Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a film that left fans divisive, even more so than the last presidential election. Director Rian Johnson created a passionate wave of praise and hate for himself in just 3 hours. The fans aren’t the only ones who are uneasy about the decisions in the film. You can also add Mark Hamill to that list as well. He was clear from the beginning of production that the direction of the film and Luke’s character might not be the best thing for the franchise.
It is safe to assume that the universal silence amongst the entire cast in the wake of The Last Jedi indicates that Hamill may not be alone in this sentiment. The film left Hamill uneasy, and the way that Luke was written still has Mark confused.
In an interview with IGN, Hamill spoke about his unrest:
“There’s just such a huge gap between ‘Return of the Jedi’ and ‘Force Awakens’ – I had to really contemplate that. I said ‘hey, how did I go from being the most optimistic, positive character to this cranky, suicidal man who wants people to get off his island?’. It was a radical change, but I think sometimes being pushed out of your comfort zone is a good thing.
Although a part of me said to Rian, ‘but you know, a Jedi would never give up’. My concept of the character was that even if I chose the New Hitler thinking he was the New Hope, yeah I’d feel terrible, but I wouldn’t secret myself on an island and then turn off the Force.”
The biggest backlash the film garners is due to Luke’s handling. How can a character full of hope and promise, fall so far that he essentially exiles himself from the rest of the galaxy? Luke is the shell of a man by the time that Rey and Chewbacca find him. He has given up on the foundations that he stood for during an entire trilogy. How could this happen?
The Last Jedi mirrors real life in more ways than most wanted or were expecting. TLJ sheds the reliance on myth and archetypes that every previous Star Wars film relied heavily upon. Does this move make it a bad film? Not necessarily. It has its merits. Through an artistic lens, TLJ is a visual masterpiece. But Johnson should have chosen his path with some discretion, rather than kicking and disregarding the core expectations that come with a franchise such as Star Wars. Just ask Zack Snyder how this path turns out.
Hamill says that although it has been hard to swallow The Last Jedi pill, he is starting to accept his fate:
“It is tragic. I’m not a method actor, but one of the techniques a method actor will use is to try and use real-life experiences to relate to whatever fictional scenario he’s involved in. The only thing I could think of, given the screenplay that I read, was that I was of the Beatles generation – ‘All You Need Is Love’, ‘peace and love’.
I thought at that time, when I was a teenager: ‘By the time we get in power, there will be no more war, there will be no racial discrimination, and pot will be legal.’ So I’m one for three. When you think about it, [my generation is] a failure. The world is unquestionably worse now than it was then.”
Whether you feel that The Last Jedi was brilliant, and took the basic concept of good vs. evil and gave it depth, or you felt Johnson stepped on your childhood, it will remain a controversial film for years to come. It was a bold move for Rian Johnson. It was a brave move for Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm. Will the studio part ways with Kennedy soon? That is unknown.
The disappointing box office numbers for Solo prove that the fanbase is not happy with the current state of Star Wars, and want something familiar again. If anyone can bring the franchise back to where fans want it to be, it will be J.J. Abrams. Once again the director is tasked with ‘fixing’ Star Wars in the wake of disappointing films.
Star Wars: Episode IX is slated to hit theaters on December 19, 2019.
