Same here, that's what I assumed. Also, that Anakin's reckless self-confidence was the reason why he was no longer around, ie, that's what got him killed. I never for one instant suspected any connection to Darth Vader or the bad guys in general.
Poor Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru... Oh Well!
- Thread starter Albertese
- Start date
Same here, that's what I assumed. Also, that Anakin's reckless self-confidence was the reason why he was no longer around, ie, that's what got him killed. I never for one instant suspected any connection to Darth Vader or the bad guys in general.
Not everyone had the same reaction to the scene. I think it reflects poorly on Luke's character that he could simply see the bodies of the two people who have raised him from birth brutally murdered and not even an attempt at burial -- pretty much the least of what he could have done. Agree with the OP's original post.
The narrative and it's mementum could easily have survived what would have been a nice character moment for Luke.
As for the notion that Luke's reaction was somehow iin keeping with Skywalker family mores or tradition, well I recall how irrationally upset Annakin was when his mother was killed, not to mention his reaction to the news of the death of his wife. In fact, watching Annakin/Darth's reactions to his family seemed to indicate a quite emotional attachemet. So I don't think Luke pausing a moment in his race toward Jedi-ism to at least acknowledge his aunt and uncle's deaths would have been out of hereditary character.
We have no idea from the film whether Luke buried his aunt and uncle or not. The scene shifts to the Death Star right after Luke finds their bodies in one of the most dramatic transitions in the film. We can only speculate that it probably would have been unsafe to hang around too long at the Lars residence. Luke was lucky not to have gotten picked off or arrested just coming back to make sure they were OK.
A relationship doesn't have to be actively bad/"sour" to be relatively loveless. I agree with what people have said about the emotional logic framework of movies, but if we stick to the in-universe text, I don't see much evidence that they were all that close. Doesn't mean they weren't... but I think there's room for differing interpretations.
Again, while probably the case, this is never explicitly stated in ANH, and is therefore speculation.
Okay, that last part does sound logical. But the real problem is that we are not shown that the two deaths have had any impact at all on Luke's life. He goes on like they're forgotten almost immediately.
I don't assume stuff in movies/TV. If I don't see it or hear it or it is not pointedly implied visually or audibly, I assume it didn't happen. But we are beng asked to conclude that Luke does care for these people but neither he or the movie shows that to us. One little line of dialogue could have done it. Just a mention of them by Luke followed by a gaze off into a bulkhead or something would have said a lot. I was always left wondering if he cared for these people.
Oh come on.
We are shown that he is a kid living with an aunt and uncle who obviously have had a long term relationship with him. What you have to assume, unless told otherwise, is that he has been with them most if not all of his life. Given no information to the contrary, why would anyone assume Luke had been with them only what, one year? 2 years? 3 years?
We know Luke cared for Owen and Beru, because he rushed into danger -against Ben's plea - to make sure they were OK. He had a look of horror and outrage when he saw their bodies. The transition to the Death Star is one of the most dramatic in the film, mainly due to the music. When Luke comes back to the sandcrawler, he doesn't even speak at first. Ben's way of speaking to Luke about what would have happened had he been there had the tone of consoling him. Those are all cues that Luke cared and was emotionally affected by what had just occurred.
Is it explicit? No. It's implicit. It's time for the story to move along and for Luke to get swept up in the adventure.
Would it be better if it had been explicit? Well, I hate to say it, but in Lucas's hands (which the 1977 film was), not necessarily.
In The Phantom Menace, I personally found Anakin's admission that he misses his mother to be one of many highly cringeworthy moments in the film. For one thing, it was Padmé who finished Anakin's thought for him. It wasn't even a straight up admission; it had to play like he and Padmé were already soul-mates. (Maybe Annie was just going to say that he missed the two suns in the sky. He did keep complaining that he was cold. Sir.
)That criticism aside, and in all seriousness, sometimes things are just better when you have to read between the lines. I guess in this case, it's up to the audience to decide whether it really works or not. It did for me; I guess it didn't for some people. That's cool.
No, I don't. I have an imagination, and I don't always turn it off just because I'm watching a fiction movie.
Here's what I wrote earlier:
Heck, for all we know from ANH, Luke spent most of his childhood in the care of a larger, warmer family, and only started living in the isolation of the homestead when he became old enough to be useful there. Kinda like professional apprenticeships in the days before formal education of children became the norm - not as tough as slavery, but nowhere near as loving as parenting as we think of it today.
The fact is, you assumed he'd been with the Larses since birth, although there are all sorts of historical examples in which that would be abnormal. You're welcome to your own interpretation of what the movie doesn't tell us, but there's no need to scold others for working within the confines of the evidence to offer a different conclusion.
I've heard that Mark Hamill wanted to play Luke as falling to his kness, sobbing when he saw the burned houses. Lucas wisely told him to tone it done.
The film did not need to show a burial. That would have been nothing more than spelling everything out for the audience, which was not necessary. Luke's reaction to the death scene told the audience all it needed to know: he was shocked, hurt, then angered by the deaths, all successfully captured in Luke's expressions. He was still sad when returning to Kenobi, so there's no doubt about Luke's feelings.
This was the key transition to finally convince Luke that the Empire had to be stopped--an idea he was not on board with during the Kenobi hut/Jawas death scenes. Then, and only then did he look beyond Tatooine, and even the earlier "adventure" fantasies.
The grim-dark of the 1970s? I take it you weren't there.
That sounds like material for a reboot.Then wouldn't she have been more attracted to one of the dead Sandpeople? I guess this is the point at which the conversation should be dropped.
The grim-dark of the 1970s? I take it you weren't there.
Yeah. particularly when you take TODAY into account.
The 70's were practically Pollyanna compared to now...
Haha! My parents conceived me in the Summer of '79, baby!
But, I was actually making a hyberbolic reference to an earlier comment about how gritty and dark movies of the post-Vietnam era tended to be, which supposedly Star Wars broke the mold of. A sentiment I don't totally agree with...
Actually from what I can tell the '70s seemed like a pretty rocking good time. Sometimes I wish I was 10 or 15 years older so I could have experienced the decade first hand!
--Alex
More evidence that Luke isn't really that emotional, his best friend Biggs is killed during the Death Star battle, and Luke has barely a reaction to it, and gladly accepts a ceremony for himself when all is said and done.
Yeah, okay, in the middle of a battle isn't the best time to mourn, but afterwards I would think the loss of my best friend would put a damper on my mood during the celebrations.
Hell, the only time anyone cried in the OT was the shirtless fat guy in Jabba's palace after Luke killed the rancor.
Yeah, okay, in the middle of a battle isn't the best time to mourn, but afterwards I would think the loss of my best friend would put a damper on my mood during the celebrations.
Hell, the only time anyone cried in the OT was the shirtless fat guy in Jabba's palace after Luke killed the rancor.
