“Ben Solo had sought to abandon everything he had been, even casting aside his name. But Luke sensed that Kylo Ren was just a shell around the same broken boy he had tried so hard to reach.”
~ Luke Skywalker, The Last Jedi Novelization by Jason Fry
Adam Driver is giving the performance of my lifetime.
Adam Driver completely convinced me that his character in the first Star Wars sequel ‘The Force Awakens’, Kylo Ren, was a villain I did not ever want to see again.
Adam’s portrayal painted Kylo Ren as an emotionally unstable, extremely disturbed individual with breathtaking anger management issues who just so happens to be a very dangerous Dark Jedi whose great- grandfather is the force. Let me repeat that- the Force itself is his great-grandfather.
This character is the kind of person that is dangerous in our real world. And he’s imbued with God-like magical powers. And he’s a raving, murderous, megalomaniacal lunatic. And he’s first in line to Space Hitler with a navy full of increadibly deadly space-battle ships, an enormous army, a vast air force, and scientists and engineers that are capable of creating technology that can destroy whole solar systems at the press of a button.
In the second installment of the sequel triology Driver’s Kylo Ren becomes a changed man… or does he?
In The Last Jedi Driver shows us a completely new side of Kylo Ren as his character begins to interact with Daisey Riddley’s character, Rey, during his (and her) more private moments.
Ren’s public behaviour does not change during this time, he really is the kind of guy that you’re very very glad is fictional.
In private moments though, a completely different character comes alive right before our eyes.
Through his telepathic connection to Rey we are introduced to Ben Solo (the only child of Han Solo and Princess Leia, Nephew of Luke Skywalker, Grandson of Darth Vader and great grandson of The Force) as he emerges from the depths of Kylo Ren’s fractured Psyche.
The struggle, as portrayed by Driver, between the characters of Ben Solo and Kylo Ren for control of the body they share is written all over Adam’s incredible performance.
If you were disappointed that Ben didn’t seem happy to see Rey inside that capsule, or even if you weren’t, have you considered that maybe it’s because he *isn’t* happy to see her in the custody of the First Order, specifically in Snoke’s clutches?
If you think that was Kylo Ren standing in that hangar or elevator, or throne room may I direct you to his actions during these scenes?
He looks her in the eyes for a beat and is obviously not happy to see her.
(If that was Kylo Ren standing there wouldn’t he have seemed even a tiny bit happy?)
He has her arrested, yes, because it’s protocal.
Then he gets into that elevator with her and look at that face. It’s a mask. When Rey speaks to him he flinches and the mask falls away. He speaks to her with a quiet, intimate voice and what is the last thing he says to her? “Because of what I saw I know that when the time comes it will be you who turns. You will stand by my side.” He stops for a second then adds, “Rey, I saw who your parents are.”
To better understand this line let’s examine the line… what is this line? It’s out of place. That’s what it is. If evil Kylo said that to taunt her wouldn’t he have sneered or something? If Ben said it, why would he even bring that up? He knew he didn’t have time to explain it to her, so him bringing it up was a promise to tell her later, that’s why. He was reassuring her, in the only way he could, that they would talk again. Listen to the timber of his voice, listen to the way he says her name. Look at his face. Look at what Adam is doing in this scene, he is telling you with every part of his body, face, and voice that you are looking at Ben Solo. In the climax of the confrontation with Snoke watch as Ben looks Rey calmly in the eyes and listen to the timbre and lilt of his voice as he says, “I know what I have to do.” Look at his face, his eyes, mouth, and his brow… look at his face… Ben didn’t say those words to Snoke he said them to Rey. He is trying to reassure her that he’s not going to hurt her.
Now watch as Ben and Rey fight together. She gets stabbed in the arm while fighting one guy and it distracts him from the fight he is currently involved in with three guys. Does he freak out? No, he centers himself and comes back twice as savage as we’ve seen him yet.
Then what happened? He told her about her parents, told her he cares about her and begged her to join him. He saw the chance to make a real difference and he seized it and asked her to join him. She turned him down by going for her weapon. She didn’t just say no, she made a move that telegraphed the intent to kill him. Then she runs off and leaves him… and guess who takes over?
Yep, Kylo’s back and he’s pissed.
He goes into a murderous rage. Then he looks up and there she is, and blam! Ben is back. The battle raging inside that body is going to be fascinating to watch in 2019.
Ben Solo. Adam Driver.
Kylo Ren. Adam Driver.
One man, one actor, playing two vastly different personalities, making us love one character while we hate the other. Adam keeps us guessing which one he is portraying, sometimes, but if you look closely it becomes clear. Ben and Kylo are fighting for control.
Adam Driver’s performance so far in this trilogy, has been gripping. The story he is telling with his face, voice, and body is far beyond anything I’ve seen before and I cannot wait to see his performance in the last installment.
This is great. When I saw the look in his eyes when he opened the escape pod, it was sadness. I think he was sad and disappointed that she was impetuous enough to come, because she put herself in danger. You can see her recognition of his sadness as her look falls. BUT- she risked everything to come to him. The pure hearted bravery and selflessness is what broke open his heart, I think. He had to turn against Snoke because there was NO OTHER person in the galaxy left who would do that for him (after he killed Han). It was so powerful.
I love this interpretation so much @newerconstellations – the nuance in his expression, the “why” (for many reasons – why me? why do you care? why would you risk your life) and the fear and resignation and – as the novelization would have us believe by referencing his softness, almost a smile – the gratitude and the hope. Sigh.
my-reylo 