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The Last Jedi: Change and Timing

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It’s been a full week since I sat in a packed theater and took in the spectacle that is the eighth episode of Star Wars.  Since then, the reaction to Rian Johnson’s vision has produced levels of venom, vitriol, and vituperation that I didn’t know existed in filmgoers (a change.org petition currently exists to have it removed from the canon and has more than 13,000 signatures–seriously).  Then again, numerous people have praised it as a worthy addition to the SW canon.

After reviewing films for over a decade, I’ve learned not to jump to conclusions about a film immediately upon viewing it. It takes me a day or two to really think through and process the action, dialogue, and themes that a movie offers to the viewer.  In the case of The Last Jedi, there’s a massive amount of dissection people will inevitably perform in the next two years, so I’m not going to take my scalpel and add too much more to the growing body of speculation.  However, I think we need to take a closer look at the film’s components and see what they add up to.

It is important to note that The Last Jedi is not worthy of a Best Picture nomination at next year’s Academy Awards.  The dialogue is too wooden in places, some of the acting is a bit wonky, and the running time is about 15-20 minutes too long.  With that said, it’s still a great film and provides the next generation an opportunity to join into the phenomenon that is now going on for nearly 40 years.

The Last Jedi is nearly impossible to discuss without spoiling key plot points, so here is your friendly warning that spoilers will be part of this article going forward.  If you haven’t seen the film, go see it and then finish reading this article with a clear conscience.

The biggest issue for most fans has been dealing with change.  It’s been a while since Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) was introduced to the world, staring at a binary sunset.  You would think people want him to stay hermetically sealed, never to age or decay.  Sorry, but life happens—even for Jedi masters. They get older.  Situations leave an indelible impact on their conscience. Their personalities change.  Even they need reminders from time to time about what their purpose needs to be (thank you, Yoda).  Yes, Luke is a different person than he was in Return of the Jedi. But he’s become older, grizzled, and prone to some of the same faults that he exhibited in the cave on Dagobah.  He’d rather stay a hermit on Atch-To, protected from change, than deal with the world for another second.

Sound familiar?

Rey (Daisy Ridley) wants to bring Luke back into the real world to help out in a desperate time for the Rebellion. Yet he resists because he doesn’t want to endure change. In the end, he does help, but on his own terms while performing one of the all-time great gotcha scenes with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). It’s a fitting way to end his human legacy, but I have a feeling he’s going to be a thorn in Kylo’s side for a majority of the final film in the series.  It’s kind of like Christians who want to sit on the faith they profess, never revealing it to the people they come across on a daily basis. If there’s a light available, as Jesus stated, hiding it under a basket serves no benefit to anyone (see Matthew 5:14-16).  At least Luke made himself known in a manner that served to encourage and stiffen the spines of the remaining Resistance fighters.  They’ll need all the help they can get going forward!

A second issue people are having with the film involves Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) and her seemingly indecisive nature.  After Admiral Ackbar is picked off (no biggie for me—he only had one major line in the series that has already been memed to death), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) appoints her as the replacement. Her focus is simply to stay the course regardless of the obstacles around her.  Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), impulsive fighter pilot, can’t handle Holdo’s leadership style and attempts to take matters into his own hands, placing the existence of the Rebellion in jeopardy.

Perhaps the most powerful scene in The Last Jedi occurs when the Resistance members flee to the base on Crait and are picked off, one ship at a time, by the First Order.  Holdo stays on the main ship by herself, seemingly unwilling to take on the enemy combatants.  Then, in what will forever known in my book as the Holdo Manuever, she spins the ship around and, with the last ounce of fuel, makes the jump to hyperspace through the First Order battleship.  It sucked the air out of the theater I was in, and for good reason.  It was unexpected, it was brazen, and it was effective enough to get the remaining Resistance members to safety.

God works in this way in our lives.  We have big, beautiful plans for our one opportunity on earth, and we don’t want them to get derailed by anything.  Sometimes we want to rush things and end up looking silly, potentially hurting others along the way (in addition to ourselves).  But God says very clearly to Isaiah, “’My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT).  What looked like sheer madness turned out in the end was a reminder to stay the course and let God handle the details.  Life seems to work a lot better that way.

Should Leia have been in her place?  Considering what we’ve learned about her in the preceding four films, the answer is an emphatic no. It simply isn’t within her character arc to sacrificially go out on that kind of limb for the Resistance. Introducing Admiral Holdo brings a figure to the party that isn’t fleshed out well enough to prevent her from using her ship as a chef’s knife.

I think that, over time, The Last Jedi will prove to be an indispensable part of the Star Wars canon of films.  It upsets the apple cart just enough to encourage people that change can be a good thing at times. It reminds us that life is not to be lived out of the world while somehow in the world.  It challenges us to consider that sometimes our impulsive nature isn’t the best option available.  In a convoluted way, it prods us to be better than we were when we entered the theater.

And isn’t that what all good films strive to accomplish?

