Star Wars: The Last Jediis finally out in theaters, giving fans their final viewing ofCarrie Fisheras Leia Organa in aStar Warsmovie. And her performance did not disappoint. There had been a lot of talk about Mark Hamill delivering his best acting performance thus far, before the movie came out, and that praise is deserving. But Fisher’s role demands just as much attention and not because this is her final turn in aStar Warsmovie, but because she is witty and commanding, showing us more of Carrie Fisher in the character.The Last Jedioffers us a side of Leia Organa that we’ve never seen, and it’s a fitting tribute to the late actress. There are SPOILER AHEAD, so you have been warned.
Carrie Fisher, who originated theiconic role of Leiain the original 1977Star Warsdied last December. In her final appearance as the Princess of the Rebellion turned General of the Resistance, Fisher delivers a solid, understated performance. Though her role is larger inThe Last Jedithan it was inThe Force Awakens, Fisher is kept mostly on the sidelines, but still steals every scene that she’s in. Carrie Fisher even gets to share a heartfelt moment with Mark Hamill, reunited with her onscreen brother, Luke Skywalker for the first time since 1983’sReturn of the Jedi.
Thematriarch of the Resistanceis also the heartbeat of the movie and the thread weaving in out of the 150-minute movie. The scene betweenCarrie Fisher and Mark Hamillis already emotional for what it means in the movie, Leia has been through the ringer over the last 30 years and the sight of her brother is really something that’s hard to put into writing, but the emotion in the scene is heightened because you realize it’s the last scene that the two actors will ever appear in together. Though the scene is short, it’s incredibly powerful and really shows that Fisher and Hamill were almost related, in a sense. In addition, her short scenes with Laura Dern are brief and they leave you wanting more, wondering what could have been with the two powerful women leading the Resistance while teaching Poe about strategy.
One of the scenes inThe Last Jedithat has been seen as controversial comes near the beginning of the movie when Leia is sucked out into space, after two TIE Fighters blast through, when Kylo Ren fails to do blow up her ship. Leia is seen floating in space with debris, many believing that she’s dead. But she uses her Force powers for the first time ever seen in aStar Warsmovie and is able to glide back into the ship for safety where she spends some time in a coma. Though the sight of Leia flying through space is a bit odd, it’s highlighted by Carrie Fisher’s non-dramatic way of pulling it off. When investigated further, it looks natural and not forced, no pun intended.
The Last Jediis a fittingtribute to Carrie Fisher, but her performance is a loving tribute to Leia Organa and what she means to women all over the world. Fisher was not oblivious to what the character meant to people and her performance above all, highlights that feeling. In closing, yesThe Last Jediis emotional because Carrie Fisher is no longer with us, but her performance stands on its own, leaving the added weight that she was supposed to be the main focus inEpisode IX. While it’s not clear how J.J. Abrams will address the death of Fisher, it is clear that he has some mighty big shoes to fill after Rian Johnson and Carrie Fisher knocked it out of the park. You can read more about thestrength of Carrie Fisher’s performanceinThe Last Jediover atStarWars.com.
