I agree that it’s a great scene, it just doesn’t really work for me as a literal cliffhanger at the end of TFA.
What could I do to convince you to consider more than one version of your fanedit?
Multiple versions of the same fanedit are not uncommon. You have so much very good content that you’ve worked on here. I just believe that the ending scene with Luke is a defining moment for the saga. However, opinions like mine here are not uncommon — everyone has their own take on things and are looking for their “go to” version of their favorite fanedit, after all.
If there’s any way I can convince you or help you make an alternate version, please let me know. It isn’t terribly difficult, especially with the cost of storage being so cheap. Plus, you’d be opening the door to more people being able to enjoy your work based on their version they most enjoy.
You don’t have to answer now, but please at least consider it for the future.
Two versions would be tricky unless you also prefer the original version with R2’s coincidental awakening, since I’d have to make two entirely different versions of an edit-heavy sequence.
However, now that I have R2 find the map at night with Rey nowhere in sight, it begs the question of what she’s doing at that moment. Sleeping would be the obvious answer, but what better place to put the dream of the island? Honestly I didn’t intend for this when making the night shot though it probably should have occurred sooner:
Password: fanedit
This is an interesting concept. I don’t dislike it. I like that we’re still getting this feeling of mystery that comes with the Luke reveal in the original.
However, I do think I’m going to have to agree that it is considerably more complex. I feel like movies generally need to be pretty simple and straightforward. Weaving these two sequences together isn’t impossible, but I just think it’s a little unnecessary.
Again, you know my love for the original ending based on my comment above and previously. I’m open to changes to it, but I believe that whatever changes are made needs to ensure the sense of mystery powerful build up to Luke’s reveal remains intact.
I hear what you’re saying for sure. It is complicated, and difficult, and might lose something of the mystery and power of the original. But in trying to come to terms with my issues with the scene, I realize that it comes down to a simple question: is this movie essentially about Luke, or about our new heroes? Because ending TFA with an unspoken plea to Luke ends up making everything else feel inconsequential. Leia and Poe and Finn are now half a galaxy away and all that matters is whether or not our human MacGuffin will save the day. And it’s not about Rey’s feelings about Luke, not really. All we as an audience care about is fanboying/fangirling out over that magical unicorn of a character and his cool, mysterious reveal, and a glorified ‘tune in next week for the exciting conclusion’ TV cliffhanger.
Placing the scene in the context of Rey’s subconscious allows the story to more obviously be about Rey and her image of Luke as a magical Jedi master, resplendent in his Jedi robes and contemplating deep Jedi thoughts. It’s a proper setup for the inevitable subversion, rather than having Luke really standing on that cliff in his Jedi robes which he immediately puts away in the next scene (in an ideal edit of TLJ the lightsaber scene never takes place). What I’m trying to say is that JJ makes the search for Luke the point of the movie when Luke’s role should really be about what his legend means to others.