Hi, I’m Michael.
This is Lessons from the Screenplay.
This is going to be a weird episode.
Occasionally, I make a video as a way of forcing myself to figure out
how I feel about a film or technique.
This is exactly such a case.
I’ve mentioned before that I am a huge Star Wars fan.
Going in to the theater to see The Last Jedi,
I was eager to find out what the next chapter held for the heroes I had come to love
in The Force Awakens.
I walked out of the theater partially elated—
it had been a very long time since a big-budget, tentpole film had genuinely surprised me.
But I also felt unenthused.
The Force Awakens left me excited for more Star Wars...
I had to force myself to see The Last Jedi a second time.
So today I want to dissect two of the character arcs in the film…
One of which drags the film down with its design,
and the other which builds to one of my favorite moments in any Star Wars film…
And finally, try to collect my thoughts about the merits of letting the past die.
Let’s take a look at The Last Jedi.
Following the pattern established in The Force Awakens,
there are many parallels between The Last Jedi and The Empire Strikes Back.
The hero travels alone to a remote location
to be trained in the ways of the force
by a Jedi Master who is not exactly what they were expecting.
Because the protagonist is off in Jedi World,
the other characters have to help keep the plot moving,
going on their own adventures, exploring unseen parts of the galaxy
and meeting new people.
But while Han and Leia’s journey is exciting and dramatic,
Finn and Rose’s leaves something to be desired.
Part of the reason is the lack of conflict between them.
Han and Leia have personalities that constantly clash,
yet they also are developing feelings for each other.
Finn and Rose have differences when they meet,
but afterward pretty much get along great.
But the deeper reason this storyline is flawed has to do with Finn’s character arc.
By the end of The Last Jedi,
Finn is willing to sacrifice his life to try to save the Resistance.
"It's too late, don't do this!"
“No!
I won’t let them win.”
But part of what makes the end of a character’s arc of change compelling
is how it contrasts with where they began,
and it’s not very clear where Finn begins.
“I really loved the notion that he’s left the First Order
but he hasn’t really joined the Resistance.
Everything he does in The Force Awakens, even taking them to the Starkiller base—
it’s not to help the Resistance, it’s to help Rey.
He always acts out of personal, and not ideological motivations."
“I’m just here to get Rey.”
While true, the fact that Finn hasn’t already joined the Resistance
is not clearly re-established in The LastJedi…
at least not in the final cut.
In a deleted scene, however, Finn does explain that...
“I believe in what you guys are doing here, but I didn’t join this army.
I don’t want you think I’m something I’m not. I'm--"
“Hey, it's fine. You're alright. You’re here with us, where you belong.”
Without this scene, the film is relying on the audience to remember Finn’s hesitance
to join the Resistance from the previous film.
And if joining the Resistance is the decision he is supposed to be struggling with,
it’s odd that early in the story he decides to risk his life for the Resistance.
To return to one of my favorite quotes from Robert McKee’s "Story":
“TRUE CHARACTER is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure—
the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation,
the truer the choice to the character’s essential nature.”
Finn does try to run at first,
but in the next scene he’s pitching a dangerous plan to save the Resistance to Poe.
Besides this first escape attempt,
Finn never makes another choice that demonstrates his ambivalence toward staying with the Resistance.
Instead, his doubt is expressed by listening to people share their thoughts.
He gets a monologue from Rose...
“There’s only one business in the galaxy that will get you this rich.”
“War.”
“Selling weapons to the first order.”
...and a monologue from DJ...
“‘Good guys,’ ‘bad guys.’
Made up words.
It’s all a machine, partner.
Live free, don’t join.”
...and neither significantly affects the actions he takes throughout the majority of the story.
So when DJ betrays them...
“They blow you up today, you’ll blow them up tomorrow.
It's just business."
...and Finn declares that he’s made up his mind on good guys and bad guys…
“You’re wrong.”
...it’s not that powerful.
He just spent the whole movie helping the Resistance
and now he’s choosing to continue helping the Resistance.
The events of the plot have not compelled him in a believable way
to go from running away to save Rey to being willing to die for the Resistance.
All of this is unfortunate,
because I like Finn and I think he could be a really interesting character.
And part of what is so confusing about The Last Jedi
is that this flawed arc happens alongside another arc that has none of these problems
and builds to one of the best moments in the film.
The character who transforms the most in The Last Jedi...
is Kylo Ren.
Unlike with Finn’s arc,
we get to see Kylo make decisions that externalize his inner struggle.
The starting point of Kylo Ren’s arc is established very clearly in his first scene.
“I’ve given everything I have to you.
To the dark side.”
