Harrison Ford's Portrayal of Han Solo: A Deep and Complex Character

When watching "The Force Awakens," one aspect that really leapt out at me was Harrison Ford's portrayal of Han Solo. His facial expressions gave away so much, conveying a sense of guilt, shame, sadness, concern, and even angst. The character's emotional depth was expertly captured by Ford, who seemed to bring the iconic hero to life in a way that felt authentic and nuanced.

One aspect that stood out to me was how Han Solo's words were laced with meaning, often conveying more than he explicitly stated. This was particularly noticeable when he spoke about not believing in the Force, a sentiment that had been rejected by Obi-Wan earlier on. Ford's delivery of this line felt like a nod to his previous character's past actions, highlighting Han Solo's growth and development as a character.

The film's symbolism is also noteworthy, with many elements serving as more than just surface-level motifs. One notable example was the scene where Ray walks up the Jedi steps to meet Luke Skywalker. A small detail that initially passed me by, I noticed something interesting when watching the film again – the objects that Ry walked past as she ascended the stairs seemed significant in their own right.

The power of these details lies in how they reinforce the overall story and themes of the film. It's a testament to J.J. Abrams' direction and Lawrence Kasdan's writing that such subtle elements can have such a profound impact on the viewing experience.

A Personal Connection to Han Solo

I've always been fascinated by the complexity of Han Solo, and "The Force Awakens" offered a fresh perspective on this beloved character. What struck me most was how Ford's portrayal captured the essence of Han's personality, conveying his emotions with a depth that felt both authentic and relatable.

For me, this was especially true when it came to Han's relationships with other characters. His dynamic with Luke Skywalker, in particular, felt particularly nuanced, as did his interactions with Leia Organa. These moments were expertly woven into the narrative, adding layers of complexity to the story that made it feel more immersive and engaging.

The Force Awakens: A Deep Dive

As someone who's seen "The Force Awakens" multiple times, I've had a chance to pick up on various details that may have initially gone unnoticed. These moments are what make re-watches so rewarding – they offer a fresh perspective on the story, highlighting elements that were previously overlooked.

One aspect that stood out to me during my latest viewing was how Han Solo's words and actions served as a kind of mirror or echo to Obi-Wan's past sentiments. This was particularly notable when Han spoke about not believing in the Force, a sentiment that had been rejected by his previous mentor. The significance of this moment lies in its representation of Han's growth and development as a character – he's come to understand the power of the Force in ways he previously didn't.

The Power of Symbolism

For me, one of the most compelling aspects of "The Force Awakens" is its use of symbolism. This is evident in many of the film's key moments, from the lightsaber duels to the climactic final confrontation. These scenes are often more than just action-packed set pieces – they're also rich in meaning and subtext.

One example that stands out to me is the scene where Rey walks up the Jedi steps to meet Luke Skywalker. This moment feels like a turning point in the story, marking a shift from one character's journey to another. The symbolism surrounding this event is complex, with many elements serving as more than just surface-level motifs.

A Note on Perception

I've been struck by how some viewers have reacted to "The Force Awakens," perceiving it as a lesser installment in the Star Wars saga compared to other films. For me, however, this couldn't be further from the truth – I believe that J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan crafted a story that's both deeply personal and richly layered.

It's possible that some viewers may have been taken aback by the film's pacing or tone, which can make it feel less cohesive than other Star Wars movies. However, for me, this only serves to highlight the complexity of the narrative – there are many threads woven throughout "The Force Awakens" that might initially go unnoticed.

A Conversation with a Fellow Fan

I recently spoke with another Star Wars fan, who shared their thoughts on Harrison Ford's portrayal of Han Solo in "The Force Awakens." Their reaction was surprisingly different from mine, however – they believed that Ford seemed to be phoning it in. This surprised me, as I felt strongly that his performance was nuanced and convincing.

Ultimately, our differing perspectives highlight the subjective nature of Star Wars fandom. While some may view Han Solo's character development in a particular light, others may see him as staying true to form – whatever the case, both reactions are valid and worth exploring.

