![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Star Words: Episode VI, Part 10
Jan. 28th, 2021 10:53 amThe battle of the Sarlaac pit is a fantastic spectacle, a perfect showcase of Luke's extraordinary Jedi skills (the first time we really see how a lightsaber is effective even against projectiles like blaster bolts) and marked by bits of humor as well. I'm personally quite happy with Boba Fett's end and find the attempts to resurrect him quite silly, but I know people have built up a lot more around his character than Episode V, or even Episode II, ever offered.
The best part aside from Luke is Leia the Hutt-slayer, taking out Jabba with her own chains. That's a marvelous symbol of empowerment, and a much better assessment of her condition than "slave Leia." None of this has much to do with dialogue, though, so we'll get on to our heroes' departure from Tatooine. We're going to look at what Han says to Luke just before they part.
"I owe you one."
From a purely mathematical standpoint, does he really? Last time, Han claimed that Luke owed him "two," presumably referring to the two times he save his life. So Luke should still owe him one, right? But that's not what Han is really saying here.
He's a new man, reborn after the carbonite freeze. I know I harp on this point a lot, but it's crucial to me regarding his character development. Han no longer sees things in terms of what's in it for him, in transactions and debts and pay-offs. He recognizes that his friendship with Luke is worth more than anyone could calculate. Of course he's not going to say that in straightforward terms, because he's still Han and feelings are still hard for him to express. So this is his best approximation of saying how much Luke means to him; his gratitude and admiration and everything Han was too proud to experience before.
Next time, cackling confidence from the Emperor....
The best part aside from Luke is Leia the Hutt-slayer, taking out Jabba with her own chains. That's a marvelous symbol of empowerment, and a much better assessment of her condition than "slave Leia." None of this has much to do with dialogue, though, so we'll get on to our heroes' departure from Tatooine. We're going to look at what Han says to Luke just before they part.
"I owe you one."
From a purely mathematical standpoint, does he really? Last time, Han claimed that Luke owed him "two," presumably referring to the two times he save his life. So Luke should still owe him one, right? But that's not what Han is really saying here.
He's a new man, reborn after the carbonite freeze. I know I harp on this point a lot, but it's crucial to me regarding his character development. Han no longer sees things in terms of what's in it for him, in transactions and debts and pay-offs. He recognizes that his friendship with Luke is worth more than anyone could calculate. Of course he's not going to say that in straightforward terms, because he's still Han and feelings are still hard for him to express. So this is his best approximation of saying how much Luke means to him; his gratitude and admiration and everything Han was too proud to experience before.
Next time, cackling confidence from the Emperor....
