Page 141 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2019)

LEIA ORGANA
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07
Briefing the Pilots on Hoth
Some Leia scenes gain greater signifi cance
with hindsight. The Hoth scenes in The Empire
Strikes Back include some fun Leia moments
that build on the romantic possibilities set up
in A New Hope. Yet it is the briefing of the rebel
pilots on the icy planet that invites reassessment
after seeing The Force Awakens. Whereas, in
A New Hope, Leia is the natural leader of a small
group, and a profi cient fighter, on Hoth she is
already in her element as a military commander.
The screenplay captures this accepted authority
in a few lines:
LEIA: All troop carriers will assemble at the
north entrance. The heavy transport ships will
leave as soon as they’re loaded. Only two fi ghter
escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be
opened for a short time, so you’ll have to stay
very close to your transports.
HOBBIE: Two fighters against a Star Destroyer?
LEIA: The ion cannon will fire several shots to
make sure that any enemy ships will be out of
your flight path. When you’ve gotten past the
energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous
point. Understood?
PILOTS: (in unison) Right. OK.
LEIA: Good luck.
She might still be known as ‘Princess,’ but
to all intents and purposes, this is our fi rst
glimpse of ‘General’ Leia. She is an even more
empowering figure than the one we meet in A
New Hope, and in 1980, she helped to convince
a generation of women that they had a place in
the military and other high-status strategic roles.
The scene remains inspirational today.
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