A Look at the Future

As I reflected on "The Force Awakens," I couldn't help but wonder about what the future holds for this beloved franchise. What new challenges will our heroes face? How will they evolve over time?

For me, the answer lies in the film's themes of growth, development, and the power of relationships. These are all elements that have defined Star Wars since its inception – whether through iconic characters like Luke Skywalker or Han Solo, or the ongoing struggle between good and evil.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my experience with "The Force Awakens" has left me in awe of Harrison Ford's portrayal of Han Solo. His nuanced performance captured a depth and complexity that felt both authentic and relatable. Whether you're a seasoned Star Wars fan or just discovering this beloved franchise, I encourage you to explore this iconic film for yourself – I'm confident that you'll find it rewarding and engaging in equal measure.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhello world I'm Chris pillo and you've tuned in to another LIVE edition of the locker Nome Daily Report or tldr for short uh I have to do 13 things at one time this sometimes makes for weirdness when I'm doing one thing as you see me doing another thing but that's the way it goes I'm actor director producer myself editor kind of as I edit on the Fly this is a live video being broadcast into the YouTube channel you can tune in if you become a patron at Chris P tldr is about an hour long so if you want to an hour of Chris pillo every day uh you can have it you can tldr comes in many parts the this first part then I move into perill piic and then after that I answer Tech questions and geek questions and then talk about geek culture and and Tech news so it it's really just a whole bunch of fun honestly but today's topic as you may uh have already realized if if you are indeed literate uh are three things that I think you should pay attention to or you need to pay attention to in the force awakens now I am not a Star Wars expert I'm sure some people would say that uh I I do happen to have a fascination with Star Wars it is my fandom uh it is a lifestyle for me I love it and there are very other uh a few other things that I love in life I've seen the force awakens now five times most recently was with Eric I took him and got him his own bucket of popcorn and his own set of the 3D glasses that I chose as pillo picks the other day you saw those already I'd assume uh I I don't know maybe you've never watched my videos before you don't know how this usually goes cuz I'm so that's kind of what the force awakens makes me even seeing it five times I'm ready to see it again I'm ready to go I cannot wait to see the force awakens again in the theater so there are many things that I think get skipped when uh you see the movie just once and that's why when I say you should see the force awakens at least twice I'm not saying it because I'm all like go Disney go you know go Star Wars go well yes I am but uh it's because I know you're going to pick up on different things the next time you see it rather than the first time when you're just kind of taking it all in the first thing I want you to pay attention to or you should pay attention to or you should see or listen to because you can't really see music is the music in my review or at least one of my reviews for the force awakens I talked about how the soundtrack uh which was nice it was a wonderful score didn't really hit home with me but the more I've seen the movie The More I recognize one part of the soundtrack over and over and over again uh and that's Ray's theme and this is simple complex memorable all like rolled into one uh because you'll hear it over and over and over again and this is the thing that you can't necessarily pay attention to the first time you see it even the second time maybe the third time you'll hear it more and more especially when Ray's involved or maybe when she's not directly involved you will hear her theme it is absolutely uh sewn within the movie and then that that is so I mean like in terms of how the movie progresses that's something that I don't think I appreciated honestly uh the the first few times that I saw it but the more I saw it the more I did appreciate it the more I picked up on it I I picked up on Q's even the first time around hearing uh uh Ray's theme kind of being intertwined with Luke Skywalker's theme I heard that it was clear that that was that was obvious uh but you know that's something you should be listening to because it it's it helps again kind of progress the movie or it helps the movie progress I could say it either way I suppose uh so that's one thing you should be paying attention to is listen listen for raised theme it is the strongest theme apart from maybe the classic themes that we've known and loved uh from the original trilogy at least in Star Wars so that's one thing uh that you should absolutely be paying attention to or picking up on the second thing that I I definitely mentioned in my review and I want to make sure you see that I don't know if you're going to catch the first time around symbolism and coming from someone who you know I guess I have an English background in terms of English education I took a lot of English courses and one of the things with literature is symbolism it's it's it's heavy like the writers use