Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Every Major Reveal In Rian Johnson’s Commentary

The home media release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi includes a commentary track from director Rian Johnson, where he reveals some interesting nuggets about the movie. At this point, it feels like there isn’t anything else to say about Episode VIII. After months of pre-release coverage and hype, the conversation went in a truly fascinating direction when the movie polarized audiences. Ever since December 2017, just about everything in Last Jedi has been the topic of a hotly-contested debate, so even with the movie in headlines once again to commemorate its arrival on digital and Blu-ray, some thought the talk would be more subdued. However, there’s still much to learn.

Johnson recorded his commentary before The Last Jedi was theatrically released, so he did not know what the public reception would be. Instead, Johnson discusses the making of the movie and how things came together, providing insight that cinephiles are sure to enjoy. Here are some of the biggest revelations Johnson made on his track.

DEFENDING THE COMEDY

The humor of The Last Jedi drew heavy amounts of criticism, with some feeling it was too sophomoric and out-of-place for a Star Wars movie. In particular, the opening bit of Poe Dameron putting General Hux on hold as a stalling tactic drew the ire of many, but Johnson obviously has a soft spot for it. He felt it was necessary to establish a fun tone early on, knowing that the middle chapter of a trilogy is usually the most dramatic. The goal here was to let people know they could have a good time, and this was still an entertaining Star Wars flick. Johnson cited The Force Awakens and the original trilogy as his key influences here.

General Hux was the butt of many jokes, which was another conscious choice on Johnson’s part. He felt Hux could be an entertaining “foil” and serve as a funnier antagonist when compared to Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke. Johnson didn’t want the First Order to be overly dark and serious, and since he had plenty of dramatic beats set up for the former Ben Solo, he let Hux be the opposite side of the coin. If anything, this should benefit Episode IX, seeing that they are the two main villains left alive in the sequels.

CHALLENGING THE CHARACTERS

Johnson previously revealed when he sat down to write the script, he listed all the main characters and thought about the greatest test they could face. In the case of Poe, Johnson’s intent was to transition him from “hero to leader” as he learns a valuable lesson about warfare. For Finn, the director noticed in The Force Awakens, the ex-stormtrooper acts out of his individual interest of saving Rey, not keeping the larger cause in mind. This is why Finn is paired with Rose for most of the film, as their mission allows him to get a grasp of the larger picture and understand what’s at stake. There are several moments peppered throughout that depict this change in mindset.

The character Johnson was most excited to write for was Kylo Ren, who was established as a nuanced and compelling villain in Force Awakens. Since Kylo killed Han Solo, Johnson thought the audience would come into Last Jedi hating him. So, he worked on digging deeper into Kylo’s psyche to give audiences (and Rey) a better understanding of Kylo. Another goal Johnson wanted to accomplish was to let Ren take the next steps to becoming the villain he aspired to be in Episode VII. Killing Snoke and becoming the new Supreme Leader means that was very much achieved.

EXPLAINING LUKE’S SABER TOSS

For two years, viewers were left with the final image of Force Awakens, wondering what would happen next when Luke was reunited with his old lightsaber. It was a shock when the Jedi tossed it over his shoulder as if it was nothing, and this was done to illustrate how Skywalker’s outlook on life changed since the original trilogy. One of the things Johnson had to do was explain why Luke had fled to Ahch-To, knowing full well his friends are in danger. The Luke we all know would never run away in fear, so Johnson made the older Luke a broken man filled with shame. Luke was under the impression the galaxy was better off without him and decided he would stay out of its affairs.

Luke’s portrayal, of course, is one of the most infamous aspects about the movie. Even Mark Hamill expressed concern over how the character was written – something he later regretted sharing publicly. In the end, this was really the only way for Johnson to go. J.J. Abrams was the one who had Luke vanish at the Resistance’s greatest time of need, which sort of boxed Johnson in. This was also the best way to make Luke’s arc fully pay off. If he valiantly answered the call for help right away, there’d be no conflict. Watching him transition from curmudgeon to hero was exceptionally rewarding.

“IT’S TIME FOR THE JEDI TO END”

Following the teaser trailer’s premiere at Star Wars Celebration 2017, this was the line most associated with the film. The farm boy who once told Obi-Wan he wanted to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi was now saying the Order had to cease to exist. This was our first glimpse into how different Luke was and succinctly summed up one of the film’s main themes. But originally, the line wasn’t this straightforward.

