The last look back——Comment on "Star Wars 8"

Brandt 2021-12-07 08:01:04

After the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015, I wrote a film review with the title "New Hope?" "-Yes, there is a question mark in the title. I kind of like that "Star Wars 7", but I am not very excited after watching it. There is indeed too much content of tribute/fried rice, which makes me wonder where this series will go in the future. "Rogue One" was released in 2016, I really like it! But after all, it's just a rumor, and I always feel that the story is too small, and the characters come and go, leaving no lasting impression. This year's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", I didn't have any expectations at first. I didn't expect to find the feeling of watching the old "Star Wars" trilogy when I watched it!

However, the evaluation of the film is quite polarized: on the famous Metacritic website, "Star Wars 8" scored 85 points in terms of professional raters, even surpassing the 81 points of "Blade Runner 2049", which is comparable to the Oscar hits. "Three Billboards" (87 points) and "The Shape of Water" (86 points) are comparable. Out of 55 professional ratings, 11 gave a perfect score of 100 points! However, the user rating of the film on this website is only 4.6 points (10 points), which is far lower than the 8.2 points of "Blade Runner 2049". This polarization is also very obvious on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes websites.

Why do some people praise Star Wars 8 while others don't? What is the fundamental difference between the attitudes of North American film critics and ordinary fans? What direction does "Star Wars 8" show the development of this series?

From Greek mythology to civilian epic

"Star Wars 7" is basically a re-enactment of the first "Star Wars: A New Hope", and the overall concept is very conservative and stable. But this time "Star Wars 8" is very bold and has made quite a few changes and even subversions. This is also the most important reason for the polarization of film evaluation. I think we can analyze the changes made by "Star Wars 8" from both connotation and form.

George Lucas’s six-part star wars is a space version of the history of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, a contemporary myth. Lucas himself made it clear that the entire six-part Star Wars is about the history of the "Skywalker Family". Whether Princess Leia, Luke, Anakin or Amidala, these protagonists are actually noble elites in their bones. Behind the film is a strong sacred pedigree: all powerful force owners surround the Skywalker family. , Whether they are the right arm of the empire, or the mainstay of the resistance. These people's confrontation, alliance, power struggle and even love, personal grievances, will determine the future direction of the entire Star Wars galaxy. Whether it was the once prosperous Republic or the mighty Galactic Empire, it was all because of a few members of the Skywalker family. In the six-part Star Wars, almost only Han Solo is the protagonist who is civilian and far from the center of power (he has no force and is also a symbol), but this state is largely brought by the actor Harrison Ford Coming.

The adventures of the prince and princess, the power brought by blood, and the confrontation between characters of the same blood produce a great sense of fatalism and tragedy-Lucas's Star Wars series is a Greek tragedy paradigm, and it can also be regarded as a Shakespearean drama Style. (There is a proof: Spielberg and Lucas are both avid fans of Akira Kurosawa, and most of Akira Kurosawa's movies are very Shakespearean drama.) In other words: the protagonists of Star Wars bear With destiny, no matter how hard he struggles, he still faces a tragic moment when his destiny comes. Luke and his father's fate confrontation, Anakin and Amidala's fateful love, are all like this. This is also the inherent reason why the Star Wars series has been so attractive for so many years. Of course, it also brings some negative problems, the most prominent is the protagonist's blood aura, and the mechanical contradictory solution at the end of each story.

After Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney, the biggest change in the Star Wars series was that it changed from a space elite legend to a civilian story, from the royal adventure of Jason and the Golden Fleece to an ordinary version of Homer's epic. From "Star Wars 7" and "Star Wars 8", the heroine Ley, who has no father and no mother, to the heroine Qin (the daughter of a scientist) in Rogue One, to the important supporting roles around the protagonists of the three films , Such as Black Stormtrooper Finn, fighter commander Bo Dameron, etc., are not related to the Skywalker family (well, Rey's identity may be reversed). They no longer have a fate that they cannot get rid of, nor a grand vision that must be realized. The original natural tragedy and grand construction of the Star Wars series have been completely changed in the new series. This is why we have not seen strong internal conflicts in the recent three Star Wars movies (especially Star Wars 8). Even in the excellent "Rogue One", the tragedy at the end is personal. It is a girl who was lonely in a big age who seeks revenge, meets true love, and finally completes a small but very important mission, such as The story of the waves disappearing in the rolling waves of the Milky Way.

