CT The Leia Quandary

Leia is an interesting character. She was raised to be a politician, and she became a great Rebel leader. She lost her homeworld. I like her relationship with Han, but I feel like her character could have been fleshed out more in Classic Trilogy. I like Leia a lot when she's onscreen with Han, but not necessarily when she's by herself, since I don't know much about her. I mean, I know quite a bit about her because of the Expanded Universe, but I'm saying that within the context of the films it's like they forgot where she came from. For example, Lando is a politician and leader in Cloud City who would have had to made compromises and difficult decisions, and they could have compared and contrasted him with Leia, but they didn't.

Are you satisfied with what we got pertaining to Leia in the films? Or do you think they could have written her better?

 

Very satisfied...she stood up to Vader and Tarkin and didn't even flinch...she held her own..sheesh, she even strangled Jabba to death! She is definitely a very strong female character...the perfect blend between Padme and Anakin..but I hope in the ST flashbacks that are supposedly with her daughter playing her we get to see some Jedi training of some sort with her...kind of like what I read in the Thrawn trilogy

 

Leia is an example of a character just being. She stands up for her principals, for freedom and won't take crap from anyone. It will be interesting to see what Carrie gets to do in the new trilogy. If these rumors of the rocky relations between her and Han are true, that certainly would not surprise me.

As the PT turned me off to Star Wars politics, unless this is done in a creative and engaging way, I would rather they show more of Leia as the leader she was in the OT.

 

Completely unsatisfied. Leia is very poorly done.

 

Very Satisfied, she's always been a favorite, but I'm a sucker for sass.

I've always found her to be a little more like Anakin, given how stubborn, feisty and temperamental she tends to be.

 

Despite being my least favorite of the big three I do enjoy her character. I do think she is a strong character and I like how she doesn't take anything from anybody but still can be compassionate. I really like Leia and Hans batter, her sarcastic comments are always fun to hear. Plus standing up to Tarkin, Jabba and who knows who else gets points for me IMO.

 

I really don't like Leia. I just can't warm to her.

 

Yes, I believe Leia is a very well-done female. Much better than Padme from AOTC-ROTS (Padme was okay in TPM, IMO).

Why do you believe this?

 

I like her a lot better than Padme. Specially in that scene were she comforts Luke despite having just been tortured and had her planet blown apart in front of her.

 

I like Leia and agree that she's her father's daughter. Also that Luke is more of his mother's son, but I suppose that's a different story.

Though if I must get nitpicky about Leia I wish we could have seen her grieve over losing Alderaan more. Also more on learning her true parentage in ROTJ. I mean I suppose we'll probably get more on the latter in the ST or so I hope.

 

She's great in my opinion. I like the way she's portrayed and the way she grows.

 

Thanks for asking, Revenfan. It's because what many here call 'strong' is anything but to me. Leia had the potential to stall or stop the senseless war and never even tried. Her 'sass' doesn't help her in the least nor is her lying good. Nor do I like seeing anyone shown as 'warrior' cool but particularly women. When one says 'peace' they ought to MEAN it. Leia didn't.

 

I see. Fair enough.

But, I beg to differ on Leia meaning "peace." As long as Palpatine in charge, there would be no chance for peace. And nobody inside the Empire was going to stand up to him and take over. The Rebels' only option was to take the fight to the Empire, because if they didn't then Palpatine merely would've stayed in charge until he eventually died of old age (if he even did–given time, he may have found the trick to eternal life like he seemed to want to in ROTS). Even after that, Vader or one of Palpatine's darker lackeys probably would've taken over. Their only real chance in forging a lasting peace was to get rid of the evil inside the Empire.

 

That poison was Sidious, Revanfan. He was the serpent head. Leia's manner to Tarkin was completely unneeded and as I said didn't help her case in the least.

Thank you for hearing me out, AFS. Now, I absolutely DO believe the genders are equal but I dislike very much the concept that women should want to fight in wars. It's not an equality issue for me in the least, it's a given...I simply detest war and how enterainment including SW promotes it's 'cool'. Having both genders actively on the war front is a physical hazard potentially for any species that does it and it's not about capability either. Clearly women can handle ourselves.

 

To each their own. I think it's funny, and was also impressive for the time the movie was made for a woman to stand up to the bad guy like that instead of being the typical damsel in distress. Truth is, if confronted with an enemy like she was, after being captured and tortured, I'd probably be pretty sarcastic with them, too.

 

Um…I don't understand then. The franchise is called "Star WARS"--if this is honestly how you stand on this (which I have no problem with), then how can you even like these movies? Why are you here? I'm being sincere. I guess I just don't understand what you get out of these films.

As for having "both genders" represented--I don't understand the problem with that either. It's not like the whole galaxy was picking a side and participating in the war, anyway. Only those who felt strongly that a Rebellion was necessary for the common good. There were still plenty of women (and men) who stayed home. And to be fair, after having her planet destroyed how could anyone expect Leia to just sit back and not participate? She has a very legitimate interest in seeing the Empire destroyed. Of course she's gonna want to do her part.

 

Honestly I don't think I find real wars to be all that cool, but I find fictional wars fun to watch.

How?

 

I love the whole exchange between Leia and Tarkin, I've been known to rewind and watch that part over again several times in a row.

 

I agree. I think Leia handled the situation as best she could.

 

Ultimately would the Empire not have achieved peace? It's strong arm, despot lead compliance was trying to bring all systems under it's rule. If successful this would have eventually lead to peace, with the only "war" as an act of rebellion which would be viewed as terrorism.

I'm not justifying the Empire's action, but their totalitarian ways potentially would have brought a form of peace.

 

No, sorry, that's not peace but nor did the Rebellion foster it either when they SHOULD have.