Johnson can’t recall exactly what he wrote initially, but he said on the commentary he came up with a much more “convoluted” version of this sentiment. The people who edited the trailer trimmed out a section of this dialogue and gave the world that immortal statement. It wasn’t until Johnson saw the teaser himself that he realized this simpler take was much more effective and incorporated it into the final cut.

VICE ADMIRAL HOLDO’S PERSONALITY

The subplot involving Poe Dameron’s antagonistic dynamic with Vice Admiral Holdo was one of the few Last Jedi sections to be significantly altered during reshoots. During principal photography, Laura Dern played the character with “hippy dippy” sensibilities, and Johnson feared they went too far in that direction. When it came time for the pickups, the characterization was changed to what is seen in the finished movie. With this new approach, Johnson was still able to convey that Holdo is a different kind of leader – even if she wasn’t as “spacey” as initially intended.

Canon enthusiasts may cry foul at this development, since it arguably creates a contrast with the way Holdo was portrayed in Claudia Gray’s Leia: Princess of Alderaan. However, this decision ultimately made the movie better. Not only is it easily explainable since people change as they grow older (Holdo is a teenager in Leia), it also makes it easier to buy Holdo as an authoritative figure. Many compared her to Luna Lovegood after the book came out, and while many Harry Potter fans like the quirky Hogwarts student, few would have put her in charge of the Order of the Phoenix. With Holdo stepping in for Leia, she had to exhibit the traits of a strong leader.

GRUMPY ROSE

Rose Tico was another character who was changed during development. During her introductory scene with Finn, Johnson revealed he had conceived Rose as an “Eeyore type” – a reference to the Winnie the Pooh character. However, Kelly Marie Tran’s casting necessitated some rewrites. Johnson was enamored with the actress’ spirit and enthusiasm, so he revised the script in the midst of shooting to better reflect Tran’s personality. She was no longer skeptical of Finn and a big fan of the person she thought of as a hero.

A sullen Rose may have been an interesting foil to the energetic Finn, but much like Holdo, this change helped The Last Jedi. It’s Rose who inspires Finn to realize what’s at stake and see the bigger picture, so it was vital for her to be an open-hearted, dedicated fighter. It may have been forced if Finn decided to change his mentality by spending time with a grump. Making Rose a relatable, likable everywoman standing up for what she believes in allowed her to become infectious.

MAZ’S INCREASED ROLE

The sequel trilogy is full of great characters, but sadly Maz Kanata is not one of them. Despite the best efforts of Lupita Nyong’o, the filmmakers are at a loss of what to do with her. Maz amounts to little more than a plot catalyst, pointing the main heroes in the direction of the next story beat. In The Force Awakens, she gives Rey the lightsaber and briefly tells her about the Force (before being dropped unceremoniously). For The Last Jedi, she’s in perhaps the worst scene, telling Finn, Poe, and Rose about the master codebreaker on Canto Bight.

During Maz’s lone scene, Johnson said he originally had a larger part for Kanata (even having her on the Raddus). But as he looked over the script, he noted it would be more “economical” to give her beats to other characters. He unfortunately didn’t get into greater detail than that, so we’re not sure what was planned. Basically, this commentary snippet is Johnson’s admission he wanted to work with Nyong’o and made sure Maz was in the script to make that collaboration happen. It’s unknown if Maz will return for Episode IX.

REY AND KYLO’S FORCE CONNECTIONS

One of the more notable new Force powers introduced in The Last Jedi was Rey and Kylo Ren’s ability to “Force Skype” with each other across the galaxy. This came about because Johnson wanted to explore the dynamic between the two characters, but felt it would be “contrived” to physically get them in the same location. The idea was to just have Rey and Kylo talk, deepening their relationship and understanding of one another. Johnson expressed a desire to make these intimate, focusing exclusively on the young Force users and canceling all the other sounds out.

One cool behind-the-scenes tidbit is Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver filmed these sequences together, with one standing off-camera while they other acted out the scene. This helped sell their chemistry since they were acting against each other. Driver even went the extra mile to fly out to Ireland even though he wasn’t required to appear onscreen. It shows how committed everyone was to making the best movie possible.

EVOLUTION OF THE FLASHBACKS

Johnson knew he wanted to show something with Luke and Ben Solo, but it took some time to iron out exactly what that would be. He toyed with the idea of depicting a full training montage or some other kind of lesson, but felt that would be irrelevant to the main story. Johnson decided to come up with something that was directly tied to Luke’s character and highlighted his moment of failure that changed the galaxy forever. As many know by now, these Rashomon inspired flashbacks tell three versions of the night Luke contemplated killing Ben. Surprisingly, they were a last-minute addition.

