Schemedrick PM’d me an interesting idea about how to restructure Leia reaching out to Ben, in text format. It’s essentially this:
Rey and Kylo are fighting on the DSII.
Leia is shown in silhouette, calling out to Ben.
Ben appears distracted (using shot from right before Han appears).
Leia lays down, holding Han’d medal.
Kylo hears Han address him; “Hey, kid.”
Their conversation plays out, removing direct mention of Leia being gone, right up until Han says “I know.”
Back into reality, Kylo drops his saber. Rey impales him, heals him, and leaves.It’s a very interesting approach, highlighting the imagery of death and rebirth. In this ordering, Kylo makes his resolution first and is then baptized by Rey in a way. And it’s directly tied in with Leia, making that feel clearer.
I’m not sure it makes good story sense, though, for Ben to be reborn and Rey to immediately flee into self-exile. But it’s something to think about.
This is similar to what I tried to describe in my earlier post. Whilst I think Leia projecting a memory of Han at Kylo is definitely clunky it at least shows what she is doing which ultimately causes her death.
Reading the posts on the few threads here, there were several different opinions on how this played out within the first week or so. Even if the scene is less than ideal, I do think it strengthens the film as a whole to at least make it clear what Leia does which causes her death other than simply ‘reaching out to Ben’.