisions, and then have their relationship end in such catastrophe. For many reasons, both personal and thematic, I think the love story in Attack of the Clones is interesting, truthful, and (of course) heartfelt.