Ava DuVernay advised J.J. Abrams on the final Star Wars: The Force Awakens lightsaber battle
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is packed with memorable moments, from the first reveal of the Millennium Falcon to the confrontation between Kylo Ren and Han Solo. But one of the film’s most compelling scenes is that final snowy lightsaber battle between Kylo (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley), and director J.J. Abrams has revealed that he got a little advice from a fellow filmmaker on how to stage that showdown.
Disney will soon release a four-disc 3-D collector’s edition of The Force Awakens, and before the new release hits shelves, Yahoo! Movies has shared a clip from Abrams’ commentary, where he walks through that climactic battle. He revealed that he showed an early cut of the film to Selma director Ava DuVernay, who suggested a short but powerful closeup of Rey.
“It’s a little thing, but it really connects you to her intensity,” Abrams said.
He also added that the cliffside confrontation between Kylo and Rey was originally filmed differently, but during reshoots, he added the short moment where Rey closes her eyes and taps into the Force.
“We always had this moment, from when we shot it originally, and this used to be where she called him a monster and then pushed back,” Abrams revealed. “But instead, we reshot this and had her take this moment of hearing the Force and thinking about what Maz had told her, about closing her eyes and letting it in. And so she has this incredibly internal moment that is sort of extended in movie time, where she basically feels it, accepts it, and is now ready to kick his ass.”
Watch the scene with Abrams’ commentary below. The Force Awakens 3-D Collector’s Edition Blu-ray will be available Nov. 15.
