I'm just going to go right ahead and say it. The scene where Luke Skywalker faces down the entire first order, the demons of his past, and his nephew (a monster of his own creation) on the planet Crait is the most important scene in all of Star Wars. Yes, that includes all 7 previous films, the books, video games, toys, and anything else you could possibly think of (cannon and non-cannon).
Now before you jump directly to your keyboard to tell me I'm wrong, and that The Last Jedi is the worst thing to come out of Star Wars since Jar Jar Binks, please just hear me out. I completely understand if you hated The Last Jedi, because after all, film IS extremely subjective and is considered a highly evolved art form at this point. I would never call you wrong for hating this film, because that is your opinion, and I respect it fully. However, that's all it really is. An OPINION. You are not right for saying the film is a piece of hot garbage, and I'm not right for saying it's one of the most thematically complex pop-culture movies of all time. In any case, let's just agree to disagree if that's how you truly feel.
That being said, I absolutely loved The Last Jedi. I won't sugar-coat it though...my initial reaction to the film was extreme confusion and surprise. I just didn't think Disney had it in them to make a Star Wars film this complex and morally ambiguous upon first viewing. I had to watch it three times just to wrap my head around the scope they were aiming for. If you have only watched the film once and were so disgusted in the route they took that you never watched it again...then no wonder you hate it. I absolutely believe this is a film that must be seen multiple times from all sorts of different angles to fully appreciate. When it is all said and done, I think this film will absolutely be one of those movies that grows into a classic.
Maybe...eventually.
What I would like to discuss, however, is the portrayal of Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi and the climax of his character arc during the scenes on Crait. I believe that The Last Jedi did more than its fair share in solidifying Luke as the most relatable (and perhaps the greatest) hero to ever come out of pop-culture cinema, while maintaining the story that had been established in the original films made by Lucas. I'm sure at this point many of you are confused as to how I could possibly think this. Allow me to explain.
Buckle your seat belts. This is a long one.
Let me start off by saying that Luke Skywalker has been my hero ever since I saw the binary sunset scene in A New Hope, when I was but a wee lad. I know that may sound cheesy to a non-Star Wars fanatic, but it's the truth. In that moment I, and thousands of other small children who grew up loving these movies, instantly bonded with this starry-eyed blond-haired child who was longing for adventure. We as fans love this dude so much, because he so goddamn relatable. Luke starts his journey in these movies as a whiny, skinny, goofy, and seemingly normal human who wants nothing more than to have a life filled with adventure and purpose. He looks up at the stars with wonder and amazement...no doubt thinking about all that lays beyond the dull farm on which he lived. This is something that I think every person has thought about at some point in their lives.
The love for young Skywalker only grew from there, as we witnessed his successes, failures, and ultimate growth into the man we knew he could become throughout the remainder of the original 3 films. It's safe to say, this character had been immortalized and ingrained into the very fabric of pop-culture. The decision by Disney to potentially mess that up was perhaps one of the boldest moves by any major established film company in the past decade, and their ability to juggle this juggernaut of a responsibility, in addition to introducing new concepts, characters, and stories into the fold, has been nothing short of miraculous. Many people are under the impression that The Last Jedi, and Disney by proxy, permanently ruined the legacy of Luke Skywalker and the original trilogy as we knew it, and this blazing backlash is absolutely stunning to me. That's not what I got out of the film at all! I would argue that The Last Jedi did nothing but stay consistent with Luke's character...at least the version that George Lucas set up in his original six films. Yes, SIX films. Do not forget who Luke's father is....
The fact that so many people hated the representation of Luke in this movie only confirms that the movie did EXACTLY what it was supposed to do. You are not supposed to like Luke in this film. In reality, these movies have NEVER had a "perfect" antagonist...and who would want that anyways? In a world where we have morally perfect heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and the entire MCU, I think a hero such as Luke in the Last Jedi was much needed.
All of the heroes set up in the Star Wars universe have been shown to have giant, glaring holes in their morality, decisions, and logic. Qui-gon repeatedly lied and went against his masters' wishes...Obi Wan helped train and push Anakin over to the dark side, thereby aiding and abetting the genocide of the entire jedi order...Yoda was too strict with his jedi dogma, and it has been confirmed by the newer films (as well as hinted at in the old ones) that he strayed way too far away from the original jedi teachings out of fear of the dark side. Anywhere you look in the Star Wars cannon, there are heroes that have made horrible decisions. ESPECIALLY the Skywalkers. For Luke to be any different would go against everything Star Wars has set up. Star Wars is one of the only pop-culture mega-hits that continually doesn't fall into the same-old boring story tropes and hero molds. It's why is so beloved and a major reason why it's still relevant today.
This is why it was so important that Luke fail...and boy did he ever. They went as dark as Star Wars generally likes to go with their films. Even if only for a brief second, Luke lighting up his lightsaber with the intention of killing his nephew in order to stop the darkness sprouting within him...only to end up creating the very monster he was trying to destroy is pretty damn dark. I'd say it's up there with Anakin killing children in episode three and the sand-people in episode two. However, it's important to remember just who we are dealing with. This is the son of the darkest jedi to ever exist. For God's sake, Luke's bloodline only goes back one generation, to his father who was seemingly genetically engineered by a couple of dark wizards using some sort of evil sith alchemy. A little darkness showing itself on the surface of Luke's character isn't the craziest thing...and don't forget that the only reason he was able to beat Darth Vader in episode 6 was because he channeled the dark side and released his pent-up anger...something he was told repeatedly NOT to do by Yoda and Obi-Wan.