Star Wars Episode V: Luke Strikes Out On His Own As The Empire Strikes Back

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empirestrikesbackThe Empire Strikes Back begins on a seemingly dead ice planet, Hoth. The bleakness of the planet is contrasted with the warm relationship which has evolved among the four main protagonists. Although Leia is furious that Han is planning to leave, their conflict only thinly veils the affection between them. And even though she continues to spurn his advances, there is something more than friendship there, although the screenwriter keeps us guessing until Leia admits her love for Han just before he is incased in carbonite.

The affection of Han and Leia for Luke is seen in their concern for him as he goes missing. Later, we even see Chewbacca give Luke a hug when they are about to part from each other. The heartfelt friendship of these characters will play a huge part in what happens later.

In the first movie, Luke Skywalker makes his “first step into a larger world,” and also uses the Force to help destroy the Death Star. But he still has much to learn. Luke still relies too much on technology, which does not detect the wampa before it attacks him. If he had been more tuned into the Force, certainly he would have known the monster was there. Somehow he needs to get more training in the ways of the Force.

Step in Ben Kenobi from the great beyond.

In a scene reminiscent of revelatory visions and dreams in the Old Testament, Obi-Wan tells Luke he must go to the Dagobah system to be trained by Yoda. Luke still needs to recover, and will help slow the advance of the Empire troops so rebel transports can get away. But after the battle, Luke leaves his friends, not telling them where he is going, and surprising his faithful droid, R2D2.

Sometimes friends must be abandoned for a while – for the greater good.

empiredagobahIn contrast to Hoth, the Dagobah planet is teaming with life. But, except for his electronic companion, Luke is very much alone. Even after meeting Yoda, he is still virtually alone, as he must face “the trials” completely by himself.

When Luke arrives at the planet, Yoda doesn’t reveal himself at first. He wants to test Luke’s patience, and Luke fails miserably. Luke also still has many misconceptions to overcome, and needs to learn to live in the now. Yoda tells Obi-Wan,

“All his life has he looked away… to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things.”

Turning to Luke, he adds, “You are reckless.”

Obi-Wan reminds Yoda how reckless he was. (We will see some of that in the prequels.) He convinces Yoda to train Luke, even though both Jedi Masters have misgivings about him, fearful he will become “like his father.” Here George Lucas is giving us a hint, much as a good mystery novel provides hints as the story progresses. But the shocker is we have no reason to believe Luke is being lied to; the information is being withheld that Darth Vader is actually his father. But this information, provided by Darth Vader himself, will be vital to the outcome of the next film, Return of the Jedi. Even the wisest of the Jedis cannot see all.

On the Star Wars Wiki website, the debacle surrounding the Battle of Galidraan is described. Count Dooku had been ordered by the Council to lead the battle. In an article I wrote for Examiner.com, just after the death of Christopher Lee, I commented how Lee’s character, “Count Dooku became Darth Tyranus, in part because of some lees-than-blameless actions ordered by the Jedi Council.” In the Examiner article, I compared Dooku’s betrayal to Anakin Skywalkers’:

“This is reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker being drawn to the Dark Side after being recruited to spy on the Emperor. We learn in the prequel films the Jedi Order was run by people with feet of clay. The power of the Force causes temptations for even the Light-Siders. Being one of the “good guys” doesn’t exempt people from questionable acts and decisions.”

That is not to say that the “good guys” were not trying to do their best to do what is right. But the Jedi Council, with its (over)emphasis on not being controlled by emotion, sometimes missed the mark when it comes to compassion. Almost like the Levite and the Priest in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, they limited what they were willing to be involved in.

Yoda is right to be cautious when he warns Luke about negative emotions: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Luke’s father was led to the dark side because his deep love and compassion for his wife led to fear of the future. Yoda and Obi-Wan are right to be concerned Luke will follow the same path. But…

Sometimes the greater good must be risked when your friends are in need.

Luke knows that he has much to learn. And he will continue to learn even as he faces Vader in order to help his friends. As Vader acknowledges, “You have controlled your fear.” Luke doesn’t give in to his anger. He doesn’t use his hatred to try to destroy Vader. Even after he learns he was lied to about his father, he refuses to give in.

empire strikes back, duelWe live in an age where the old guardians of Christianity are being criticized perhaps more than ever before. And much of the criticism is justified. Christian leaders have made mistakes, many of them unforgivable. But if we look honestly at the history, most of the time the leaders of the faith were doing the best they could with the knowledge and wisdom available at the time. They were honestly seeking to follow God the best they knew how.

What is desperately needed today is the wisdom to know when we need to follow the guidance of those who have gone before, and when that guidance needs to be changed out of compassion for others. Tradition has great value, and we can learn much from the great teachers and theologians of the past. But sometimes there is wisdom in the younger generation that those holding on to traditionalism have missed. Just remember that the next generation will sit in judgment on this one, too. And beware lest our judgment of the past leads us to the dark side of the present.