Star Words: Episode VI, Part 2

[matril]

Much like Episode IV, we are introduced to our heroes' situation in the final film by way of the two lowly droids. It's one of many mirror-image moments that give the trilogy a nice symmetry. And once again, Threepio has no clue what's really going on while Artoo has been entrusted with a secret mission. I've previously explored the sequence in Jabba's palace in great detail, but a quick summation of that discourse is that nothing is actually as it first appears. Threepio's exposition regarding "Lando Calrissian and poor Chewbacca" is flawed, as he has not been given all the information. And who can blame Luke and Leia from withholding certain crucial facts from a known blabbermouth? Threepio can't know any more than Jabba if their plan is to work.

In any case, any viewer watching for the first time would be as much in the dark as our hapless golden friend, and so feel genuinely concerned by his ominous line as they approach the looming palace.

"If I told you half the things I've heard about this Jabba the Hutt, you'd probably short-circuit."

There have been times during this pandemic when short circuit would be an apt metaphor for my mental state, so that's a highly useful phrase for many a situation. It's also an excellent example of how implications can be more effective than direct statements. Threepio could say, "He tortures droids! He keeps a monster in a pit under his throne!" But somehow it's even more chilling when we only hear a vague hint. Something so awful it would scramble a droid's circuits.

Next, an intriguing glimpse of our would-be Jedi.....

Comments

[krpalmer]

I'd been contemplating this part of the movie in advance, although perhaps not recalling your previous analysis of it... "Threepio as the audience surrogate" is a way of looking at things I've already considered (and I can suppose he was that as Episode IV began, too), but I do have to admit "he can't be trusted to keep a secret" leaves me feeling a bit down somehow. Maybe that has to do with all the times I kept admitting through your examination of Episodes I through III that while I couldn't find many arguments against the interpretation "everything is proceeding according to Palpatine's diabolical button-pushing plan" (and perhaps an oft-contemplated story, where things have been plotted out, can bring that interpretation to mind), I kept recoiling from the idea of "everyone else being steered along rails." In the process I wondered if I could steer between that and "total gut-level improvisation" (which I'm not fond of either), but perhaps I'll have the chance to bring that up later.