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is even more extreme. The film breaks the previous setting of the Force, telling the audience through Luke: The Force does not depend on blood, it is a power that anyone can have, and it can even be regarded as a belief. (Although the official explanation says that the force comes from the protozoan within everything, the powerful force holders in the previous series of movies are all inherited by blood) The old version of the Star Wars Sixties view of the force is like Theravada Buddhism, requiring You must practice as a monk and rely on a master to enlighten you. Even so, you can only cultivate Arhats; this film becomes Mahayana Buddhism, emphasizing that everyone can practice on their own and have their own Buddha nature in their hearts.

In addition, "Star Wars 8"'s subversion of the role of Luke Skywalker is also the most unacceptable for many Star Wars fans. In this film, Luke is depressed and retreats. In order to fear that Kylo Ren will fall into the dark side, he almost kills his nephew in his sleep. This setting does have an abrupt and sloppy side. The consideration behind it is to cancel the concept of "chosen one" from the blood myth in Star Wars! Luke is no longer the "only hope" that can save the universe, and he is unwilling to continue the form of the Jedi Order, which possesses great power and is easily corrupted. There has been a similar attitude in the past "Vengeance of the Sith". Obi-Wan said to Anakin: "You are the chosen son of heaven, and the prophecy says you should destroy the Sith, not join them!" Anakin believed that the Jedi Order was decayed. The habits of seniority and conformity prevented Anakin from realizing his ambitions and dreams. You will find that as long as the concept of the Chosen Son exists, Star Wars is still a game for born heroes. From this point of view, "The Force Awakens" is actually the awakening of the common people's epic era, and "The Last Jedi" is the last look back at the old heroes.

The Rising Star Wars series is like Disney’s Marvel Universe series movies, which are more civilian and flat. Not long ago, the Marvel movie "Thor: Twilight of the Gods" had just done a huge digestion, and the first director The Shakespeare story created by Kenneth Branagh was rewritten into a popular family drama style.

It is difficult for us to make a simple judgment on the pros and cons of this. As far as I am concerned, I like the courage and pioneering displayed by "Star Wars 8" because its attitude is forward-looking, while "Star Wars 7" directed by JJ Abrams is backward-looking. of.

From classical narrative to contemporary games

Star Wars movies have always had many plotholes, and "Star Wars 8" is no exception. For example, in the first battle, the Imperial Star Destroyer had a huge defensive hole above it, and the size of the Death Star was just a small hole. For example, why didn’t the Empire’s flagship send the apparently slower Star Destroyer to attack when the Turtle Speed ​​was chasing the Resistance Mothership? For example, the BB-8's opening and hanging degree has far exceeded R2-D2, can actually drive AT-ST? For example, why did the character played by Del Toro not escape long ago, and have to wait for Finn and the others to come in before unlocking...

In terms of plot line, the line between Luke and Rey is very important, and it is the part that lays the spiritual core of the film. The disadvantage is that the drama is not strong and it lacks driving force for the whole story. Rey basically didn't get any training, as if suddenly became a Jedi master, able to compete with Kylo Ren who has been training for many years.

These problems of plot and details do exist. But on the whole, it does not affect my opinion that "Star Wars 8" is a very unique and high-quality film work in terms of narrative and aesthetic style. Lucas's Star Wars films are very typical classicist narratives and aesthetics. In terms of narration, the old Star Wars series were basically all multi-line and progressed, and then merged together. At the end, the righteous side failed completely, and the final juncture was the number of ways to counterattack. Lucas's flat and straightforward directing style has always been criticized by some industry insiders, and his camera movements are quite dull and dull. Back then, a director in the United States sarcastically said that Lucas just swung the camera and started shooting directly, and the camera never moved. Aesthetically, Star Wars was originally a combination of the B-level film and the technological aesthetics brought by the 1968 "2001 Space Odyssey". Lucas can’t be regarded as a director with great aesthetic ideas: apart from the nostalgic and retro transitions, the shock of pursuing huge spaceships and monsters, and the clothing and utensils of ancient Roman and Japanese mixed styles, there are few unique aesthetic expressions.

