TLJ 26: Luke and Leia Say Goodbye (Minutes 126-130 with Camila Quiñones)

Luke and Leia reunite, and their musical themes pull at our heartstrings. Camila, also known as BoricuaWookiee, is here with me to navigate through these emotional minutes (126-130) of The Last Jedi.

Discussion topics/Highlights:

• Is Finn's impending sacrifice selfish? Thoughts on his role and actions in the Resistance.
• Dies Irae when Finn is about to sacrifice himself.
• Leia's uncharacteristic loss of hope, which only Luke can reignite.
• The smooth progression of themes, from Force --> Luke & Leia --> Han & Leia
• The melodic and harmonic connections between all of Leia's three themes.
• Is the beginning of the Star Wars Main Theme outlined at the beginning of Luke & Leia's theme? (Both begin with a perfect 4th to perfect 5th)
• Does Leia know that Luke is a Force projection?
• How our Star Wars feelings/opinions are constantly adjusting based on new information and more conversations.
• "Luke & Leia" reminiscent of "Make Our Garden Grow" from Leonard Bernstein's Candide (operetta).
• Rose as a future Resistance leader.
• Leia, the bedrock of Star Wars. The rock of the Rebellion. The rock of the Skywalker family.
• The repetitive F minor chord that makes us feel like we're waiting for something to happen.

Themes Referenced (in order of appearance):

• 13) Dies Irae
• 55a. Rose (A Section) in Db
• 3. Force in Em
• 21. Luke & Leia in E
• 11a. Han & Leia (A Section) in F
• 103) Luke's Last Stand in Fm

Where we are in the soundtrack: "Battle of Crait" and "The Spark"

References:

• Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars
• "Candide, Act II: Finale - Make Our Garden Grow" by Leonard Bernstein: https://youtu.be/WwPNnqi7ogs
• Darth Choco's High Ground show: Music of Star Wars: https://youtu.be/mI4Fqh_SdTE

Camila's Links:

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boricuawookiee
• Beings of the Galaxy podcast: https://beingsofthegalaxypod.buzzsprout.com/
• Instagram (Beings of the Galaxy): https://www.instagram.com/beingsofthegalaxypod/

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