this as a a convention or a mechanism uh to convey meaning and I love symbolism I love I I love seeing it I love reading it I love hearing it and this movie is just packed jam packed with symbolism I talked about the symbolism in Han Solo's death uh where kylo Ren is standing in the light the light Fades and then you see kylo turn I and by the way I I I'm thinking about doing a separate video on why I hate kylo Ren as a villain more than Darth Vader and that's a good thing I'm saying that I think kylo Ren is more evil than Darth Vader and I have several reasons why that'll be another video for the future but the symbolism is just thick all the way down to kylo Ren and uh Ray's battle I mean it's obvious with the divide that happens when Star Killer base splits into or at least that part of the planet splits into and Ray goes on one side and and kylo on the other but even down to Ray fighting kylo in the lightsaber hilt or blades sorry as they were ignited uh uh kylo's red which is usually a symbol for evil and darkness uh and uh uh uh the blue or the white or the light uh with Ray it was just uh I thought it was just it was breathtaking I I I I think that's my f even though it wasn't like dramatic like you know un unlike uh Samuel L Jackson who thinks that they need to go to lightsaber training school he he obviously missed the point of Frey's character and Finn's character but that's okay um I think that's probably one of my favorite parts of any lightsaber battle in the Star Wars uh Universe because of the symbolism and because of how it was done the uh uh basically just the flashing of the the red and and the white it was just it was beautiful it was it was just absolutely beautiful and I loved it so there's so much symbolism and that's just that's high level symbolism that's easy that's like in in Geometry that's like a given the symbolism but there's so much symbolism throughout the force awakens that you know you don't necessarily pick up on until you've seen it a few times and then you realize wow that scene is so much better than I thought it was and I already thought it was good so pick up on the symbolism the last thing or at least the third thing not last thing not final point because maybe there's some other things that you want bring up that people should be paying attention to or picking up on in the force awakens um and I mentioned this in the review as well and I realized not everybody wanted to sit through my two-hour review this is the reason why I'm breaking it down for this uh particular uh video uh Han Solo's facial expressions and this is something that I don't think can be understated now as I begin to explain uh paying attention to Han Solo's facial expressions and why I believe this is something you need to be paying attention to as I hit refresh is this not going to work again today it was not working the other day Google Docs is something sometimes a little uh no okay fine I guess I'm going to do this then this is the list of patrons who get credit at least at one point during the tldr broadcast or at least a certain pledge level or higher uh Han Solo lays down so much foreshadowing not just within the movie itself but potential foreshadowing to future movies within this Trilogy episode 8 and N which haven't been fully written but there are certain things that that uh the directors of the other films are aware of that they communicated to JJ JJ made certain changes and I honestly believe that Han Solo as much as he's no longer with us uh as a character at least from how the force awakens was presented he laid so much I think there was he he was so powerful his character became more powerful because of what he was emoting it was there was more that was said in what wasn't said in the force awakens than what was said I think uh the actors did an amazing job uh in fact you know more than one person has now told me that Ry is now their favorite Star Wars character of all time uh she did such an amazing job and and and I think having Han Solo there was good to help you know bring things along at least for those of us who loved the original trilogy and still do but one thing that really leapt out at me was Harrison Ford's portrayal of Han Solo at this age and his facial expressions gave away so much and and said so much the guilt the shame uh the sadness the concern uh and and in The Angst it was just it was all laid out you knew you knew how he was uh how he was thinking he didn't have to say anything and you just knew Harrison did such an amazing job and it's so funny because one person that I talked to another a Star Wars fan I'm not going to take away from his perspective but he thought that his words were that Harrison Ford phoned in I'm like did we see the same movie because to me it was just the opposite he totally totally nailed it uh just watch when you see it for a second time watch for those things listen for the things listen for Ray's theme watch for the symbolism watch Han Solo's facial expressions because you know what's going to happen it gives you time to SN back and relax and just experience the film and watch knowing what's going to happen watch how it plays out and honestly I think that uh you know of all the Star Wars movies this is one of Harrison Ford's uh uh best portrayals of Han Solo and I'm not saying that the character is even the same but you you pick up on things that just mean so