In addition to fitting in with the rest of the heroes thus far in the Star Wars Universe, it's common knowledge among film analysts and lore-freaks, that the story of Luke Skywalker is almost IDENTICAL to the story of King Arthur, and The Last Jedi does nothing but continue that story. Let's go through the comparisons:
- A young, seemingly normal, boy meets an old wizard who reveals that magic is real. Check.
- Receives a special sword and finds out he originates from a very special lineage. Check.
- He ultimately wins, tries to build a better kingdom, obtains a little success, becomes arrogant, his kingdom falls to ruins due to an inter-family conflict (largely due to his own actions), is defeated by a younger blood-relative, and escapes to exile on a an uncharted mystical island that is directly connected to the origin of his central mythology. All checks.
The Last Jedi does it's job in furthering the story of King Arthur...I mean Luke...until it starts to diverge into its own story, and this is where Luke really shines. You see, Disney is being extremely complex in it's treatment of the new characters and their overarching narrative...which is now bordering on meta. The characters of Rey "from nowhere" and Kylo Ren can be viewed as the Star Wars fandom as a whole. Their morals, beliefs, and blown up/misguided idealism in regards to the old jedi and sith orders exactly mirror the fandom's. Kylo is NOT a sith, yet he dresses up like one and wears a mask, even though he has no real need for one. Almost like a cosplayer. Rey grows up living in the remains of a downed AT-AT and is shown to own multiple items commonly found in the original movies. They are fans. Just like us.
So when Rey arrives on Ach-To and walks up to Luke and says: "Hey remember how you used to inspire the galaxy and how you defeated the most powerful darkness the galaxy has ever seen? Yeah we need you to do that again" that's LITERALLY the feelings of the entire fandom of Star Wars. We wanted nothing more than to see Luke become all-powerful and save the day again just like he did in the original films. He instantly shuts her (the fans) down by explaining that the old ways never worked and almost always led to the ultimate defeat of the jedi...and therefore, they must end. Of course Rey (the fans) would be upset. This is the point.
The film goes deeper into this idea by repeatedly screaming to the audience that it actually AGREES with rey's side of the argument between her and a now-disillusioned Luke Skywalker. The film repeatedly makes Luke out to be an asshole for believing that the Jedi order must end for good, and that although he may have a point about the old Jedi order failing, there is no reason why it can't go back to it's roots and continue to evolve. After some meditation and a swift smack over the head by his old master, Yoda, Luke finally realizes his error in judgement. This is what makes Luke so amazing in this film. After everything he has gone through...after all the mistakes he made...he still is able to think outside the box. He was absolutely right in telling Rey, "You don't need Luke Skywalker". They DIDN'T need Luke Skywalker...the MAN. They needed Luke Skywalker THE LEGEND. They needed the all-powerful mythological God they grew up hearing stories about, and he accomplished this in the greatest way possible.
This is why the scene on Crait is the most profound and important scene in all of Star Wars. Luke could not have helped as a man...but if he could make the entire galaxy believe in his legend, he would truly make a difference. When it seems that all hope is lost...and that the villains have finally won...he sends an astral projection of himself to the planet of Crait, where the handful of remaining rebels await their grim end at the hands of the first order. He walks out onto the battlefield...in plain view of the rebel army (this is important)....stares down the entirety of the first order's military might....takes enough blaster fire to wipe out an entire city...and walks away unscathed. This simple (albeit extremely difficult) act cements the legend of Luke Skywalker within the Star Wars universe and inspires hope within the good guys while instilling fear in the bad ones.
The scene doesn't end there though. He proceeds to go toe-to-toe with his nephew and confront his inner demons face-to-face. As the monster he created descends to meet him on the battlefield, I couldn't hold the tears any longer. This is an act of courage that should inspire even the biggest haters of the film. It takes extreme courage to recognize one's failures and confront them in hopes of redemption. It's something everyone can learn from. He proceeds to fight Kylo...not with violence but through definiteness of purpose and dialogue. He gets Kylo to bite the bait, and in doing so, reveals the true nature of his astral form. To realize why this is so significant...imagine being one of the soldiers of the First Oder witnessing all of this. An old man walks out in front of you...eats blaster fire from an entire army...walks away unscathed...and defeats your Supreme Leader in a lightsaber duel without even touching him. You then see Kylo Ren's lightsaber pass right through him twice and then disappear as though he was never there.
That would scare the shit out of you! They have THIS GUY on their side! Fuck that I'm out man! This guy is basically a God!
This is why Luke not actually being there is so important. Luke the legend defeated the First Oder...not Luke the man. A man can be defeated, his body can wither and crumble into dust, but a myth? A real-life legend? That lasts forever. The film reveals that the moody dude dressed up like a bad cosplayer and who says, "Let the past die" is ultimately wrong, while the guy who USED to think this way realized he was wrong and showed the galaxy (as well as the audience) why good MUST endure in the universe in one form or another.
Basically, Luke finally listens and is saved by the ideals of the entire Star Wars fandom as a result. How's that for a finale??
The movie concludes by saying yes, the new characters will be the ones carrying the franchise forward in different and unexpected ways...but ONLY BECAUSE THE OLD CHARACTERS MADE IT POSSIBLE. Because of Luke's actions on Crait, the new generations of jedi (whatever form they may take) will still hold Luke, Leia, and Han to the same level of mythological fandom that we and the rest of the Star Wars fandom does.
Only this time, they know it's not only a myth. It's real.
Peace and Love to you all.
- SAF
Side Note: Make sure to check out moviebob's channel on YouTube. He explains many of these ideas in-depth, and talks about why he believes The Last Jedi is a "Loveletter" to fans. He is very talented in this type of analysis.