Rian's Forum

*High five*

At the time of this writing, I am the newest Forum member. Rian Johnson’s Facebook page is getting spammed with rude comments on a daily basis, and I was in search of an alternative Internet venue. The Last Jedi is the first Star Wars movie that I have viewed more than once. This posting is to offer some of my impressions.

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Luke’s Character Arc: In the original trilogy, Luke becoming a Jedi master reminds me of teenage gymnasts who win an Olympic medal or NBA athletes in their 20’s who receive lucrative contracts. These young athletes are indeed world-class masters. But they are shining stars in only one particular discipline. They can still fail in other areas of life. Some professional athletes incur financial failure… some become addicted to drugs… some go to prison… etc. In Luke’s case, he succeeded in mastering the use of the Force as a young man, but later failed as a teacher in the Way of the Jedi.

The Man and the Legend: Watching Luke milk a Thala-siren and getting himself a green milk mustache, my immediate thought was: “You can take the Tatooine farm boy out of the farm… but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.” This wasn’t the spotless, shining Jedi knight that Rey expected from the legends.

Leia’s Holographic Mayday Call: I thought it was brilliant to have R2D2 repeat Leia’s original distress call from A New Hope – an indication of how Luke’s journey has come full circle. Mark Hamill in Episode VIII is of the same age as Alec Guinness in Episode IV. Obi-Wan is now long gone and Luke is the only remaining Jedi who could respond to Leia’s plea: “Help me… you’re my only hope.”

Luke Remaining on Ahch-To: Luke rushing in to play the one-man-cavalry and saving the day was done previously in Episode V. Against the advice of Yoda and Obi-Wan, Luke impulsively discontinued his training and flew off to confront Darth Vader, while Vader held Leia and Han as captives on Cloud City. This time, on Ahch-To, Luke receives one final admonition from Yoda: “Young Skywalker… always looking to the horizon… never here, now.” Instead of flying off to Crait, Luke remained immovable above his meditation platform, in deep meditation and in deep immersion in the Force.

The Duel on Crait: I took this as an acknowledgement of how George Lucas was influenced by Aikido – a martial art derived from Japanese swordsmanship (Kenjutsu). In Aikido, the object is to neutralize the attacker and the conflict is resolved in draw. As a Force projection, Luke could neither win or lose the duel with Kylo Ren. A draw represents the “balance” between the dualities of winning and losing, victory and defeat.

High Plains Drifter: Luke’s force projection on Crait reminded me of the movie High Plains Drifter, in which Clint Eastwood portrayed the indestructible ghostlike apparition of a murdered federal marshal. In fact, I thought that Luke’s demeanor was Eastwood-esque, as he confronted Kylo Ren.

Main Character: I actually saw Luke as the main character of Episode VIII. Luke specifically went to Ahch-To to die, but was still in the process of putting his affairs in order. I also viewed the film from my point-of-view as a hospice volunteer. I have witnessed hospice guests doing what they can to put their affairs in order, so that they can pass in peace. This includes final interactions with friends and family members. In Luke’s case, putting his affairs in order included seeing family members face-to-face and saying: “I’m sorry, Leia” and “I’m sorry, Ben. I failed you.” It also seemed that Rey telepathically heard Luke say: “I will not be the last Jedi.” Most of all, putting his affairs in order entailed once more donning the mantle of the legendary Jedi master, to inspire those who are just beginning their own Hero’s Journey – like the stable boy on Canto Bight. At the end, Rey sensed that Luke passed “with peace and purpose.”

Hey, Crooner! Welcome to the forum.

I like all of your thoughts here, but these two in particular struck me as interesting ways of looking at the film.

Hello Day Glo! Thanks for the welcome to the Forum!

I read through a couple other threads and got the impression that there is a core group of users here who are involved in writing or moviemaking. My background is different and my future posts may reflect a view of the movies through a different set of lenses.

Dude. Please keep using your lens as needed. This is my favorite angle/insight on this yet. If the Blu-Ray was out I would have watched it a few days ago, and realized during this re-watch (which definitely didn't happen and is yet to happen in the future) that Luke went to Ahch-To to die, and likely Rey's arrival spurred him to a) acknowledge that things were going on out there and b) that maybe someone needed to do something about it, just not him, and c) that passing on at least some of the Jedi knowledge would be his final act.

Anyway, I can't wait until I can watch it again in the comfort of my own home, because I certainly didn't do that yet.

As you may have learned I am not of the filmmaker cadre, I'm just sort of the friendly ghost that haunts the forum.

Hi Justin,

Thanks for your kind feedback.

I’ve only skimmed a few threads and don’t really know who’s who on the Forum. Don’t know who’s in the core group, nor the nature of their connection to the entertainment industry. Just happy to have gained access to the Forum and to participate.

I’m looking forward to more discussions when the deleted scenes are released on Blu Ray and DVD.