elisi: Edwin and Charles (Star Wars)
elisi ([personal profile] elisi) wrote2018-01-05 09:09 am
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More links! :D

I am off to see The Last Jedi again in a little while (\o/), but before I go a few more links (all via my flist - thank you!):

Star Wars: The Return of the Stakes, or The Failure Frontier
(Fascinating. And long. But seriously. Fascinating.)

Luke Skywalker Isn’t Supposed to Be “Nice”
This one almost made me cry. It also pointed out how Luke hiding away is not 'running away' (which it looks like), but actually makes sense. Plus, it provides the best summary of the movie's themes that I have seen: the film is examining heroism as a concept, as a systematic construct that binds the very people it should comfort.

Also a very thought provoking vid, mostly focussing on the original 6 movies (no spoilers for TLJ except for a few shots from the trailer):



ETA: Also one of the best explorations/explanations of Anakin's fall to the dark side.

(I think I will be making a master post with all the links I have posted so far...)
greensword: (Default)

[personal profile] greensword 2018-01-05 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I totally buy the backstory as the reason for Luke hiding himself away from the world, especially since his temptation to kill Kylo Ren is such a perfect mirror for that moment in RoTJ when Luke stands over Vader, about to kill him, only to be interrupted by Palpatine saying, "Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side." If Palpatine hadn't interrupted, would Luke have killed Vader? Or would he have still hesitated?

It's a similar moral choice in some ways - and it's the same decision for Luke, he is tempted by hate but he chooses compassion and hope. But choosing compassion and hope isn't enough this time. Instead of saving the galaxy, his decision dooms it.

There's so much talk, throughout all of the Star Wars films, about whether there's good worth being redeemed in people like Anakin and Kylo. TLJ gives us something slightly different to think about: what we do with the bad worth being terrified of that lies even in people like Luke and Rey.
ext_11988: made by lmbossy (winter)

[identity profile] kazzy-cee.livejournal.com 2018-01-05 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd appreciate a master list of linkage please (I have missed a few as I've been busy....)

Enjoy the film :)
sea_thoughts: Ruby in *The Legend of Ruby Sunday* (Star Wars)

[personal profile] sea_thoughts 2018-01-05 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah yes, I saw this video yesterday. I love this guy's thoughtful analysis of pop culture and this is spot on. I do want to point out that Anakin DOES have a problem with attachment in that he is possessive. He loves Padme more as a 'thing' or an idealised vision ("angel") than an actual person. It's perfectly understandable (see everything in this video) but that doesn't make it right. And in the end, his possessive jealousy explodes into violence and recrimination in a very realistic and tragic way. The Jedi may be wrong about suppressing feelings but that doesn't mean they don't have a point about clinging to people for the wrong reasons.
sea_thoughts: Ruby in *The Legend of Ruby Sunday* (Star Wars)

[personal profile] sea_thoughts 2018-01-05 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
One thing that struck me is how much more problematic the prequels are than the originals? Like, this might be on purpose, but there is so much toxic masculinity in the prequels. :(

There really is, so I think it must have been deliberate. But it's just handled SO poorly. I can't tell if it's because of the time in which they were made or because nobody told George what sucked and what didn't.

That's one of the reasons I liked TLJ so much, it tackles the same problem but with so much more nuance and insight instead of going "EMOTIONS ARE BAD! SUPPRESS YOUR EMOTIONS! OH SHIT, HE'S MURDERING EVERYONE, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?"
sea_thoughts: Ruby in *The Legend of Ruby Sunday* (Star Wars)

[personal profile] sea_thoughts 2018-01-05 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
*lol* Glad to be of assistance.

And someone found an article talking about Jedi relationships and attachment!

The important quote: "Jedi Knights aren't celibate - the thing that is forbidden is attachments - and possessive relationships."

In other words, marriage might not actually be out of the question and Anakin got the wrong end of the stick (wouldn't be the first time).
sea_thoughts: Ruby in *The Legend of Ruby Sunday* (Star Wars)

[personal profile] sea_thoughts 2018-01-08 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay, the Catholic priest analogy works (kinda).

Rose, pretty much instinctively, understands the distinction that the Jedi were probably after. That Finn is wrong to abandon the cause just to save his friend. (And then of course the film goes onto delve into that distinction, and how it all works and how complicated it is.)

As Cassian says to Jyn (in Rogue One) "Some of us live this Rebellion. I've been in this fight since I was six years old. You're not the only one who lost everything. Some of us just decided to do something about it."
sea_thoughts: Ruby in *The Legend of Ruby Sunday* (Star Wars)

[personal profile] sea_thoughts 2018-01-09 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Yup. You can't just care about the Revolution when it's convenient for you. That's not the point.
sea_thoughts: Ruby in *The Legend of Ruby Sunday* (Star Wars)

[personal profile] sea_thoughts 2018-01-10 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Ugh, it's just such a good movie!! *chews over everything* Even the stuff I don't necessarily like, I can at least talk about it instead of dismissing it as "this was just lazy/poor/offensive writing"

[identity profile] ragnarok-08.livejournal.com 2018-01-06 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
Those are some thought-provoking links - thanks!