What was Han Solo thinking?
My children like to play what they call "the movie game," in which someone gives the line from a movie and the others have to guess where it came from. (The more obscure the line, the better...but with a 9 year old, a 7 year old, and a 4 year old, that doesn't happen too often, and we're most often relegated to having to "guess" where "A llama? He's supposed to be dead!" came from.)
The other day, when put on the spot and having to come up with one that I knew they could figure out, I pulled from arguably the best of the Star Wars epics and quoted from The Empire Strikes Back, when Han Solo is just about to be lowered into the crypto-freeze chamber.
Leia says: "I love you."
He replies, "I know."
Of course, my eldest daughter picked it out right away...but then my 7 year old asked what it meant, and why I was rolling my eyes.
I explained that it was Han Solo's character...that Princess Leia was making a great revelation, and he was accepting it with his normal alpha-male, cocky attitude....the one that is so inconceivably (yes, that's from another of my favorite flicks) attractive to many of us women....
But then my husband stepped in and said, "No he wasn't. He wasn't being cocky...he was just about to be lowered into a crypto-freeze chamber, and he was scared shitless." Implying that he didn't have time to be worried about who loved him and who didn't.
Which put a whole 'nother spin on things and got me to thinking about the difference between we women and our counterparts. You know, the guys from Mars.
So who's right? Was Han being the cocky alpha-male...or was he just scared shitless?
The other day, when put on the spot and having to come up with one that I knew they could figure out, I pulled from arguably the best of the Star Wars epics and quoted from The Empire Strikes Back, when Han Solo is just about to be lowered into the crypto-freeze chamber.
Leia says: "I love you."He replies, "I know."
Of course, my eldest daughter picked it out right away...but then my 7 year old asked what it meant, and why I was rolling my eyes.
I explained that it was Han Solo's character...that Princess Leia was making a great revelation, and he was accepting it with his normal alpha-male, cocky attitude....the one that is so inconceivably (yes, that's from another of my favorite flicks) attractive to many of us women....
But then my husband stepped in and said, "No he wasn't. He wasn't being cocky...he was just about to be lowered into a crypto-freeze chamber, and he was scared shitless." Implying that he didn't have time to be worried about who loved him and who didn't.
Which put a whole 'nother spin on things and got me to thinking about the difference between we women and our counterparts. You know, the guys from Mars.
So who's right? Was Han being the cocky alpha-male...or was he just scared shitless?
Colleen Gleason stepped onstage at 8/07/2005 12:11:00 AM
7 Comments:
I vote for cocky. The dh says to get even with her for giving her the cold shoulder.
I think he knew he was about to "die" and didn't want to tell her he loved her because he knew she'd wait around for him if he told her he did. So he protected her by saying "I know" and that's why it's romantic and sexy!
I always viewed is as a comforting response. He IS scared shitless, afraid he's about to die. So is Lea. His "I know" tells her that she doesn't need to worry about all the unsaid things between them. The words don't matter, he knows how she feels. The Mars part comes in when he doesn't tell her he loves her. Probably figures she knows, just like he knows.
Veddy interesting! I think each of you have a point and it's just so interesting.
Isn't he yummy?
Apparently the original script called for Harrison to say "I love you too", but the scene didn't feel right to the director.
It was the final take when Kershner said for him to just go with his instincts and the natural "I know" response is what came out, infinitely better than anything anyone had thought of.
Hey, Joshua, thanks for that tidbit!
Harrison definitely nailed it with the "I know." Could you imagine if they'd left it as "I love you too?" *gag*
Colleen
I agree with both Jill and Holli. Also, I think he didn't want to make an emotional statement in front of his enemies, to reveal himself and be vulnerable in front of them. So "I know" is kind of a code (a la Holli's response). Also, I'm not sure whether they told him he would die, or whether he understood that he was going to be frozen with the chance that he'd live. If the latter, then "I know" might also imply, "I'm going to live through this, dammit, and I'm not going to give them a reason to use you to get to me."
Excellent discussion question, Colleen!
Post a Comment
<< Home