Star Words: Episode VI, Part 24

[matril]

Things are looking grim as our heroes search for Leia. Of course we know that she escaped the bike chase with her life, but all Han and Luke can find are wrecked speeders and a discarded helmet. Artoo can't find any trace of her either. Han has no wry or witty comments in this situation. It is a rare moment of simple, genuine concern.

"I hope she's all right."

Nothing deep or complicated here, but it's taken a long time for Han to get to this point. For so long, he professed not to care about anyone or anything other than his own needs. And he certainly never allowed a hint of vulnerability to mar his devil-may-care façade.

All that has changed. Han is softer now, allowing himself to form friendships and connections and meaningful relationships. With that comes the risk of getting hurt, of getting rejected or losing the ones you love. But it's a cost worth paying. The alternative is a life of loneliness, closed off from everything that makes living truly worthwhile. We could compare and contrast Han and Anakin, who both struggle to find the right balance of forming bonds without letting them destroy you. Han starts at the extreme of shutting everyone out, but gradually opens up and finds meaning there. Anakin has intensely close bonds from the beginning, then suffers all sorts of traumas that skew his sense of healthy attachment. He can't let go of anything, which ironically leads to the destruction of all his bonds, of everyone and everything that mattered to him. And yet the one tenuous bond he forms with Luke is the one that saves him.

Next time, it's a trap! (but not that one)....

Comments

[krpalmer]

I'd been anticipating this line, and along with its demonstration of how Han has changed I'll admit that after wondering a few weeks ago about certain dismissals of Harrison Ford's acting in this movie weighing on me, managing to recall this moment had me thinking "it can't all be called bad." There, though, I can also get to thinking that when it comes to "the judgment of theatrical performances by average people, especially through online communication," that might just start to amount to "yeah, I don't think..." countered with "Well, I do!"