Star Words: Episode VI, Part 18

[matril]

Mon Mothma plays a relatively minor role in this film, limited to this scene, but even as a child I was struck by her quiet, warm authority and leadership. I've always kind of liked the idea of a revolving door of leadership in the Rebellion, whatever the out-of-universe reasons. First off, it means that the rebels are serving a cause, not a particular charismatic leader. Second, it suggests that leadership is such an enormous burden that no one carries it for long. Whether the past leaders were killed or just decided to retire, it's not a job that anyone keeps for years and years.

Anyway, she opens with the enticing idea of the Emperor's critical error, setting the stage for a decisive strike from the Rebellion. They have valuable information on the unfinished Death Star, and most significant is the knowledge at the Emperor himself is currently on the battle station. This knowledge was obtained at great price.

"Many Bothans died to bring us this information."

What's a Bothan? How did they die? Not necessary, though you're free to write a fan fic about it. (I'm sure Disney has considered building a whole movie around it, probably with some nonsense about how the Ewoks were actually genetically engineered to defeat stormtroopers thanks to some mole among the Empire's scientists. Blecccch.)

No, all we need is Mon Mothma's understated grief, the moment when she can scarcely speak as she refers to the sacrifice that brought them this intelligence. It's a glimpse at what it means to oppose the massive behemoth that is the Empire, the terrible costs that must be paid, that any Rebel has to know their life may be forfeit. So much emotion and meaning packed into such a tiny line, and then we're moving on. This is a brilliant economy of dialogue and storytelling. Just enough to serve its purpose, nothing more or less.

Next, a sign of true friendship...

Comments

[krpalmer]

There were some official trailers made a few years ago for a "digital release" that included this line, and to be honest it didn't seem to me like one that "had" to be used to promote the whole saga. If I'm remembering it right the release preceded Rogue One, which made the other spy caper of the saga into a bloodbath... (That the original Star Wars didn't include a similar commemoration of loss is another reason why Rogue One wound up disconnecting from "the six-movie saga" for me, but I keep telling myself dwelling on that sort of thing isn't healthy.)

"Bothans" wound up being played up in Timothy Zahn's first three novels and the "Expanded Universe" that followed, if mostly as an unpleasant politician making hay off the sacrifice of his people. I know they were a sort of furry alien, but have to admit to having wound up with little more interest in that earlier extension on the movies either.

Anyway, your comments do add more weight to this line than the trailers I mentioned did for me, and I also thought your comment about "a revolving door of leadership in the Rebellion" was an interesting one, even if "a young Mon Mothma" was cast in Revenge of the Sith and had some lines in the deleted "dawn of the Rebellion" subplot. I suppose I'd thought before she was part of a different Rebel group than the one in the first two movies, one that linked up with the heroes in this one.