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The inspiring face of sacrifice
Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi
Writer: Rian Johnson
Director: Rian Johnson
Death is an important part of the Star Wars story. The cost of the war often felt most strongly by the Republic, Rebellion, and Resistance is never shied away from, but, in The Last Jedi, the toll of these deaths, past and present, is explored in detail. Painful, up close detail. We learn this very early on, with the death and sacrifice of Resistance bomber gunner Paige Tico. A haunting yet inspirational poem found within the bombastic cacophony of war.
Paige Tico, who we soon learn is the sister of hero-to-be Rose, is a small cog in the bigger Resistance wheel. She joined the Resistance with her sister after seeing firsthand what the rising evil of the First Order was doing. Though a skilled pilot herself, she mostly serves as a gunner, watching the galaxy flow out in front of her while sitting cramped up in the belly gun of the hulking MG-100 StarFortress Bomber known as the Cobalt Hammer. Paige Tico had no eyes on being heroic, she just wanted to do her part. It’s a tried and true archetype, especially in Star Wars. But never before have we seen the sacrifice this close.
Rian Johnson starts this Star Wars movie with something we fans all love and, if we’re being honest, crave: an intense battle full of captivating sounds, mesmerizing blasts, and intense action. With a dual look at the inner workings of the First Order’s in-fighting leadership and the brazenness of Poe Dameron and the Resistance striking hard while also escaping, the opening battle over D’Qar was a fantastic way to start this chapter of the saga. Simply put there are some awe-inspiring images early on and the echoes of World War II movies and newsreel footage of B-17 bombing runs are certainly intended and felt. As you settle into your seat, appreciating the wonderful “Star Wars-ness” of it all, something changes. An exploding TIE fighter crashes into a Resistance bomber just as it’s about to drop his payload. Fire races through the ship and the bombardier turns to watch as the force of the impending explosion rips apart his vessel. The debris takes down the bombers next to it and now we know something is different in this Star Wars battle. Harkening back to a chilling sequence in the 1990 movie Memphis Belle when our point-of-view servicemen watch and listen as another US plane is ripped in two and sent crashing back down to Earth, we are now watching the carnage through the eyes of Paige Tico.
Veronica Ngo portrays Paige Tico and with only a few minutes of screen time, she registers a memorable performance. She goes from panicked and traumatized to dutiful and brave in just a few, heart-wrenching, tense sequences. Many can identify with her initial reaction. Trained, prepared, and believing in both the routine and purpose of the task at hand, nothing could have prepared Paige for what she witnesses: the violence, the chaos, and the loss of life. It’s all very real and the weight of that is reflected in her eyes and on her face. Whether it’s during an emergency event or a situation in life you never thought you’d ever have to face, we all have that moment of disbelief. We all have said, “This isn’t really happening.”
But it is and Paige Tico is still at war. She’s still fighting. She’s still alive.
There is inspiration to be found in what comes next for Paige. Poe calls out to her and she snaps back into reality. Paige Tico, not a Jedi, not a superhero, just a gunner doing her job, looks at the horror around her, the obstacles in front of her, and does what she is supposed to do. The connection is real. Through the dark times of our own lives, we, too, shriek back into a daze. “This isn’t really happening” easily turns into “I can’t do this.” Yet like Paige at this moment, you will click in as well. You will keep going.
Paige climbs up the bomber’s ladder and is literally knocked back down again, flat on her back. When her eyes open, she’s even farther away from her task then she was before. So begins the final stanza of this poem. Rian Johnson takes us into a series of slow-motion screams of both the Resistance and First Order, her bomber—now the last hope for everyone’s survival—approaches its target, General Leia closes her eyes in anticipation of a possible end, and Paige grabs her medallion and takes one last memory of her sister before a final kick to bring down the device. With a music swell worthy of the final act of any movie, Paige succeeds.
This is absolutely a Star Wars hero moment. The simple gunner overcame the odds, both within and without, to save the day. A lifetime of Star Wars lessons has taught us that this is what heroes do, but this time it’s different. Paige closes her eyes as the Cobalt Hammer falls into the exploding dreadnaught. She’ll never see her sister again. She’ll just be a name in the history books. This is a harsh reminder of the sacrifice of war. One that is needed for the survival of the Resistance at that moment yet part of a series of losses that weigh heavily on those left behind. And that is the second half of the inspiration. As The Last Jedi continues, Rose Tico fights on for the greater cause and stated theme of saving what we love, but her motivation for survival is the face of her sister. Rose goes on for her and we fight so that others will not have to in the future.