Kingdom Of Fandoms

Barbie. Directed by Greta Gerwig, performances by Margot Robbie and Rhea Perlman, Warner Bros. et al.

Buonarroti, Michelangelo. The Creation of Adam. c. 1508-1512, Sistine Chapel, in the Vatican, Rome.

“More Sky People are gonna come. They're gonna come like a rain that never ends. Unless we stop them. You chose me for something. I will stand and fight. You know I will. But I need a little help here.”

“And what do you wish?’ he said at last. ‘That what should be shall be,’ she answered.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

I always kind of wondered at the impact Han’s death had on Rey. She liked him, yes, he was a hero of hers, yes, but they only knew each other for a few hours max. And Rey feels like he’s the father she never had…(because he’s Ben’s father and their knowledge and experiences have been seeping through the bond). But we know Rey herself never really lets people get that close to where they can hurt her. She likes them but keeps them at arms distance. But when Han dies, she’s devastated. I don’t think we see her that emotionally wracked any other time.

GUYS. It’s because the Force Bond was activated just before that. She is upset that Han is dead but she’s devastated to that degree because SHE’S EXPERIENCING WHAT BEN IS EXPERIENCING IN THAT MOMENT AT THE SAME TIME. SHE’S FEELING HER SPIRIT BE SPLIT TO THE BONE BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT BEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOND IS EXPERIENCING IN THAT MOMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE SAME SOUL. HER REACTION IS JUST THE OUTWARD MANIFESTATION OF BEN’S INTERNAL AGONY. THAT’S WHY IT SHAKES HER TO THE CORE, WHY SHE CAN’T LET IT GO EVEN IN THE NEXT MOVIE—BECAUSE HE IS AND CAN’T EITHER.

(And then the same happens to Ben when Rey goes to the cave—he’s crying after because he felt it too. And he loves her dfgjkjhdss. And when she gets wounded in the throne room and he gets distracted because he felt it.)

“DON’T BE AFRAID I FEEL IT TOO?????”

The English dir Hugo Blick (Nov 2022 on BBC iplayer UK and Amazon Prime elsewhere) starring Chaske Spencer and Emily Blunt.

Discussion under the cut because major spoilers warning

This is a really beautiful tale in every way. It’s also a parable about English colonialism. It’s a reparative story, which takes the Western narrative and, for once, gives the starring part to a Native American.