ST Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) in the ST

Absolutely would not have cut it. It was a pivotal moment. And now that Carrie is gone it's a godsend that we got that kind of moment.

The only thing I would've changed was a sharpening of the effects work.

I also, like many things in this film, don't think there's any major "controversy" in the real world over Leia finally using the Force. It's being totally overblown in fandom, which is typical.

 

Exactly, that scene embodied the character perfectly, she never needed to use the force but when she did, it was done to help others; in ESB she saved her brother from the possibilty of death, in TLJ she used it to save herself, teach others important lessons and pass important leadership qualites to Poe Dameron and Lt. Connix (her real life daughter Billie Lourd) the scene was magical.

 

It’s a very Star Wars-y line to begin with but it took on a new meaning with Carrie’s passing.

 

From the Hamill children to their Space Aunt

 

And, of course, it was Fisher behind some of my favorite Leia lines of the entire series:

http://ew.com/movies/2017/12/23/star-wars-the-last-jedi-carrie-fisher-lines/

 

What is the line she asks Threepeio about Poe’s Hux jab? Something like search your data for what pastey white and “your mother” means. Whatever it was, it was pretty funny.

 

Happy New Year!

 

The image of Leia, looking out the Crait base doors toward the camera, where you just see her eyes, is pretty damn chilling.

 

Something just hit me.

Leia is the eternal survivor.

She even survived the death of her portrayer.

 

Leia Organa is the symbol of hope and continuity in the GFFA and in the Star Wars franchise.

Both Rogue One and The Last Jedi prove that.

Even if she dies now, Rey and the Resistance will be fighting "for Leia" in IX.

 

I don't like too much about Leia losing everything all the time. It's like they are trying to prove she is strong but we already know that since OT

 

That's the lot of all war survivors.

Leia's been fighting since she was a teenager. She choose to undertake the greatest battles, which come with the greatest sorrow.

She's never lamented the choices she made. Even when she doesn't think she can take more loss, Holdo reminded her that yes, you are Leia, of course you can. She is the strongest person in Star Wars history.

And that is her legacy.

 

I'm with you. They made everything Leia has ever fought for her entire life a failure and/or dead in misery, and didn't even give her a character moment to grieve it. On top of that, she gave up on her son in the very same movie that he couldn't pull the trigger to hurt her. As far as I'm concerned, RJ put zero thought into Leia beyond, "Leia is strong. Leia needs to sign off on Luke battling her son. Leia is the tool to show Kylo's conflict, not a character that has an arc or even relevance beyond one scene related to that conflict."

Leia gave up on her son, felt her brother die, and watched her Resistance full of people that fought because they believed in her get slaughtered, and she's giving Rey a pep talk. It's pathetic writing.

 

That last part is what gets me. Seeing her prop up a new character when she barely had any real opportunity to enjoy anything she's accomplished (if Lucasfilm takes anything from Bloodline seriously in regards to this), it's a hollow moment.

 

Wont know truly the answer to this till the next movie, but i wonder if it would of been worth it if they some how switched it so leia was in that ship that destroyed the first order ships. Maybe have that conversation between leia and that purple haired lady...and when leia says something like 'i've lost to much' dont actually show who got on the ship. Maybe have a line where Poe or someone says its the purple haired lady, but onces the ship rams into the first order ships have the purple haired lady show up...and than everyone figures out just as we do that it was leia on the ship the whole time.

I know we lose out on luke and leia scene which was very nice to see, but either way they are together in the force soon after so they'd see each other.

edit: in fact you could even have Luke say something to Kylo like "your mother said....(whatever)' meaning that we know that leia has already reach out to Luke before he confronts Kylo....in fact that could be a reason too (on top of Yoda) why Luke shows up. We wont see the scene, but Luke can hint he spoke with her (after all Obi wan right away said 'run luke run' right after he died)

 

And then what?

People say that they could've just switched Leia out for Holdo, and stop there. Think about what actually happens in the rest of the film.

How does that work, without reshooting a very large portion of the film? Should they have done extensive reshoots and postponed the release of VIII just to close off Leia's story?

 

The classic trilogy is the foundation of my Star Wars love and the nostalgia of them can’t be beaten. So naturally I’m a big fan of those original performances by Carrie. But honestly, Carrie’s role in TLJ was right up there with the classic trilogy. Even though nobody expected her to die in real life, the film feels like a good sendoff to the character. When she woke up in space and Williams played her theme, I had goosebumps. The actress dies, the character will always live on.

 

Leia is anything but not stoic. She didn't shed a tear in front of the empire for Alderaan because there was more to be done. And falling into despair is not what a leader does when others need you. She's selfless to a fault and failed as a mother to that extent. Yes, even she failed. The best people fail.

