Beauty in The Last Jedi

Many people go to Star Wars films looking primarily for action and adventure.  That’s fair enough, but Star Wars has always offered beauty as well as heroic combat.  Think of Luke gazing at the twin suns on Tatooine, of the music as Yoda raises the X-Wing in Empire, of the haunting clash of Luke and Vader in Return of the Jedi, or of the lightsaber gleaming in Rey’s eyes as she connects with the Force at the end of The Force Awakens.

The Last Jedi is a truly beautiful film.  There are obvious elements, like the scenery provided by the sacred island on Ahch-To or the dream-like crystal foxes.  Yet consider the other intriguing ways that beauty is explored through imagery, character, and narrative.

The beauty of brokenness.  Luke is broken with guilt, but as the light shines on him in the meditation temple, his rough face is like a monument to pain – a war memorial of the soul.  Rey is broken with doubt, but in her vulnerability she can see past her hatred for Kylo Ren and reach out for the man who had been Ben Solo (even if Snoke is manipulating her, it is still a moment of purity and nobility).  Leia is broken with many losses, but just when she is ready to give up hope, Luke returns and provides her with a transcendent moment.  The “breaking” of the corrupted Canto Bight by the rampaging fathiers provides the opening for the beauty of their freedom in the wild, facilitated by the kindness of Rose.  Holdo’s sacrifice physically shatters the Supremacy and for a moment the searing light of hyperspace is a sword blow that brings hope to the beleaguered Resistance.  The damaged throne room, its flames and sparks drifting through the air, becomes the stunning backdrop for Rey’s crucial rejection of Kylo’s sinister offer.

The beauty of tension.  When Luke describes the Force to Rey he emphasizes that it is something that exists between the light and the dark, between life and death.  It may be a kind of balance, but it draws together opposing forces.  And there are other beautiful forms of tension in the story.  Learning is about tension, the film seems to suggest.  As kind and noble as Luke may have been at his best moments, he still needs one more lesson from Yoda – complete with a playful rap on the head from Yoda’s staff.  The tension between Rey and Kylo may not be beautiful in itself (for there are ethical issues at stake here), but it draws them together in two radiant moments: their finger “kiss” and their two-as-one battle against the Praetorian Guard.

The beauty of gentleness.  Despite being part of a franchise named after wars, The Last Jedi illustrates a remarkable attention to small, gentle gestures.  Look at the joy on Rey’s face as she extends her hand to catch a stream of water pouring off the Millennium Falcon.  When Rey and Kylo connect through the Force, their fingers touch in a manner that is just about as soft and subtle as is possible for human contact.  Rose’s kiss for Finn may have seemed to lack passion, but the battle was hardly a moment for that sort of thing, even if Finn had been prepared for it.  Instead, this was a gentle sign of affection, like Leia’s quick “for luck” kiss of Luke on the Death Star.

The beauty of defiance.  The beauty here comes not from selfish egotism but from collective effort on behalf of the dignity of the individual.  When Paige spends her last effort to launch the bombs at the dreadnought, it’s an act of defiance against a tyrannical movement that she cannot defeat alone – but also a meaningful contribution to a larger cause.  When Rose futilely tries to break from the grasp of stormtroopers to get at DJ, it’s not because the codebreaker betrayed her and Finn, but because he sold out the whole Resistance.  Poe even goes so far as to stage a mutiny on the Raddus, yet Holdo and Leia later declare that they still like and admire him, for his heart is in the right place even if his judgement has not yet fully developed.  Finally, when the abused stable boy looks to the stars and lifts his broom like a lightsaber, we know he’s ready to fight for freedom.

Ten Things I Love About The Last Jedi

There’s a lot out there to read about The Last Jedi, but here are some thoughts from someone who grew up watching the original films on VHS tapes and who has always had a special place in his heart for the saga.  The Last Jedi is a great movie and a very worthy edition to the Star Wars legacy.  As with The Force Awakens, it’s possible to pick out potential problems or missed opportunities, but I would encourage anyone disappointed with the movie to “unlearn what you have learned” and give it another chance.  Classic Star Wars has always been mythic, fun, and emotionally resonant.  The Last Jedi doesn’t let us down on those fronts.  There is so much to admire in this complex, challenging, and extremely rewarding film.   Here are ten things I love about The Last Jedi… in a loose countdown of awesomeness.  Beware of spoilers… but you should have seen the film at least once by now!

10.  Snoke.  I wasn’t that impressed by him in The Force Awakens, but there is something delightfully creepy about Snoke in this movie.  His scarred and twisted face creates a contrast with his golden clothes – and his brutal Force powers contrast with the limited scope of his awareness and imagination.  He creates just enough melodramatic menace to hold us over until we face the man who seems to be the real antagonist of this trilogy… Kylo Ren.

