Smuggler Archive
Thread: QUESTION OF THE DAY...Should Han have died...???
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rahzaar
Sun Dec 19, 2004 7:19 pm
#1
Okay, Harrison Ford always says that he told Papa Cheese that Han should have died in the end of ROTJ, to add more weight to the movie, and better serve the character....
Now as the Papa Familia of the smuggler community, Han most likely is your inspiration for being a scoundrel....and my question is, do you think he should have died....or is his survival better for the story...?
I think he should have died, but I'm glad he didn't.
I know, maybe this should be in the NON-SWG forum on SW, but I don't really care what non-smugglers think....so where do you stand, fellow rogues?
His death would have added amore serious toneto the movie, as it stands, the only real conflict with weight was the showdown between whiney, whiney Jr., and crusty bastich...everything else was lacking something...but then again, it's been said on more than one occasion, that Richard Marquand was way in over his head....
What do you think, snugglers?
Xal Rahzaar,
Master Smuggler
Kett
Starcloud
Sun Dec 19, 2004 7:45 pm
#2
IMO, Harison Ford wanted Han Solo to die at the end of RotJ so that Harison would *never ever* be asked to play Han again.
It's a matter of the actor wanting to avoid being slotted into one type of role for the rest of his career.
It is true that there's really not much more to do with the character. Han Solo, at the end of RotJ, has basically followed the same path as Anakin/Vader, only on a much more personal scale, having gone from self-centered to caring for others.
To have Solo die at the end of RotJ would have lessened the impact of Vader/Anakin's redemption, which is the central storyline of the entire epic.
maxtheusher
Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:23 pm
#5
He seems to have opinions on all his movies. For instance, to this day he maintains that Deckard was NOT a replicant, even though ridley scott says otherwise.
Zandergeef
Sun Dec 19, 2004 10:55 pm
#6
It would have changed the movie. I am glad that Han lived and I for one like movies that have happy endings even if I know all the good guys are gunna live. I am the type of person that watches top gun up to the point that goose is gunna die and then I turn it off. If I want to get sad and emotionallyhitI can just sit around my house and think about princess di. 
I also think that Harrison didnt want to keep doing star wars movies for the rest of his life.
KRONOS1974
Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:32 am
#7
He also probably didnt realize or expect the impact star wars has made on so many.
Harrison Ford is one of my favorite actors, i dont think there is one of his movies i didnt like ( off the top of my head).
Hemakes some nice movies and is a classy guy.
As for him getting killed, i think not. Though it would have had a nasty twist in the movie, all that trouble to rescue him just so he dies lol. I like the way it turned out.
cpz
Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:24 am
#8
Harrison Ford was wrong, Han's arc brings him from selfish pirate to family man hero. Killing Han in the final act would have served no purpose.
The characters who perhaps needed to diein ROTJ were Lando, Chewie or the Falcon. Their heroic deaths would have added somewegiht to the final battle and also sealed Han's arc.
Nicolas_Frost
Mon Dec 20, 2004 4:47 am
#9
Don't mention Chewie dieing around my friend, or she'll tear into you.
Its also not a good idea to talk about Lando with her in polite company.
Zhagadska
Mon Dec 20, 2004 8:45 am
#10
maxtheusher wrote:
He seems to have opinions on all his movies. For instance, to this day he maintains that Deckard was NOT a replicant, even though ridley scott says otherwise.
phillip k d ick said he wasnt a replicate....winner goes to the writer!!! 
geez..i can't say d ick? even if it's someone's NAME?!?
edit: ok ..to stay on topic: if han had died, it should have been in ESB, not ROTJ. i'm glad he lived tho
Message Edited by Zhagadska on 12-20-2004 09:47 AM
yimaz
Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:01 am
#11
According to the way Smuggles are treated in SWG you'd think Han was killed off after 10min in "A New Hope".
KaiRan
Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:06 am
#12
Ford wanted Han to die at the end of ESB, not be frozen to come back, not at the end of RotJ. Lucas was trying to have multiple layers of redemption themes at once: Solo from criminal to hero was just one of them. Ford may have been right, however, as Han's changes were complete by the end of ESB, his inclusion in RotJ was as little more than a vehicle for Leia's romantic fufillment... if she wasnt to be Luke's, what was her point? Without Han around, she was little more than damsel in distress again ("your.... Sister!"), a tool for maintianing of Luke's motivation. Although... Perhaps kill Han at the end of ESB, Leia needs to become the one leading the strikeforce, from pompus and pushy princess to strong and able leader, leading not on ego but truly generating faith and respect from those she commands... Her redemption is now solid- her ego in check, her flaws stripped off to reveal a true leader.
That thought train complete, I believe RotJ would have been a far better film if Han had died. His romance with Leia would have needed to be established more in ESB, and she would have then learned some tricks from the old scoundrel. Leia would have been the hero of the ground, Luke in the throne room. It becomes all about the Skywalkers: 3 redemptions in one. Luke becomes a man, Leia a leader, and Anakin well, we all know that one.
maxtheusher
Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:34 am
#13
Zhagadska wrote:
maxtheusher wrote:
He seems to have opinions on all his movies. For instance, to this day he maintains that Deckard was NOT a replicant, even though ridley scott says otherwise.phillip k d ick said he wasnt a replicate....winner goes to the writer!!!
geez..i can't say d ick? even if it's someone's NAME?!?
edit: ok ..to stay on topic: if han had died, it should have been in ESB, not ROTJ. i'm glad he lived tho
Message Edited by Zhagadska on 12-20-2004 09:47 AM
No you can't say d ick. You can say Slicewhore, so you can see how the Devs truly feel
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