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swiftsnowmane) wrote2017-10-13 09:59 pm
It's not just about nostalgia...
#these three love each other and always will <3 #and they’re such beloved iconic characters too #and no matter what disney tries to do to them #they’ll always be iconic and loved by people all around the world #the lucas movies will stand the test of time and so will these three <3 (via skywalker-saga)
^THIS. This is the TRUTH….and nothing and no one can take this away from us, as long as we uphold the original version of this tale and these characters.
I feel the need to point something out here—and that is, that to hold on to an unabashedly positive view of the Original Trio and to have an unwavering belief in their long-term happiness is not just a result of nostalgia or being attached to these characters as we knew them in the Original Trilogy, but is also the actual intended outcome of Lucas’ entire saga, aka the Prequels *and* the Original Trilogy combined.
EnterThe tragedy of the Prequels seems to have perhaps lead some people to conclude, erroneously, that ALL of Star Wars (aka the Skywalker saga) is meant to be viewed in a similarly tragic light. This could not be farther from the truth—the Prequels, as the first half of the magnum opus, were given the structure of a greek tragedy in order to complement and enhance the emotional catharsis of the pre-existing Original Trilogy (the second half the Opus). The darkness of the beginning of the tale is not meant to overshadow the redemption at the end of it, but rather make it shine all the brighter. Lucas intended *his* Star Wars to be, not a tragedy, but one of the ‘divine comedies of redemption’. (If you don’t believe me, just read anything ever written by Joseph Campbell, one of Lucas’ most formative mythic influences.)
And so, the tragedy from which the second half of the story is born, is NOT, I repeat, NOT meant to insinuate that the Skywalker family is ‘doomed’ or ‘fated’ or ‘cursed’ to suffer constant, repeated ‘family tragedies’ no matter what. And it is certainly not meant to suggest that they (Luke, Leia, Han) will inevitably make the same old mistakes or meet the same fates as those who came before, just because Disney’s unoriginal excuse for a ‘sequel’ apparently demands it. As I’ve mentioned before, Anakin’s tragedy is inextricably linked to his particular milieu and to his cosmic role and status as the Chosen One—it cannot be easily replicated, let alone repeated ad nauseum. Luke and Leia are likewise ‘of’ their own era, and are freed from the myriad restrictions and machinations that so ensnared their parents. When it comes to their role in this particular myth, they are thus meant to rise above the tragedy that came before, rather than repeat it.
And they do. In his climactic confrontation with his father and the Emperor in RotJ, Luke breaks the cycle. He throws away his lightsaber, and refuses to succumb. Unlike his father, Luke Skywalker is NOT a tragic figure, nor was he EVER intended to be. (Luke = Light. That’s what is name means, and that is what he is meant to represent, through and though. Luke is the Galahad to Anakin’s Lancelot.) And neither is Leia, for that matter. Yes, the Skywalker twins both suffer great loss, face great darkness, and have their own inner and outer struggles through the course of the OT, but overall their stories are intended to have an entirely positive (and restorative) outcome.
It is important to point out that, because Luke and Leia are the result of Anakin and Padme’s forbidden love (aka, the Union of Oppositesof the magnum opus, which is meant to bring forth none other than the elixir of life itself), the hopeful, positive, and successful nature of their respective stories is absolutely crucial to the validation of it. After all, Luke and Leia’s very existence is the biggest ‘f*ck you’ ever to the Old Jedi Order. Love and family were something that was forbidden to the Jedi of old, and yet this is what brings hope and restores peace to the galaxy. This is the entire point of the story.
When viewed in the context of the PT and OT together, the Trio’s role is clear: by fully and openly embracing the LOVE and support of their family and friends, Luke and Leia are able rise above the tragedy of their parents. Their combined heroism, fueled as it is *by* their (positive) personal attachments, breaks the cycle and brings about Anakin’s redemption….restoring freedom to the galaxy, and vindicating Anakin and Padme’s love. An unequivocally positive view of the Original Trio’s relationship is therefore an essential and intrinsic element of the redemptive message of Lucas’ saga. To negate that, and to turn the Trio into tragic figures themselves, is to negate the entire purpose of the story—not just of the Original Trilogy, but of the saga as a whole. your cut contents here.
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Luke, Leia and Han deserved better. WAY BETTER than what they got in TFA and TLJ.