ChristopherLamb’s review published on Letterboxd:
🔥14th Viewing🔥
This movie has changed the way I consume/look at art and what I really want out of it. I go in to enjoy it any way i can. I look for whatever I can connect to rather than going in analyze it to death and subtract imaginary points when something doesn’t resonate with me. It’s changed how I engage with others about it or even decide not to engage with others. It’s changed how I let others opinions affect me. It’s really just changed me as a person.
This movie and it’s themes have been forever rattling around my head since it’s release and I don’t think they’ll ever leave. I’m still getting new nuggets of meaning and interpreting moments in different ways.
Rian took a stand by constructing a movie based on themes that ultimately are a deconstruction of our culturally pervasive binary way of thinking in a mythology that’s simplistically defined by a binary way of thinking in the dark and light side and associating them with “good” and “evil”. It’s flat out the best representation of Taoism on screen I’ve ever seen and somehow weaves the same themes in 3 separate storylines.
And much like roots of a tree stubbornly refusing to let go to the Earth so many resist this paradigm shift in the way they think about what we perceive as “wrong” or “right”. Appropriately it’s become one of the most divisive movies of all time and in my mind its further evidence of its brilliance and importance to our culture. I truly think it’s ahead of its time in that way.
It’s not a perfect film though. It’s not the best executed film in the saga. I also don’t fault anyone for not feeling the same way as me or even not liking it at all. Honestly I have so many things I’d personally change but it’s perfect to me because it’s imperfections and is tied as my favorite movie of all time alongside Braveheart and The Lion King.
I’m going to meet Rian Johnson one day if it’s the last thing I do so I can thank him personally for sticking to his vision despite all the adversity and making this movie.
🔹Now to The Rise of Skywalker 🔹
I’m incredibly proud of myself. I know way less about this movie going in than i did with TLJ. All I’ve seen in the promotion of TROS is the Celebration teaser and a couple images of 3PO with red eyes, the shots of the Resistance ships, the Star Destroyers, the Death Star interior and Rey with the red saber. Other than that I know about the Ghost making a cameo, space horses supposedly running on a destroyer, “they fly now” and rumors of Ewoks.
That’s literally all I know, seen, or heard about this movie. Ive been a master at dodging all the the official trailers or tv spots. I don’t know any lines of dialogue, locations, or anything else.
I’m not going to read any reviews from the premiere or press screenings before I see it on Thursday. I want no expectations or preconceived opinions that influence my own.
I’m going in almost completely blind into my most anticipated movie of all time and this last chapter. No expectations. I have no real hopes other than a fun but thematically meaningful end to this saga. I’m open to whatever story they want to tell.
To get personal I’m going through some awful health shit that’s kind of fucked up my life. I’m in perpetual discomfort and it’s hard for me to eat sleep and breath right now and have bad panic attacks when really bad so with how unearthly excited i am for this stupid movie and undoubtedly how crazy my nervous system is going to be come Thursday I’m just hoping I can make it through the movie and be comfortable enough that I can actually enjoy it.
So wish me luck and good luck to all of you whenever you see the movie. I love this community and It’s been a fucking blast talking SW with all of you and getting ready for the end of a fucking era. I’m grateful for all y’all and can’t wait to talk about it more come Thursday night and reading everyone’s thoughts. I really hope everybody loves it and is satisfied with how it wraps up.
May the Force be with you all.
