Here’s my ideal version of that scene without the pilot celebrations. It’s music only at this point, but I’ve also removed the lightsaber pickup shot because it feels like a prequelism.
https://vimeo.com/200626043
password: musicOoh, nice I appreciate trying to preserve that utterly splendid musical cue (though I can’t abide the removal of that lightsaber pickup, nor the calling it a “prequelism”).
Thanks!
I guess my main problem with the saber shot is that it detracts from the almost equally brief shot of Finn beforehand, implying equivalent importance. This rubs me the wrong way, since Finn is (and should be) much more important to the viewer than a mere weapon.
Is it a mere weapon though? The rest of the film seems to suggest otherwise, both literally (through its pronounced connection to the Force) and symbolically (through its meaning for Rey’s character arc).
I’d say equivalent importance is justified. The lightsaber represents Rey’s call to the Force. Finn (and the others) represents the friends and family she never had. She starts the film alone and with squandered potential, and by the end, she turns that around. In that moment, we see what has become of her: her priority is saving Finn, but she’s not leaving behind the Force. She says after the vision that “she’s never touching that thing again.” Obviously the big moment of her finally touching it again is when she summons it to face Ren. But symbolically, showing her make sure to grab it before she leaves emphasizes the new direction she’s taken.