9.  The Opening Battle.  In particular, I love the Resistance bombers.  Star Wars has to offer some cool vehicles, and there is something fascinating to me about these particular vessels.  They lumber along with a tactically frustrating slowness, but they just look so incredible.  They remind me of the days when I would daydream about X-Wings and B-Wings and speeders.  Besides, Paige Tico slamming her foot with almost hopeless determination is a truly inspiring moment – and a reminder of how hard life can be for those who don’t know how to tap into the Force.

8.  The Creatures.  Perhaps the horse-like fathiers could have been something more strange and interesting, but they are charming in their own way.  The porgs and vulptexes, though, are outright wonderful.  The porgs are like a cuteness injection for the venerable Falcon, which they invade with their adorable mischievousness.  And they’re a great foil for the long-suffering Chewbacca.  The crystal foxes are truly splendid – and seem to echo the melancholy, haunting mood of the last act.

7.  Confrontation in the Throne Room.  Unlike some, I have mixed feelings about the battle with the Praetorian Guard, but I can’t deny that seeing Ben and Rey fight back to back was epic.  The death of Snoke was sublime and the breaking of the lightsaber was suitably poetic.  And that surreal red-lit Flash Gordon-y chamber is definitely growing on me.  Remember, the Emperor sat amid a spider’s web of windows.  Here we see that Snoke dwells in a blood-red haze of anger with a single techno-lens to focus his wrath on his enemies.

6.  Leia.  Luke’s first act (I believe) when reconnecting with the Force is to reach out for a link with his sister.  The tender scene between the two of them on Crait is among the sweetest moments in all the saga.  The film, furthermore, serves as a fitting sendoff to the late and much beloved Carrie Fisher.  Here we saw Leia the wise, fierce, and patient leader, as well as the powerful Force-user.

5.  Rey and the Force.  Daisy Ridley continues to shine in this film, refusing to be overshadowed by the brilliant performances of her co-stars Driver and Hamill.  Her scenes with Luke are variously funny, luminous, and ferocious.  Ridley can convey wonder, sadness, and determination with a subtle authenticity that is the mark of a truly great actor.  Her moments meditating on the cliff are beautiful and her echoing body in the crystal mirror cave is fascinating.  Are her multiple selves a physical representation of the Force - that is, a projection of power through space or an interconnection of identity across time?  Is the superabundance of "I" a manifestation of egotism and the Dark Side?  We may not get easy answers about Rey's lineage in that scene, but we get plenty of interesting clues about the nature of the Force.

4.  Old Friends.  I’ve always loved Yoda and his appearance here is wonderful.  He’s powerful, playful, and wise – and true to the essence of the Yoda from the original films.  Special mention goes, also, to Luke’s moving encounter with R2 and his awesome wink to C-3PO. 

3.  The Battle of Crait.  Okay, so maybe I was expecting a little more shooting from the Resistance here, but the whole point is that our beleaguered band is totally down and out.  Their ski skimmers aren’t going to do much of anything, and all of this serves to set up their desperate need for Master Skywalker.  Even so, the red-bodied salt flats are a spectacular setting – and the scene provides both Rose and Finn with a heroic moment.  And that elegant shot of Leia looking out over the flats as the foxes arrives is so filled with dire anticipation.

2.  Rose!  What can I say?  Rose Tico is awesome… and Kelly Marie Tran is perfect in the role.  Even her posture seems to say, “I’m not a hero.”  Yet she’s a devoted member of the Resistance – and by the end of the story she’s saving her friends and flying a speeder like a true warrior of the Rebellion.  I would go so far as to say she almost steals the movie from an exceptionally strong cast.  Rose is a spark of energy, humor, and hope during a dire time for the Resistance.  And the scene when she tears the medallion from her neck… remarkable.  Please, J.J. Abrams, give her a worthy and prominent part in the third movie!

1.  The Legend of Luke Skywalker.  I knew going into this film that Luke Skywalker would be dying sometime in this movie or the next.  I wasn’t happy about it, because Luke is one of my all-time favorite characters, but I understood that the torch would have to be passed to the next generation.  That said, it’s hard for me to think of a more perfect ending for the Jedi Master.  He gets a lovely reunion with Leia, then one of the most awesome scene entrances in all of Star Wars… walking out through a burning hole in the blast doors onto a salt desert to confront an army of enemy AT Walkers with a haunting, almost apocalyptic John Williams score in the background.  Sure, there was part of me that wanted him to pull down a walker like in the old Dark Empire comic, but remember that a true Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense.  Having Luke play interplanetary mind games with Kylo Ren was a much more fitting end for our beloved hero.  The echoes of Luke’s joke to Rey about facing the whole First Order with a laser sword were brilliant.  And then the reveal of Luke meditating on the island and joining with the Force… it’s just about as perfect as I can imagine.  After all the doubt and pain that Luke has been through in this movie (portrayed so achingly by Mark Hamill) – it’s cathartic and  rewarding to hear Rey speak of his “peace and purpose”… and to see a new generation of young rebels inspired by his sacrifice.