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Star Words: Episode IV, Part 38
Dec. 5th, 2019 12:24 pmThere are still a few surprises left in this thrilling climax. Even as Luke takes charge of the last remaining starfighters, Wedge has a malfunction forcing him to retreat, his old friend Biggs is taken out, and later on we'll see that even Artoo isn't immune to the perils that surround them. Luke is literally the Rebellion's only hope. He focuses intently on his targeting computer and prepares for one last desperate try. And then that mysterious voice whispers to him once more. Use the Force. Let go. Trust me.
It seems like madness. Certainly the Rebel ground crew feels that way when Luke shuts off his computer -- like Luke felt when Ben told him to wear a helmet with the blast shield down. But it is, in fact, a deep wisdom. It is the same wisdom that taught Luke while he sparred with the training droid -- to ignore the distractions of the outer world and rely on instinct. The same wisdom assuring him that the Force would be with him always, even if Ben has physically left him. It gave him a victory against the training droid. Luke remembers that. He trusts it. And if we needed any further confirmation that this is more than Luke's imagination, his connection with the Force has become strong enough for someone else to take note of it.
"The Force is strong with this one."
Consider that Vader sensed Obi-Wan immediately when he arrived on the Death Star, but Luke didn't seem to make any impression on him. There are countless possible explanations for this. Is it actually Ben's spiritual presence that Vader is sensing here in the battle? Well, I don't think it's necessary to distinguish between Ben, the Force, and Luke. That's the nature of the Force -- it is within all of us; it is all of us, and the more we connect with that, the more we connect with everything around us.
Metaphysical debates aside, Luke is definitely making an impression on Vader now. The Rebellion had plenty of skilled pilots and sharpshooters, surely with more experience than a farmboy from Tatooine on his first day of recruitment. And yet Luke is the only one who's made it this far. This mission will take more than flying prowess and a quick hand on a trigger -- more than those skills that Han prizes so much. It will take a mystical strength and uncanny perception.
Oh, and Han returning to help Luke out? I fully attribute that to Luke's extraordinary gifts as well. It was Luke and his brightly-burning optimism and devotion to the Rebellion that pricked Han's conscience and brought him back. I will accept no other explanation. :)
Lastly, this is another quote with endless application. Whenever any person or object is proving difficult to manage, you can mutter this in your best Vader-voice. Any of Vader's lines from this scene are marvelous, particularly the ones that he's saying to himself like mini-monologues.
Next time, a glorious victory...
It seems like madness. Certainly the Rebel ground crew feels that way when Luke shuts off his computer -- like Luke felt when Ben told him to wear a helmet with the blast shield down. But it is, in fact, a deep wisdom. It is the same wisdom that taught Luke while he sparred with the training droid -- to ignore the distractions of the outer world and rely on instinct. The same wisdom assuring him that the Force would be with him always, even if Ben has physically left him. It gave him a victory against the training droid. Luke remembers that. He trusts it. And if we needed any further confirmation that this is more than Luke's imagination, his connection with the Force has become strong enough for someone else to take note of it.
"The Force is strong with this one."
Consider that Vader sensed Obi-Wan immediately when he arrived on the Death Star, but Luke didn't seem to make any impression on him. There are countless possible explanations for this. Is it actually Ben's spiritual presence that Vader is sensing here in the battle? Well, I don't think it's necessary to distinguish between Ben, the Force, and Luke. That's the nature of the Force -- it is within all of us; it is all of us, and the more we connect with that, the more we connect with everything around us.
Metaphysical debates aside, Luke is definitely making an impression on Vader now. The Rebellion had plenty of skilled pilots and sharpshooters, surely with more experience than a farmboy from Tatooine on his first day of recruitment. And yet Luke is the only one who's made it this far. This mission will take more than flying prowess and a quick hand on a trigger -- more than those skills that Han prizes so much. It will take a mystical strength and uncanny perception.
Oh, and Han returning to help Luke out? I fully attribute that to Luke's extraordinary gifts as well. It was Luke and his brightly-burning optimism and devotion to the Rebellion that pricked Han's conscience and brought him back. I will accept no other explanation. :)
Lastly, this is another quote with endless application. Whenever any person or object is proving difficult to manage, you can mutter this in your best Vader-voice. Any of Vader's lines from this scene are marvelous, particularly the ones that he's saying to himself like mini-monologues.
Next time, a glorious victory...
