The Last Jedi will see a weakened version of the Resistance that's not only at war with the First Order, but is suffering from internal conflict. Star Wars is a franchise that's long served a dual purpose: to dive into the deeper mythology of the Jedi and the Force, and to tell the story of a shifting political and military landscape. For many, the prequels suffered in part due to their over-reliance on the latter, but The Last Jedi looks like it might dive into both areas of the universe with equal fervor.
Thanks to yesterday's EW cover story on The Last Jedi, new images and details about the film have been pouring in at a regular interval. We learned more about Snoke's role in the film, found out that Luke blames himself for misjudging Kylo Ren, and discovered that the concept of the Jedi having to end took Mark Hamill aback at first. Now, more information has come in regarding the Resistance and where they'll be at when we see them again.
EW spoke with writer-director Rian Johnson about the status quo of the Resistance when The Last Jedi opens, and things aren't looking good:
“They’re a small band that’s now cut off, on its own, and hunted when the Republic is shattered. When the First Order did that hit, the Resistance is isolated, and they’re very, very vulnerable. That’s where we pick them up.”
After the decimation of the Republic, the Resistance will find itself in a position similar to the one the Rebel Alliance was in during the original trilogy. Of course, that contingent had its share of problems at well, many coming from within the organization. In The Last Jedi, the Resistance will face a similar threat.
“I don’t want to tip the hat too much, but I will say that the heat is immediately turned up on the Resistance. Everybody is put in a pressure cooker right away, and relationships crack and strain under that pressure. That was really interesting to me, the notion of putting this small army under a lot of external pressure and showing some of the results within the Resistance itself.”
As we saw in Rogue One, the pressures of fighting a fascist ruling power can lead to all sorts of splintering. The Alliance not only featured politicians and military commanders, but insurgents like Saw Gerrera's team. Similarly, the Resistance will be full of those seeking to establish a governing body, those focused on battle tactics, and others who simply want to make the First Order bleed. One of the points of contention will come in the form of Laura Dern's mysterious Resistance leader.
“The secrecy does have a purpose in that part of the fun with Laura’s character, with Admiral Holdo, is figuring out what her relationship is to everybody as you go along through the movie.”
As Johnson notes, the lack of information on Admiral Holdo isn't to frustrate fans, but rather prevent satisfying moments from being ruined. Nowadays, the term 'spoiler' is thrown around for everything from costume reveals to character names. The fact is, however, that the true sense of the word applies to plot elements that are revealed before they're allowed to play out in the narrative. So while it may be tempting to learn more about Holdo's allegiances, seeing her character unfold organically will make for a more satisfying film.
With all the information that's been coming out lately, we should know a lot more about the Last Jedi as we approach its December release date—so stay tuned.
Next: Laura Dern Says Star Wars is a Once in a Lifetime Experience
Source: EW