And just as she was finally about to give in that this was the end and Ben was gone, her brother appeared to let her know that no one is ever truly gone. Yes ben didn't pull the trigger earlier because he was in conflict but with Snoke gone he's been consumed again and is like -- ya know -- knocking at the door on Crait to kill them all

Leia's arc was poetic and beautifully written.
In war, I imagine there is little time to grieve and Leia was in mourning over Han. But she had a job -- to survive and instill hope. And teach others to lead.

If anything, it is the most consistent with her character from the OT.

And when you criticize Rian johnsons writing of Leia you're also criticizing Carrie fisher's. She helped him shape where Leia was and her arc and wrote some of her lines. She would know Leia better than anyone wouldn't she? Sorry, but you're wrong in saying there was zero thought. Just because you weren't a fan of what was written doesn't mean there was zero thought and it doesn't mean it was bad. It's just your opinion.

But if you want to place blame...

 

And to any detractors -- if there's a complaint about Carrie or Leia or the way she was written or portrayed, can that stay in the complaint thread?

Let us be to celebrate Leia's role and carrie's final performance here in peace without getting pissed on. Thanks.

 

I saw the same Leia of the OT, but deeper, richer.

And we did get the chance to peer into her usually oh so private emotional life.

The moment with her sitting alone just before they exit hyperspace, which was small, but so telling. The touching goodbye with Holdo (one of my fave Leia scenes) was about more than just their friendship and her imminent sacrifice. It was about the cumulative losses, Han still so fresh, which is actually a first for Star Wars. Leia hasn't ever been afforded a moment in the previous films where she got to outwardly show her vulnerability, the weariness of the losses, to verbalize that she just doesn't think she can take anymore.

And fitting that it happened with another woman. After 40 damn years, finally, a female peer. A friend. Someone who, even in the face of her own monumental sacrifice, got to lift Leia up in her time of need.

Beautiful stuff.

 

Leia’s maternal role with Luke after Ben’s death in the wake her planet blowing up has always been an example of misogynistic writing to me. I accept the “Leia is stoic” stuff as an excuse for the time period. It doesn’t work now. She’s not a saint, she’s a human being. She deserves to feel a sense of loss as much as anyone. No one in TLJ lost anything near what she lost. Her entire fleet was massacred in one day. That fleet was there because of her, because they believed in her. Not even a minute to acknowledge them? How about to acknowledge that the Resistance lost the war and the Republic is gone and there is right now no one with the ability to stand up to the new empire?

Your idea of Leia isn’t a character. She’s a robot.

I have not criticized CF by criticizing RJ’s writing for Leia. That’s ridiculous and a poor attempt at manipulation.

 

Then maybe you haven't read the interviews or watched the ones where it is stated she shaped Leia's arc and wrote some of her lines. It's not manipulation when what's being said is true. Unless I'm misquoting what I've seen. If someone wants to correct me please do it.

And you criticize a misogynistic maternal leia when you want Leia to be the woman who feels.

Why not criticizing Luke for not mourning the loss of Han. Or Poe regarding the forces? Why does Leia need to be the wailing woman. And who said she didn't feel. She conveyed sadness when seein Holdo off on her suicide mission and in seeing the numbers dwindle. the loss of the republic was acknowledged in TFA

I must've struck a nerve since you seem upset that your opinion is being countered with a differing one. Since you're intent on explaining that mine is wrong.

I see where you're coming from. And I choose to disagree with you.

 

I feel like Leia shows the weight of the losses, the toll it's taken, in this far more than any other SW film.

It's expressed in dialogue, in the rare moment she's not staying strong for the Resistance. Even more, it's in Carrie's portrayal.

I feel like this is the wrong SW film to accuse of mishandling Leia's humanity. Has any other SW ever come this close?

 

You have zero idea what went on behind the scenes. This area of discussion is over with me. You’re using CF as a shield for RJ, the actual writer, and I find it disingenuous at best.

In fact I’m not really interested in discussing Leia with you at all.

 

Ok then don't respond to my posts. The forum is big enough without making a big announcement of it.

You're definitely passionate about Star Wars --- which is awesome or else it wouldn't have struck a chord -- but you'd rather disengage instead of participate in discussion about what you don't like about Rian johnson's writing aside from name calling. Or trying to hear what I'm saying. I invited someone to prove me wrong.

I find your behavior disappointing and slightly immature but whatever floats your boat. There are plenty of Star Wars fans here to talk to. I hope you find some to commiserate with.

Mod edit: Let's watch the name-calling of other posters. If you want to call the content of a post disappointing in your view, fine - saying the poster disappoints you is not. You are not the arbiter of another poster's opinion.