WARNING: This post contains SPOILERS for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Do not read on unless you've seen the movie (or want to be spoiled).
Director Rian Johnson has already acknowledged that his vision for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" may be divisive to fans. Now, one specific choice he made in the film has caused some theaters to post warning signs in an apparent effort to stave off fan confusion.
The moment in question has nothing to do with the plot, though. It occurs near the end of the film, when Vice Admiral Holdo (the fabulously purple-coiffed Laura Dern) sacrifices herself to save the rest of the Resistance, steering her failing ship straight at the First Order's destroyer. As she jumps into lightspeed, her ship slams into the destroyer, and both vessels explode; the film goes completely silent for several seconds, highlighting the magnitude of this catastrophic collision.
In an interview with Collider, Ben Morris, the film's visual effects supervisor, explained the thinking behind that striking aural choice. He told the site:
" ... [T]here's that moment of silence when Holdo sacrifices herself by flying into the Mega Destroyer. We had always hoped that would resonate, both as a story beat and as a striking visual, and when I heard all of the cries and gasps in the silence, it was just fantastic. We realized that it worked. That's never really happened in 'Star Wars' before."
Apparently, however, that silence was deafening enough that some fans thought something was wrong. In an apparent attempt to assure theatergoers that nothing was amiss, several AMC locations put up signs explaining the situation, with comedian Paul Scheer sharing a snap of one that was sent him.
"Please note: 'The Last Jedi' contains a sequence at approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes into the movie in which ALL sound stops for about 10 full seconds," the sign reads. "While the images continue to play on the screen you will hear nothing. This is intentionally done by the director for a creative effect."
Of course, AMC's decision to post those signs could also have something to do with the huge mix-up that occurred during a preview screening for the flick at an AMC location in Burbank, California, in which the sound cut out -- unintentionally, this time -- for the first 10 minutes of the movie. Angry theatergoers reportedly caused a near-riot, and the police were eventually called in to deal with the situation.
Thankfully, it doesn't appear as if the Holdo sequence has inspired any frantic 911 calls yet. But with fans still picking apart every moment of the movie, it seems like a pretty smart choice on AMC's part to play it safe, just in case.
[via: Paul Scheer, Collider, h/t Variety]