"Star Wars 8" is quite different. Although it is essentially a classic narrative mode, the film has at least added a lot of ups and downs, making the audience feel that not all plots are expected. Most of the reversals of the characters and plots are still credible, especially the contradictory confrontation between Rey and Kylo Ren did not fall into stereotypes. Supporting actors also participated in more narratives! The plot of Black Finn and Rose may be a little bit off the main line, but it seems to tell us: not every surprise and every decision to shoot the forehead will be fulfilled. There is finally no last-second death star in this film (even in "Rogue One", the last battle is a bit old and boring), there is no endless dazzling dogfight between titanium fighters and X-wing fighters, no The imperial storm army bombed the protagonist from a distance of 50 yards, but no one hit...

The bold and innovative plot and action design bring a long-lost enjoyment. There are at least three action scenes in this film that are enough to be included in the best of the year: one is the light saber of the dark lord Snook after the death of his guards and Rey and Kylo Ren. This scene has a Japanese sword halberd atmosphere, clean and clear, and the movements are clear; the second is the final duel between Luke and Kylo Ren. Luke's momentum is like a rainbow, a great master style, the whole scene is like the atmosphere of China's top martial arts film. These two scenes are enough to be included in the list of the best lightsaber fighting scenes in the Star Wars series, far better than the battle of the forest in "Star Wars 7". The third is the scene where Holdo, played by Laura Dunn, turns the bow and drives the hyperspace engine towards the imperial flagship, cutting the huge dreadnought in half!

The aesthetic style of "Star Wars 8" is obviously greater than the previous works: the white salt and red soil at the end of the first battle, the strong visual contrast of snow white and blood red creates tragic and solemn; the golden light of the setting sun penetrates the AT-AT of the empire The chariot is shining on the fateful rivals Luke and Kylo Ren; light and darkness coexist on the island, setting off the silhouette-like figures of Luke and Rey; and the rebel mothership just mentioned rushing towards the imperial flagship , For a while, there was no sound in the theater, only a silver light shining in the dark universe on the screen... The whole film has the vivid, strong and impactful picture beauty of Kurosawa Akira's movie. This is the previous Star Wars movie. What is lacking. Maybe there are a lot of back-lighting lenses in the second half, which is much better than Michael Bay who abuses big back-lighting!

The biggest enemy of the film series is the self-styled and boring. Many films such as "Transformers", "Pirates of the Caribbean" and many other series have become tasteless from the beginning. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has made very bold or even extreme changes. Perhaps it has not considered certain plots and characters sufficiently, especially the presentation of certain settings and themes related to the development of the series. Somewhat ignored. But what I value more is that it brings an expected and exciting experience, giving this long-established series a new life (even if it is full of controversy!). It seems that for the first time I heard John Williams’ embarrassing theme song "Across Stars" sounded, and I once again felt the grand, tragic, solemn, and strong world of Star Wars brought to me. Faith, sweet and sad at the same time-in the face of Luke's departure, Princess Leia's exit...

At the end of the film, Luke hangs above the stone platform, facing the two suns of Akto, and finally merges with the Force, following Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, Anakin... He I will definitely remember the moment when I walked out of Tatooine's house and looked up at the sky in the morning light of two suns. This is the call of the stars and the start of the galaxy journey again. In the last look back in infinite melancholy, new hope also arises!

View more about Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi reviews

Extended Reading

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi quotes

  • [Luke Skywalker sees that Rey and his nephew Kylo Ren are touching hands]

    Luke Skywalker: [yells] STOP!

    [Rey and Kylo Ren look at him angrily and she looks for Kylo Ren who has vanished. She turns to Luke]

    Rey: Is it true? Did you try to murder him?

    Luke Skywalker: Leave this island, now!

    [Luke leaves. But, Rey followed him]

    Rey: Stop... STOP!

    [Rey slugs Luke with her quarterstaff. He turns to her]

    Rey: Did you do it? Did you kill Kylo Ren?

    [Luke began to fight back with a stick]

  • Poe Dameron: If they move... stun 'em.