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Post #1435859

Author
Burbin
Parent topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1435859/action/topic#1435859
Date created
15-Jun-2021, 8:53 PM

sherlockpotter said:

It’s not a conflict with his character arc - it’s a conflict with the mechanics of the story.

The main reason I went about altering the dialogue was because it contradicts the new through line that was added in Ascendant, of the galaxy rising up. Right in the new opening crawl - “Flames of rebellion burn across the galaxy”… it creates a conflict if we say that the galaxy is rebelling, and then Poe claims that “Maybe it is over. Everyone is so afraid. They’ve given up.”

So yeah, Poe’s hopelessness works in the theatrical version, where the galaxy has given up (until Lando gives everyone an off screen pep talk); but if we want to establish that the galaxy has been working on this since Crait, Poe claiming that the galaxy is “afraid” and “has given up” comes across as incongruous. The restructured dialogue effectively conveys the same ideas of Poe’s hopelessness as it did originally, just without that contradictory aspect.

I don’t see it as contradictory, the point of Poe’s arc is that he’s wrong, both in the theatrical and in Ascendant, to think the galaxy has given up. That there are other people out there willing to fight. In TLJ he learns to embrace the role of a leader, here we see he feels the burden of taking over such a role. So his focus is on the strenght of the Resistance, we see him scold Rey for staying behind when she’s the best fighter the Resistance has.

The new crawl serves to tell us the state of the galaxy, so that we can accept it could come together in such an incredible fashion by the end. But it doesn’t mean Poe is aware of everything that’s going on, he didn’t see the kids on Canto Bight recounting the tale of Luke, he didn’t notice the puppet show on Passana and he walked right past a Skywalker mural on Kijimi. To him the Resistance forces are dwindling, and it’s all on his shoulders. He comes to the conclusion everyone is too afraid to join the Resistance, but reminiscing with his old friend Zorii helps him think outside his Resistance shaped box, that there are other good people out there and so the Resistance isn’t alone in it’s fight against evil.

The way I edited it - or at least, the way I envisioned it 😉 - it would only serve to enhance everything you’re saying about Poe and his journey. The difference is that rather than “nothing character #156, introduced two minutes earlier” Zorii telling Poe "Ehh…I’m sure there are other people somewhere! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ", it becomes an actual moment - a scene for Poe to see for himself (and for the audience to see) that the galaxy hasn’t given up on their cause. He helped inspire the galaxy by his actions on Crait, and now the galaxy is able to inspire him in return. It’s tangible, and concrete; it’s much, much more than Keri Russell saying “Cheer up there, bucko!” as her seventh line of dialogue.

Fair enough. Though I remain skeptical it can be done seamlessly, as I feel there would be something more to this scene if it was actually made with this intention, I would like to see it. But I don’t think the dialogue should be trimmed… the role of nothing character #156 is small, but as I’ve said it’s there and it does serve it’s function. I’m not saying this movie is secretly genius or anything, but there is enough of a backbone of elements like these that do seem thought out, if rather rushed and not perfectly executed, so we should strive to work with these elements and improve them where possible, being careful not to make cuts that might end up doing more harm.