star wars meme : ten scenes (4/10) → leia kills jabba
One of my favorite things about this scene is how simply brutal it is. This isn’t a quick and clean death. There is no spit of laser or flash of ‘saber blade that results in a corpse. No, there is no blood, no smoking flesh, not even a scream–just a choked gurgle for a death rattle, and Leia’s grunt. But as such, this death is actually probably the most “explicit” of all the murders/killings in the trilogy. Because this is a vicious struggle of strength and will–and it is shown as such, in a visceral way that is seen nowhere else in the entire trilogy.
And that is just so important to me. Because this is also such a personal scene–for Leia and (maybe I shouldn’t go here in this but) for all victims of sexual abuse. She doesn’t need anyone to save her–she saves herself, frees herself from her captor and abuser. She defeats him, kills him–murders him. It’s not a quick and clean death. It is a struggle. It is visceral, and painful, and drawn-out. It’s isn’t beautiful, or “romantic” in any sort of way. And Leia, here, is allowed to show that. Is allowed to show her anger, and her rage, and the fact that this was a fight. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t pleasant. It was hard and brutal and probably painful.
(And no, I’m not saying that all victims of sexual abuse should kill their abuser. Because that’s generally considered murder, which is widely regarded as a federal crime. But, at least in my experience, there is still a fight to be had–a struggle, a battle, a demon in the head or heart that needs to be fought and killed. Maybe it’s fear. Maybe it’s hate. Maybe it’s even dependence on the abuser. It’s different in every situation, I’d warrant. But the battle to free yourself from the overhanging, overshadowing pall that remains after such an abuse? Well, at least to me, it feels a lot like watching Leia strangle Jabba.)