Star Words: Episode VI, Part 7

[matril]

Now that Han is thawed, all the players have been accounted for except one. And the final one makes a very dramatic appearance. Luke enters with an ominous serenity, cloaked in dark robes just a little too reminiscent of Vader's garb. He even uses the Sith Lord's signature move of telekinetic choking to get past the guards. Concerns about these similarities are not unwarranted, but Luke is still practicing the Jedi precept of offering peaceful solutions. He offers Jabba a very simple proposition. One way or another, he is leaving with his friends. Jabba has the option of conceding before things get messy.

"You can either profit by this, or be destroyed. It's your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my power."

As far as Jabba is concerned, this entirely false bravado. How could one measly human take on an entire palace of devoted guards and lackeys? Luke is bluffing, and Jabba easily dumps him into the rancor pit. (Though not before Luke displays some of that power by seizing a blaster and doing a little damage!)

The rancor is nothing to sneeze at, but Luke prevails with a combination of skilled evasion and quick thinking. Does Jabba concede now? Of course not! He still sees himself as occupying a superior position, still can't imagine that Luke is speaking the truth. He was given a fair warning; he ignored it. Luke will not hesitate to follow through on his threat.

Every line Luke speaks in this rescue sequence is imbued with confidence and authority. Oh, we'll see later on that there is doubt beneath his self-assurance, but when it comes to taking on a Huttese crime lord, he's more than capable. I just love Luke so much in this movie.

Next, a reunion under dubious circumstances....

Comments

[krpalmer]

It's easy enough to say "look at the way Luke's outfits have been changing; it's a warning sign" (and it's also tempting to contemplate what that hypothetical "watching for the very first time in numerical order" viewer would think given his father's changing outfits), but in contemplating this moment I did get to thinking we can't just view Luke in this movie entirely through that filter. Another part of his story is his moral compass remaining magnetized to the point of falling back from the thought of "killing his own father."

(So far as "making a big deal of outfits" goes, I also got to wondering about what we should make of Luke's "ceremonial outfit" at the end of Episode IV, with a yellow jacket over a black shirt. In the "real world," I've seen reports it was put together in a hurry before filming the scene.)

I have to admit to looking at the "rancor pit scene" and supposing some of Luke's reactions during it are the strongest evidence to be offered suggesting "he hasn't foreseen everything that'll happen in response to his actions."

[matril]

I do think that Luke's darker clothing is more of an "out of universe" choice to indicate the looming temptation of the Dark Side rather than an "in universe" decision of Luke to somehow embrace a darker aspect. And clearly, there are times that we can read into things a little bit too much....

I agree that Luke is completely taken by surprise in the rancor scene. It seems evident that any foresight the Force gives him is not an all-encompassing, comprehensive vision -- after all, "always in motion is the future." More likely it gives him little flashes of insight during the battle to help him think quickly and creatively. The only being who claims to foresee everything is Palpatine, and it seems to display the dangerous arrogance of the Dark Side.