«Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi»

Cinema Wednesdays - Loris S. Musumeci

«Breathe. Focus on what you feel. What do you see?»

The traditional incipit scrolls from the middle to the top of the screen, in yellow, to the glorious music of John Williams, while the Resistance troops face enormous difficulties. Explosions. Missiles. The First Order fleet is determined to destroy the main base of the Good, led by the valiant General Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher, who died a year ago). The warriors of Good nevertheless manage to outrun the enemy for an uncertain length of time, at the cost of many martyrs.

Meanwhile, young Rey (Daisy Ridley) arrives on the remote planet of Ahch-To. She has been sent there by the Resistance to convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last Jedi, to return and join them in their mystical and uncommon art of combat. Rey is also looking for a master to guide her in her mysterious call to the Force. The former hero's desperation leads him to utter a categorical refusal in the beginner's face. «It's time to be done with the Jedi,» he even tells her.

The thought of a single character prompts Luke to change his attitude: Ben Solo (Adam Driver), the fallen son of General Leia Organa and Han Solo. Rey has an intimate connection with this nephew and former disciple of the Jedi master, who has turned to the dark side of the Force. From now on, the hermit of Ahch-To's main concern is to do everything in his power to prevent evil from repeating itself on Rey, the embodiment of hope for the Resistance, for the Jedi, for peace.

A Star Wars that stands out

The film was well received by the critics, but still leaves many skeptics among the general public, and particularly among certain purists of the stellar saga. The third trilogy had to breathe new life into the myth. If the production of the seventh episode - Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens - J. J. Abrahams« Star Wars was a blatantly religious respect for tradition, Rian Johnson is putting the shuttle back on the road through innovation. He's returning to the more »auteur film" side of George Lucas.

Journalists specializing in cinema have had fun dissecting the elements that displease loyal fans of the series. The humor takes on parodic overtones: some consider derision of the sacred elements of the Star Wars unbearable. And yet, comedic tunes are part of the very nature of these films, which never forget a light dose of offbeat laughter.

Another annoying point is the metamorphosis of the film's structure, in the sharp reduction in combat, especially lightsaber combat. Then there's the destructuring of the background, with Luke Skywalker contemptuously throwing a weapon over his shoulder, and Master Yoda gently mocking the founding books of the Jedi movement.

The two sides of the film

Despite the general destructuring of the traditional canon, Rian Johnson's direction has precisely two facets. On the one hand, there's the innovation that makes the philosophical part of the film breathtaking, gripping in its moral depth. On the other, the overdone and supposedly emblematic aspects that reassure series fanatics, but exaggerate the intended connivance.

It's ridiculous, in 2017, to go from one scene to the next with a shot that slides to the right or fades out in a spiral, a practice dating back to the seventies. Even more absurd and painful to watch is the depiction of Yoda as a doll, expressly poorly made. Far from these reproaches, however, is the idea of abandoning all the achievements of the first Star Wars over the years. L’incipit or the music are indeed untouchable trademarks.

The divide, however, is not only between innovation and tradition, but also between the two stories that run in parallel: that of the struggling Resistance, along with Rose (Kelly Tran) and Finn (John Boyega), adventuring on the planet of the wealthy debauchees Canto Bight; and that between Rey, Luke and Ben Sol. Both parties have as much purpose and legitimacy as the other. Whether by skill or clumsiness, Rian Johnson remarkably changes his style between the two.

One turns into the banality of a nameless, memory-less action film, set against stunning digital backdrops. The lines and consistency of the scenes fly off the shelves. The role of this part lies above all in the coherence of a story to be maintained, in the skeleton of the plot. And, of course, in the entertainment it provides.

Cinema d'auteur

This makes Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi a great film lies overwhelmingly in the more spiritual part, with Rey, Luke and Ben. The complexity of the Jedi personalities is powerful, including that of Luke, a hero who is even suspected of cowardly crimes. He is interesting in his own testimony to life, in the figure of the hermit, also as a savior in his now desperate time. In his relationship with Rey, he actually reveals her in her own light.

«Let the past die. Kill it if you must. That's how you become who you really are.» Wisdom expounded to the disciple by the master, who regains confidence. Rey finds herself literally divided between Luke and Ben, with whom she has an intimate relationship. The two are, as it were, «connected». They seek to draw each other towards what they perceive to be the truth; sometimes in the dark, sometimes in the light.

A work of art

Beyond the subtlety of its content and the many questions it raises, its beauty is also evident on screen in its form. In most scenes, they are in different places. Nevertheless, their gestural communication from a distance conveys a panoply of feelings. From the confrontation between two irreconcilable souls, to caressing lovers who seem to transcend their distant situation, to brother and sister, to twins like Leia and Luke.

Mirror effects impress and ring the bell of genuine image elegance. The rain on Rey's sublime hermitage planet lends an air of humidity to Ben's ship. The echo of silences between one place and another, the crossed glances revealing a complementarity between the two. And the scar across Ben's face is proportional to the shadow on Rey's face as she faces the fire in a cave.

The fine direction, right down to the details, coordinates the sweat on Ben's face and the tears running down Rey's cheeks. On many other occasions, the mise-en-scène is a success, notably in the sword fight between Luke and Ben, or in the reddening of the salt on the mineral planet as ships graze it. The acting is generally satisfactory, and the landscapes spectacular. Despite its objective shortcomings, the new Star Wars deserves its warm welcome from critics. As for the purists who can't digest the film, may the force be with them; they'll see it again to appreciate at least the intelligent way it tackles the noble issues of the saga, as well as the purified photography. It will be worth their while.

«The rebellion was reborn today; the war is just beginning. And I will not be the last Jedi.»

Write to the author: loris.musumeci@leregardlibre.com

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