GRABBINGSAND

Sorry, my friend, I’ll have to disagree. I think you’re right, Han got involved for the money. Loved the smell of it, the feel. Was desperate to do anything to get the bounty hunters off his back (anyone thinking of their credit cards right now?), but he stayed with the Rebel Aliance for one simple reason: for love of a woman. (A princess who never disguised herself or hid behind a puppet. Except for Chewbacca, but he wasn’t really a puppet. Just a tall man in a taller dust bunny.) I’ll bet he made her keep the outfit Jabba gave her. I’d stick with any organization for that.

The idea that Han stayed with the Alliance because he was in love with Leia is probably the most common explanation given, but historically it’s rather shaky. Are you saying Han’s last minute rescue of Luke so Luke can blow up the Death Star is because of Leia, or just that Leia is the reason Han is still around by ESB? If you look at the literature, their romance wasn’t planned as far back as New Hope, although I suppose it could have always been a possibility. You can cite the “You think a princess and a guy like me…” line as much as you want, but Han could just as easily be saying that just to rile Luke. The Alan Dean Foster movie novelization (which sucks, but it’s useful here)does seem to support your theory: “Solo smiled at the younger man’s jealosy, uncertain in his own mind whether he had added the comment to bait his naive friend–or because it was the truth.” I think I’m a little more comfortable thinking Han found heroic qualities in himself, and that’s why he turns the ship around, although that certainly ties in with being “worhty” of Leia.

As to Leia’s slave outfit, I think you’re dead wrong: I don’t think Han would have liked it at all. He’s too possessive to want her to be on display like that. It’s probably fortunate that the aftereffects of carbon freeze include blindness, since it keeps him from reacting angrily at a time when he was in no condition to do so. (I *hate* the whole Leia-as-Jabba’s slave thing. I look at that scene and realize why all the men of my generation are so fucked-up. It’s that right there!)

I’m sorry this is so long, but the “why is Han there” question is something that has always interested me. I don’t think anyone really knows the answer.

Maybe Han is with the Alliance because even money hungry bounty hunters value their freedom? If being with the Dark Side means you get to live forever, but you have to be locked up in a big black suit apparently hooked to a ventilator, or (and this is yummy) you get to look like the emporor . . . Money or no money, greed, love, whatever. Power is ultimately empty, and leaves you a nasty husk with nothing but bitterness (one of the ultimate lessons we learn from any villain). Han wasn’t the bitter type, IMHO.

Wow. I’ve never heard anyone (ever) quote _Splinter of the Mind’s Eye_ before. But I’m not sure it should technically exist in a discussion of the Star Wars universe. I don’t think Mr. Foster had the big picture.

I wonder what kind of issues a woman has when she blames ten minutes of pop culture for all the evils that men do. Does this mean that I can blame my parents divorce on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet?”

I agree with Darrell.. but maybe in an odd way..The downfall of woman a man… the downfall of man a woman. It’s usual. It’s typical. It’s late 70′s and early 80′s romanticism. Taking a side for love. Love conquers all. Love can EVEN save the galaxy. It’s 2003…This concept is juvenile. But don’t tell Harrison Ford that he’s having a midlife crisis right now. An old man get’s an earrring or a tattoo and it’s all down hill from there. LOL!
“Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, Princess . . . I’m in it for the money!” –Han to Leia
and an hour later>>>
“Hey, I knew there was more to you than money.” –Leia to Han
What I think one can say is that if you are a 70,s- 80′s child (ie born before let’s say 1977) then you were raised on a genre of television and movie that taught women the only way to win a man is to be wearing a metal bra tied to a gigantic terd in outer space while your hero is carbonated. Then again I believe the only reason Hans and Leia got together anyway is because of the discovery Luke and Leia were related. You can’t blame WOOKIES or EWOKS for that.

I wasn’t going to mention it, but Darrell’s right. Alan Dean Foster’s book was accurate only before the opening credits for Empire Strikes Back, or maybe right up to the point when Yoda said: “No, there is another.”

But he was only writing what we all were thinking. After Star Wars, it just made sense for Luke to fall for Leia. Of course, this idea falls by the wayside once we find out that they are brother and sister.

But I still say that Han stuck it out with the Rebel Alliance for more than just Leia. Of course, in the mighty list of “things done to impress a girl” I guess there is nothing that tops helping to restore power to her Republic.

Well of course because Luke is the hero…It’s tha 30 second script change while EWOKS are singing…It’s like it was suppose to happen but were they going to make more. Personally who can really beat the first ORIGINAL 2..

Since this topic was never fully discussed in a Kevin Smith film, I have no opinion, then.

“Wow. I’ve never heard anyone (ever) quote _Splinter of the Mind’s Eye_ before. ”

And you still haven’t. There seems to be some confusion over titles here. I was quoting A New Hope, not Splinter. Foster ghost wrote the novelization of the New Hope screenplay, as well as authoring Splinter in the Mind’s Eye, which is a separate story of an adventure Luke and Leia have between ANH and ESB. (Yes, Splinter is one of the weirdest, trippiest things I’ve ever attempted to read, and it’s probably too flaky to be part of this discussion even if it were relevant, which it isn’t: Han isn’t in it at all.) And I said from the start Foster was bad, but it was the best I could come up with to support Darrell’s argument with any kind of text at all.

Which is why I think Thomas is probably right. If we all agree that Foster is full of shit, can I at least quote Joseph Campbell? “Solo was a very practical guy, at least he thought of himself, a materialist. But he was a compassionate human being at the same time and didn’t know it. The adventure evoked a quality of his character that he hadn’t known he possessed.” (Power of Myth, p. 159) Unfortunately, even Campbell doesn’t say *why* but there you go.

As to Leia’s slave outfit. Calm down, Darrell, I was overstating my case a bit in order to make a point. You can keep the costume if you want it. I don’t like it because I think it’s gratuitous, and it just doesn’t “feel right” to me, it’s not Leia at all…but that’s just my opinion. I do think there has to be some sort of fallout from millions of prepubescent boys getting exposed to thinly veiled BDSM, but who knows. Personally, I just don’t think Han needs a metal bikini to get it up

But Darrell, of course I have issues. I can suspend my disbelief for lightsabers, banthas, Jedi mind control, and spaceships, but there’s no way I can believe in a rogue with a heart of gold Sign of the times. Yet I love this thread. What better question to ask than what makes a “bad” man turn good?

Heh Amanda what makes a bad man turn good see above. A girl in a metal bra tethered to a gigantic talking terd. Now that we know it is unrealistic.. LOL!

Metaphorically speaking, I’ve seen lots of plenty of beautiful women in metal bikinis tethered to gigantic talking turds.

And if you don’t believe in Jedi Knights, then you should know there are 70,000 of them in Australia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2218456.stm

well Darrell let me just get on my metal bra, tether myself to a turd, and float on over there… LOL!