A New Perspective, But An Unexpected One

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2017)

The Last Jedi is a fine example of Rian Johnson's skill for subverting expectations. For the last two years, Star Wars fans have been theorising endlessly about the possible origins of certain characters, their true allegiances and their ultimate identity. Meanwhile, Johnson has been forging an entirely different perspective of the franchise we all love - one where his methods as a filmmaker help to elaborate on the lore of Star Wars and the feelings of its characters.
I've seen The Last Jedi three times now, and each time has opened a new window into Johnson's thematically-rich instalment. Needless to say, cinematography and choice of aspect for this film are astonishing enough, but the hidden genres and themes concerning the characters and their respective beliefs and followings have their own analysis. And it's incredibly in-depth at that. This movie is less about the overall conflict and grand scheme of things and more about the individual characters and the consequences of their actions. It is not the movie we expected, but it is the one we needed. Truly, Johnson has a talent for subliminal symbolism and the connotations of certain imagery - he's chosen everything with particular care.
I want to list a few individual pointers on why The Last Jedi successfully continues the franchise on a new, exciting journey, whilst simultaneously acknowledging the distant past, either through nostalgia or less-obvious trickery.
1. Space Battles. Without space battles, Star Wars is devoid of its heart - without the notable pew-pew of the laser cannons, Star Wars loses its identity and original concept. Here, Johnson honours that legacy with quite a few space extravaganzas - most prominently, the opening scene. Reinvigorating the concept though, Johnson adds a lot of tension by constantly adding and taking from the heroes. Poe Dameron's initially successful mission is weighed down by the losses he makes regarding his fighters. Johnson has time to pick-out individual people and give their sacrifices more meaning and emotion. Seeing Paige Tico's ship go down into the flames of the bombs she's only just dropped is a fine portrayal of the sacrifice the Rebellion makes and the price they pay for liberation.
The other, perhaps more significant, example of this is Vice Admiral Holdo's sacrifice. In possibly the most powerful display of imagery from the film I can think of, Vice Admiral Holdo, whom the audience has been debating whether or not to trust or not throughout the runtime, jumps to light speed in what remains of the Rebel cruiser, vastly decimating Supreme Leader Snoke's destroyer. This damming depiction of war breaks new ground on the Star Wars spectrum.
2. The Force. The Last Jedi, quite noticeably, flirts with the idea of the Force. Repeating words from Yoda's first appearance in The Empire Strikes Back, Luke's analysis if followed quickly be a more down-to-Earth, if you'll pardon the phrase, representation of its true nature. The montage of images that cross through Rey's mind as she "reaches out" to the Force is a great way to reinforce our knowledge of the Force and hopefully describes it to newcomers.
Equally, Rey and Kylo Ren's force connection regularly throughout the film tells us that the Force can be manipulated and controlled. As much as Snoke has the power to bind two people together across the Galaxy, Luke eventually harnesses this power for his own trickery in the exciting climax. This film gives the Force more of a tangible embodiment - whereas before it has sometimes been brushed off as the natural order of things, Johnson goes one further and gives it an identity.
3. Good and Bad. One of the reasons I liked DJ (or "Don't Join" as he refers to himself) as a character, is his back-handed reference about there being no different between good and bad people. He makes a point about the owner of the stolen ship from Canto Bight who prospered into riches by selling vehicles to both the First Order and the Rebellion. There's no discrimination, simply one big business - war. This may seem like an obvious point, but Johnson takes time to embellish that concept by showing us that no one is different to anyone else. I have a feeling a lot of viewers were unhappy with the Canto Bight sequences because it distracted from the main events of the film, but in my opinion it is one of the most important parts of the film. Not only does it depict how the rich, by being separated from the qualms of war, are benefitting profitably from its continuation, but how the Rebellion has a strong influence on the concealed individuals amongst them. The children working in the fathier stables are prime examples of people who are heavily influenced and inspired by the good deeds of both Rose Tico and Finn as they rampaged through the casino town, leaving havoc in their wake.
4. Island of Ahch-To. Johnson spends a lot of time using incredible symbolism to help tell a hidden story of the island. If spliced together, there's a pattern in the lighting of the island as the camera takes a long shot. As the movie progresses, the shots slowly, but surely, block out the Sun, indirectly pre-emanating Luke's demise. After exhausting himself by using the Force to project his image across the Galaxy, the final shot of Luke's billowing cloak is followed closely by a shot of the island silhouette, now indicating its emptiness. Along with the burning of the Jedi tree, this means that the island barely holds any memory of the Jedi order. This can be attributed to the words of Yoda as he describes Rey as the new spark of hope in the prolonging of the Jedi religion. Regardless of whether they were useful or not, the Jedi texts are now in her possession.
5. Mirroring Return of the Jedi. Johnson carefully chose a shot for shot remake of the Return of the Jedi scene as Darth Vader escorts Luke to the Emperor's chamber. The words that Rey and Kylo exchange match Luke's and Darth Vader's almost perfectly. This is a sweet trick Johnson plays to help the audience anticipate what follows. Whilst a lot of people are anticipating the revelation of Snoke's identity, Johnson is only concerned with the development of Kylo and Rey, and that's done with great precision here. Johnson doesn't play it safe, he immediately subverts our expectations to bring about the development of the new balance in the Force. For some this is possibly the most disappointing moment in the film - for me it is the turning point and it shows Johnson's bold appetite for grabbing attention. It is possibly one of the cleverest scenes from the film.
6. Chain of Command. The Last Jedi makes a pretty hefty point about following orders. Poe Dameron continually disobeys his superiors throughout the film, much to the audience's happiness as we believe he is going above his station in order to protect the Rebellion. But, in truth, he is endangering it. General Leia Organa and Vice Admiral Holdo are under no obligation to reveal their plans to Dameron, mainly because they are trying to protect them from enemy eyes and ears. It may be quite a shocking moment to see Leia stunning Poe at the climax of their escape from the First Order forces, but the statement being made her is that no matter your feelings towards a decision, following orders is a number one priority. Poe should trust those who have more experience than him.
7. Color Palette. Finally, the last point I'd like to make is regarding Johnson's choice of colour palette for that last, unprecedented battle for survival on Crait. This is more than simply a demonstration of the minerals on this planet, this is an indirect statement by the director to show how the tides of the force are turning, and also a way to give away Luke's ghostly presence. The albeit brief lightsaber battle between Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker is the punchline of the entire film, and its hidden message is written in the salt, as Johnson consistently hints at Kylo Ren's true emotions as Snoke's successor and Rey's dark equal.
I want to finish by stating that my favourite scene from the movie was Luke's reunion with Yoda - not only for being terribly nostalgic, but also highlighting how much Luke has changed yet not changed at all. It is Yoda's final words of wisdom that sit with me - "The greatest teacher, failure is. The greatest burden of a Jedi Master - we are what they grow beyond."