“A Legend”

The Last Jedi

Throughout the saga, actors have brought their a-game to the galaxy far, far away. However, two performances and two scenes, stand out to me as being particularly exceptional for the emotion they store.

One is courtesy of Felicity Jones and her portrayal of Jyn Erso in Rogue One. Being an anthology film, it’s not eligible for this particular list, otherwise Jyn’s discovery that not only was her Imperial scientist father alive, but that he also was essentially a secret rebel, would unquestionably be a top tier entry. It’s one of the most emotional scenes in Star Wars thanks to Jones’ knockout performance. I always want to shed a tear with her whenever I see it.

For #38 on the list, I’m instead going to talk about Rey’s second lesson on Ahch-To, as Luke Skywalker told his fledgling pupil of why becoming a legend isn’t all it cracked up to be. In other words, the most well delivered dialogue scene of the entire Skywalker Saga.

I loved Mark Hamill’s performance in The Last Jedi. It was his strongest outing as Luke Skywalker. Rian Johnson gave him a serious challenge, with a story that would only really work if Hamill was able to convey the emotional struggle and torment that Luke faced. Hamill was clearly up for the challenge.

His character’s emotional torture is no more apparent than in this scene. He tells Rey of the hubris which brought down the Jedi Order – the same hubris which effectively brought down Luke’s reformed Order.

Skywalker thought that he could pass on his strengths to young Ben Solo, to utilise his nephew’s mighty Skywalker blood. He held himself responsible for Ben’s turn to the dark side, as well as the subsequent inferred death of many of his other students, as the training temple burned.

We see the guilt etched on Hamill’s face as tears well in his eyes. “Because I was Luke Skywalker, a legend,” will always send shivers down my spine. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and Luke has clearly struggled with the burden of being the last Jedi Master.

This scene is central to the message of the movie. It’s a film that circumvents expectations by showing that heroes aren’t always going to be unbeatable. Even those that bring down an Empire still have weaknesses and insecurities and that across a 30 year time frame, people change. Those weaknesses can prove overwhelming.

Just as I like my villains to have depth, I like my heroes to have depth too. If Luke Skywalker had walked out with a laser sword to face down the First Order as soon as the call came, we would have missed out on seeing one of Luke Skywalker’s greatest achievements – overcoming the fear, anguish and guilt that exiled him from his family.

The delight of seeing Luke’s ‘return’ on Crait is made sweeter by this incredibly moving scene with Rey on Ahch-To. Hamill sells it brilliantly, and Daisy Ridley’s reaction as Rey is also worthy of acclaim, making for a scene that in itself justifies Johnson’s decision to give Luke these personal challenges in the movie.