We witness Snoke emotionally manipulate him—
feeding off Kylo’s desire to become a new Darth Vader
and the emotional turmoil of having killed his father.
“You have too much of your father’s heart in you, young Solo.”
“I killed Han Solo.”
“And look at you, the deed split your spirit to the bone.”
Kylo is wrestling with the conflict inside him,
lost somewhere between the light and the dark.
And this is demonstrated because the plot constantly puts him in situations
where he must choose between these two paths.
“Follow my lead.”
For example, when he has a chance to kill Leia, his mother and leader of the Resistance
but can’t bring himself to do so.
We also get to witness his emotional journey
through the force connection between him and Rey.
Mechanically, this is an excellent way to force the protagonist and antagonist
to interact in a way that can’t simply resort to violence.
At first, Kylo tries to show Rey that he is the dark Sith he’s trying to be.
“You are a monster.”
“Yes I am.”
But then he tries to make her understand him, sharing the story of Luke’s betrayal.
And finally—their emotional bond growing stronger
—he is faced with yet another choice.
“It isn't too late.”
Rey calls him to the light, and he chooses to reach out and touch her.
Time after time we see Kylo Ren given the opportunity to embrace the darkness,
but always hesitates.
All of this builds to my favorite moment of the film.
After they touch hands, Rey glimpses the conflict within him.
“Just now, when we touched hands, I saw his future.
If I go to him, Ben solo will turn.”
So she goes to Kylo, and he brings her before Snoke.
This begins an exciting cascade of character failures
that is the result of clever story construction.
First, we learn that Rey wasn’t the only one who saw the future,
casting doubt on what will happen.
“I saw something too.
Because of what I saw, I know when the moment comes you'll be the one to turn.”
Then, Snoke reveals he was the one that connected them,
hoping Rey would bring herself to him.
Rey has fallen into a trap.
So Rey becomes desperate, but she is clearly no match for Snoke.
And here, at the depths of our characters’ failure and the apex of tension
Kylo Ren must choose his path once and for all.
“Complete your training and fulfill your destiny!”
And with the flick of his fingers…
…we gain a deeper understanding of his true nature…
...and two characters who began the story as enemies become allies.
Kylo’s arc demonstrates the emotional power choices can have
when the plot continually pushes characters to confront their emotional struggle.
And having witnessed his potential for good,
it is that much more heartbreaking when he finally chooses to become
the villain of the story.
The arcs of Kylo Ren and Finn express my conflicted feelings about The Last Jedi.
"Let's go, chrome-dome."
Some of the things it does are amazing,
others frustratingly disappointing.
On one hand, I love how brave film is.
As Mark Hamill said:
"Last Jedi was incredibly daring…
Because I would say,
'We really have to think of what the audience expects and what they want.
And he says, 'No, no.
We have to do the opposite.
We have to give them something they don't expect that we want.'"
This is a great approach for creating a genuinely new experience for an audience.
It’s why the finale of The Last Jedi was surprising,
while the finale of The Force Awakens was familiar.
The heroes faced the antagonist with no meaningful consequence
as the good guys and bad guys had their usual race to see who could blow up the other first—
Death Star trench run and all.
The finale of The Last Jedi took risks and wasn’t afraid to dish out repercussions.
An entire film’s worth of plot leads to a dead end as Finn and Poe’s plan fails,
almost bringing about the end of the Resistance.
This was frustrating, but was also what made the third act surprising.
The Force Awakens ended as a tease, leaving every question unanswered
and building excitement more with the promise of substance rather than substance itself.
The Last Jedi directly answered all the questions it thought were worth answering
and dismissed the rest,
all while giving each character a complete—if not always compelling—journey.
Honestly, I'm left with as many questions as when I started this video.
“Let the past die.
Kill it if you have to.
That's the only way to become what you were meant to be.”
Is this what we need to do?
To let go of the franchise’s history,
not let the new films be defined and restrained by what has come before?
Will we remember The Last Jedi as the movie that freed Star Wars to become something unique
among tentpole blockbusters…
or as an attempt at ripping off the bandaid that was both painful
and failed to finish the job?
And can Episode IX redeem the franchise in the eyes that have forsaken it,
while also living up to the standards set by The Last Jedi’s willingness
to let the past die?
For now, it seems, we’ll just have to wait and see...
“How do we build a Rebellion from this?”
“We have everything we need.”
Have you ever wanted to learn a skill,
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Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this video.
Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the video!
Now that there are ten to choose from, which is your favorite Star Wars film?
Let me know in the comments below, or on twitter @michaeltuckerla.
Thank you as always to my Patrons and supporters here on YouTube for making the channel possible.
Thank you for watching, and I will see you next time.