much more when you you look at this movie as more than just a movie and just enjoying it for Star Wars because it it's just deep it I mean that and that's the thing that just it strikes me as odd that anybody who just doesn't see it as deep because they have knee-jerk reactions or they imagined a different kind of future for our favorite Star Wars characters or uh the Galaxy of Star Wars entirely uh there's a lot of things that you can see when you watch it uh second third fourth even fifth time I picked up on a few other things that I didn't catch the first few times around the the books and and uh items that Ry walked past as she was going up the Jedi steps uh to to meet Luke Skywalker uh you know I picked up on that I picked up on the fact that when Han Solo was talking about how he didn't believe about you know this the the for he didn't believe the force you know but then yeah it's true all of it that that statement was powerful because he became the Obi-Wan type of character but if you notice he said it in in darn near the exact same spot as he once rejected the same sentiment from Obi-Wan and I I realized that he of course Harrison Ford said it but it was when I saw it the last time with Eric that I realized I'm like wow it the same it was the same space it's just cool I love how that just it works it really works for me that's not symbolism uh it's it's a mirror uh or an echo of the past but it it just also shows you know how much these characters have progressed you know beyond our our scope or understanding at this time because of how for the force awakens has been laid out so uh those are my thoughts uh just three things that I I I I I really think you need to be paying attention to in the force awakens maybe other people caught other things that they think are just deeper than just surface level stuff uh but it was it was just done well it's one of the reason why I like seeing it over and over and over again now I need to move on today's Perillo picks and I do have several picks today although they are kind of uh the same uh I do also want to uh you know mention that I've got a couple of tech questions that I've already rolled in that I'm going to be answering in this uh in this particular broadcast oh Eric he says his theory is that Ray is being led by the spirit of Obi-Wan that is possible we don't know we are you we don't know we don't know I love that I love not knowing I do some people just get angry at that I'm like yeah it keeps driving me forward okay so thank you everybody uh if you are a patron of course you can tune in for the the entire broadcast everybody else uh well thank you for your support if you want to support even more head over to Chris pill.com today's free podcast highlight was brought to you by all of my active patrons from Chris pill.com if you want access to the full tldr episodes both audio video past present and future which can be up to an hour long or longer with even more Tech Insight from me every weekday plus other bonus content without ads and supporting me at the same time you can sign up to become one of my super nomies too this is just a brief taste of what I'm producing for you daily again get more through Chris pill.comhello world I'm Chris pillo and you've tuned in to another LIVE edition of the locker Nome Daily Report or tldr for short uh I have to do 13 things at one time this sometimes makes for weirdness when I'm doing one thing as you see me doing another thing but that's the way it goes I'm actor director producer myself editor kind of as I edit on the Fly this is a live video being broadcast into the YouTube channel you can tune in if you become a patron at Chris P tldr is about an hour long so if you want to an hour of Chris pillo every day uh you can have it you can tldr comes in many parts the this first part then I move into perill piic and then after that I answer Tech questions and geek questions and then talk about geek culture and and Tech news so it it's really just a whole bunch of fun honestly but today's topic as you may uh have already realized if if you are indeed literate uh are three things that I think you should pay attention to or you need to pay attention to in the force awakens now I am not a Star Wars expert I'm sure some people would say that uh I I do happen to have a fascination with Star Wars it is my fandom uh it is a lifestyle for me I love it and there are very other uh a few other things that I love in life I've seen the force awakens now five times most recently was with Eric I took him and got him his own bucket of popcorn and his own set of the 3D glasses that I chose as pillo picks the other day you saw those already I'd assume uh I I don't know maybe you've never watched my videos before you don't know how this usually goes cuz I'm so that's kind of what the force awakens makes me even seeing it five times I'm ready to see it again I'm ready to go I cannot wait to see the force awakens again in the theater so there are many things that I think get skipped when uh you see the movie just once and that's why when I say you should see the force awakens at least twice I'm not saying it because I'm all like go Disney go you know go Star Wars go well yes I am but uh it's because I know you're going to pick up on different things the next time you see it rather than the first time when you're just kind of taking it all in the first thing I want