The flashbacks serve multiple purposes in the film. For starters, they explain what exactly made Luke flee in exile, forever ashamed about his moment of weakness. They also allowed audiences to, if not sympathize, at least emphasize with Kylo Ren. On Crait, when Kylo orders every gun to fire on Luke, we understand his point of view. The flashbacks were also key in Rey’s arc, pushing her closer to Kylo before she left Ahch-To. Given how integral they are to the narrative, it’s hard to envision The Last Jedi without them.

FRANK OZ DIRECTS YODA

The sequel trilogy allowed many legacy characters to come back for one last hurrah, and Yoda was one who needed to return. Luke’s old master came back to dispel one final lesson for his pupil in his typical fashion. Frank Oz played Yoda one more time, operating a puppet designed closely after the one in The Empire Strikes Back. According to Johnson, Oz contributed much more than just another performance as the character.

In addition to being one of the all-time great puppeteers, Oz is also a top-notch director with plenty of experience under his belt. Johnson called on his advice when it came time to edit the Yoda scene. Oz was able to provide valuable insight of how to cut around the puppet and when to utilize wide shots. Oz also came up with the idea to reveal Yoda from behind in a dolly shot, causing audiences to celebrate with nothing more than a look a the back of his head.

DJ’S THE BAD SCOUNDREL

Thanks to Han Solo coming back to save Luke’s life at the end of A New Hope, fans have come to expect the rogues of Star Wars to have hearts of gold and fully aid the heroes. DJ, Benicio del Toro’s character, takes this trope and turns it on its head. Johnson always wanted the codebreaker to betray Finn and Rose. He also used DJ to bring in some new concepts to the franchise; namely, the idea of the ever-going war machine where the concepts of “good guys” and “bad guys” is pure propaganda. Johnson repeatedly says DJ is the devil on Finn’s shoulder while Rose is an angel.

Del Toro made one valuable contribution to DJ. He thought it would be good if DJ took Rose’s necklace (which is very important to her) as payment, only to give it back when he uses it to break into the tracking room. The notion was this would trick the audience into thinking DJ had come around, only for the final reveal to truly sting. DJ’s final line, his response of “Maybe” to Finn telling him he’s wrong, was ad-libbed by del Toro.

THE THRONE ROOM FIGHT

Even those who weren’t fully onboard with everything in The Last Jedi will agree the throne room set piece is spectacular. For a fleeting moment, Rey and Kylo come together to take out the praetorian guards in a fantastic action sequence that immediately follows one of cinema’s best twists. One of the reasons why it looked so amazing onscreen is the fact Ridley and Driver were performing it themselves after months of arduous training.

Of course, action-driven projects have stunt performers who can fill in for the main actors, but that wasn’t necessary here. On the commentary, Johnson says this allowed him to film the sequence however he wanted, as he wouldn’t have to worry about covering anything up. He likened it to watching Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s movies, since the audience knows it’s always the star handling the action beats. The scene stands out partially because of the way it was shot, with the camera moving fluidly around the set. If Ridley and Driver’s doubles had to be used, it may not have turned out the same way.

LUKE’S DEATH IS A VICTORY

Going into the movie, Johnson knew he wanted to bring Luke and Leia together for a scene and he didn’t want Kylo to kill Luke. He was able to check both of those boxes with the conception of the astral projection, with Luke channeling the full extent of his Force powers to appear across the galaxy and confront his nephew. Johnson pointed out several of the clues that Luke wasn’t really there (no footprints, etc.), saying that was his way of “playing fair” with the audience. He did wonder how it would play for moviegoers, particularly the part where Luke “survives” the onslaught of the gorilla walkers.

Johnson specifically wanted Luke’s death to be the contrast of Han’s. When Solo died, it was a defeat. Luke’s was intended to be a victory. He went out on his terms, allowing the Resistance to escape and reignite the beacon of hope throughout the galaxy. As Rey tells Leia, Luke passed away with peace and purpose, dying as the hero we all knew him to be. Even though Skywalker became one with the Force, Kylo Ren lost that particular battle.

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The commentary contains a lot of details that have already been revealed, but it’s still a fun listen – especially for those who have already seen the film multiple times. Those who are really into the technical side of filmmaking are sure to get a kick out of all of Johnson’s tricks to get shots, even as he jokes he’s ruining movie magic for everyone. Let us know what reveals were your favorites in the comments!