I have a strange Groundhog Day feeling.
Same. It just struck me I honestly don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.
It’s all there in the film. If you don’t like it, fine. If you don’t want to accept it, fine. But it’s there, and it works for me and a lot of people. I truly don’t know why I bother, I’ve been arguing about this movie for more than a month and it feels like I’ve basically accomplished nothing at all.
Just because you have an opinion, doesn´t mean it´s right. Just because it works for you, doesn´t imply there´s some truth that everyone else is missing.
I might argue you are ignoring obvious problems with the film. It’s all there in the film. If you like it, fine. If you don’t want to accept it, fine. But it’s there, and it ruins the film for me and a lot of people. I truly don’t know why I bother, I’ve been arguing about this movie for more than a month and it feels like I’ve basically accomplished nothing at all.
That like yours would be a fallacious argument.
One thing I do agree with is, that we´re going around in circles, which is sort of pointless.
I never said I was right. I’m just saying that most of the stuff I keep arguing about is justified in the film itself. There’s nothing wrong with not accepting something the film presents or wishing it had taken a different route. I really mean it, that’s fine. But I can’t keep arguing like this, I’m basically just explaining the movie (and don’t take this to mean that I think you didn’t get the movie, that’s not what I’m saying! as for the “obvious problems,” I didn’t catch barely any at all until I logged on here, so I guess in this regard I’m the one who “didn’t get it” haha).
Like I said, if the direction didn’t work for you, fine, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m still trying to accept that I can’t change that (for me this isn’t about being “right,” I just want you to see why this is a good movie so you can enjoy it). It worked for me, and I’d wager it’d be near impossible for anyone to change that (certainly now after having heard every possible complaint for the past month). So yeah, I think we really are going pointlessly in circles.
Well, I think criticisms work two ways. It’s partly about expectations, or wishing it had taken a different route. In that respect I agree, it’s not the creator’s fault for taking things into his preferred direction. However, much of the criticsm is also leveled at other aspects of film making, whether there are tonal issues, whether the story’s original, whether the characters are well developed, and or consistent. These are issues people have with the film, that cannot be simply attributed to expectations, or wanting things to go a different route. It’s all still subjective of course, as any opinion is, but to the critics these are weaknesses of the film, that exist even if they accept the basic premise of RJ’s story.
For example I believe, I would have accepted Luke’s arc in this film, if the relationship between Luke and Ben Solo had been better developed. RJ could have added a few more flashbacks to flesh out the backstory, or some exposition reminiscent of Obi-Wan’s “good friend” tale in ANH. If it would have been established, that Luke and young Ben were once very close, we would understand Luke’s heartbreak better when it all went bad. It also would have worked better if the story didn’t end up repeating the Empire vs rebels dynamic, which is a problem of originality. That way not all of our classic hero’s accomplishments would have been undone, because they would be facing a different challenge and situation.
In the end all of these arguments are rationalizations of how we felt after watching the film, whether positive or negative. If like for me the balance was shifted towards the negative, despite really wanting to like the film, you start dissecting it to look for rational explanations for why you feel the way you do. It’s not to piss off other fans. It’s just to channel what are generally pretty strong emotions. Of course in forums like this we get entrenched, with one side battling it out with the other, like the rebels against the FO (you are the FO of course 😛).