you to pay attention to or you should pay attention to or you should see or listen to because you can't really see music is the music in my review or at least one of my reviews for the force awakens I talked about how the soundtrack uh which was nice it was a wonderful score didn't really hit home with me but the more I've seen the movie The More I recognize one part of the soundtrack over and over and over again uh and that's Ray's theme and this is simple complex memorable all like rolled into one uh because you'll hear it over and over and over again and this is the thing that you can't necessarily pay attention to the first time you see it even the second time maybe the third time you'll hear it more and more especially when Ray's involved or maybe when she's not directly involved you will hear her theme it is absolutely uh sewn within the movie and then that that is so I mean like in terms of how the movie progresses that's something that I don't think I appreciated honestly uh the the first few times that I saw it but the more I saw it the more I did appreciate it the more I picked up on it I I picked up on Q's even the first time around hearing uh uh Ray's theme kind of being intertwined with Luke Skywalker's theme I heard that it was clear that that was that was obvious uh but you know that's something you should be listening to because it it's it helps again kind of progress the movie or it helps the movie progress I could say it either way I suppose uh so that's one thing you should be paying attention to is listen listen for raised theme it is the strongest theme apart from maybe the classic themes that we've known and loved uh from the original trilogy at least in Star Wars so that's one thing uh that you should absolutely be paying attention to or picking up on the second thing that I I definitely mentioned in my review and I want to make sure you see that I don't know if you're going to catch the first time around symbolism and coming from someone who you know I guess I have an English background in terms of English education I took a lot of English courses and one of the things with literature is symbolism it's it's it's heavy like the writers use this as a a convention or a mechanism uh to convey meaning and I love symbolism I love I I love seeing it I love reading it I love hearing it and this movie is just packed jam packed with symbolism I talked about the symbolism in Han Solo's death uh where kylo Ren is standing in the light the light Fades and then you see kylo turn I and by the way I I I'm thinking about doing a separate video on why I hate kylo Ren as a villain more than Darth Vader and that's a good thing I'm saying that I think kylo Ren is more evil than Darth Vader and I have several reasons why that'll be another video for the future but the symbolism is just thick all the way down to kylo Ren and uh Ray's battle I mean it's obvious with the divide that happens when Star Killer base splits into or at least that part of the planet splits into and Ray goes on one side and and kylo on the other but even down to Ray fighting kylo in the lightsaber hilt or blades sorry as they were ignited uh uh kylo's red which is usually a symbol for evil and darkness uh and uh uh uh the blue or the white or the light uh with Ray it was just uh I thought it was just it was breathtaking I I I I think that's my f even though it wasn't like dramatic like you know un unlike uh Samuel L Jackson who thinks that they need to go to lightsaber training school he he obviously missed the point of Frey's character and Finn's character but that's okay um I think that's probably one of my favorite parts of any lightsaber battle in the Star Wars uh Universe because of the symbolism and because of how it was done the uh uh basically just the flashing of the the red and and the white it was just it was beautiful it was it was just absolutely beautiful and I loved it so there's so much symbolism and that's just that's high level symbolism that's easy that's like in in Geometry that's like a given the symbolism but there's so much symbolism throughout the force awakens that you know you don't necessarily pick up on until you've seen it a few times and then you realize wow that scene is so much better than I thought it was and I already thought it was good so pick up on the symbolism the last thing or at least the third thing not last thing not final point because maybe there's some other things that you want bring up that people should be paying attention to or picking up on in the force awakens um and I mentioned this in the review as well and I realized not everybody wanted to sit through my two-hour review this is the reason why I'm breaking it down for this uh particular uh video uh Han Solo's facial expressions and this is something that I don't think can be understated now as I begin to explain uh paying attention to Han Solo's facial expressions and why I believe this is something you need to be paying attention to as I hit refresh is this not going to work again today it was not working the other day Google Docs is something sometimes a little uh no okay fine I guess I'm going to do this then this is the list of patrons who get credit at least at one point during the tldr broadcast or at least a certain pledge level or higher uh Han Solo lays down so much foreshadowing not just within the movie itself but potential foreshadowing to future movies within this Trilogy episode 8 and N which haven't been fully written but there are certain things that that uh the directors of the other films are aware of that they communicated to JJ JJ made certain changes and I honestly believe that Han Solo as much as he's no longer with us uh as a character at least from how the force awakens was presented he laid so much I think there was he he was so powerful his character became more powerful because of what he was emoting it was there was more that was said in what wasn't said in the force awakens than what was said I think uh the actors did an amazing job uh in fact you know more than one person has now told me that Ry is now their favorite Star Wars character of all time uh she did such an amazing job and and and I think having Han Solo there was good to help you know bring things along at least for those of us who loved the original trilogy and still do but one thing that really leapt out at me was Harrison Ford's portrayal of Han Solo at this age and his facial expressions gave away so much and and said so much the guilt the shame uh the sadness the concern uh and and in The Angst it was just it was all laid out you knew you knew how he was uh how he was thinking he didn't have to say anything and you just knew Harrison did such an amazing job and it's so funny because one person that I talked to another a Star Wars fan I'm not going to take away from his perspective but he thought that his words were that Harrison Ford phoned in I'm like did we see the same movie because to me it was just the opposite he totally totally nailed it uh just watch when you see it for a second time watch for those things listen for the things listen for Ray's theme watch for the symbolism watch Han Solo's facial expressions because you know what's going to happen it gives you time to SN back and relax and just experience the film and watch knowing what's going to happen watch how it plays out and honestly I think that uh you know of all the Star Wars movies this is one of Harrison Ford's uh uh best portrayals of Han Solo and I'm not saying that the character is even the same but you you pick up on things that just mean so much more when you you look at this movie as more than just a movie and just enjoying it for Star Wars because it it's just deep it I mean that and that's the thing that just it strikes me as odd that anybody who just doesn't see it as deep because they have knee-jerk reactions or they imagined a different kind of future for our favorite Star Wars characters or uh the Galaxy of Star Wars entirely uh there's a lot of things that you can see when you watch it uh second third fourth even fifth time I picked up on a few other things that I didn't catch the first few times around the the books and and uh items that Ry walked past as she was going up the Jedi steps uh to to meet Luke Skywalker uh you know I picked up on that I picked up on the fact that when Han Solo was talking about how he didn't believe about you know this the the for he didn't believe the force you know but then yeah it's true all of it that that statement was powerful because he became the Obi-Wan type of character but if you notice he said it in in darn near the exact same spot as he once rejected the same sentiment from Obi-Wan and I I realized that he of course Harrison Ford said it but it was when I saw it the last time with Eric that I realized I'm like wow it the same it was the same space it's just cool I love how that just it works it really works for me that's not symbolism uh it's it's a mirror uh or an echo of the past but it it just also shows you know how much these characters have progressed you know beyond our our scope or understanding at this time because of how for the force awakens has been laid out so uh those are my thoughts uh just three things that I I I I I really think you need to be paying attention to in the force awakens maybe other people caught other things that they think are just deeper than just surface level stuff uh but it was it was just done well it's one of the reason why I like seeing it over and over and over again now I need to move on today's Perillo picks and I do have several picks today although they are kind of uh the same uh I do also want to uh you know mention that I've got a couple of tech questions that I've already rolled in that I'm going to be answering in this uh in this particular broadcast oh Eric he says his theory is that Ray is being led by the spirit of Obi-Wan that is possible we don't know we are you we don't know we don't know I love that I love not knowing I do some people just get angry at that I'm like yeah it keeps driving me forward okay so thank you everybody uh if you are a patron of course you can tune in for the the entire broadcast everybody else uh well thank you for your support if you want to support even more head over to Chris pill.com today's free podcast highlight was brought to you by all of my active patrons from Chris pill.com if you want access to the full tldr episodes both audio video past present and future which can be up to an hour long or longer with even more Tech Insight from me every weekday plus other bonus content without ads and supporting me at the same time you can sign up to become one of my super nomies too this is just a brief taste of what I'm producing for you daily again get more through Chris pill.com\n"