Yet there was never any question about who was the emotional center of the Rebellion—and the trio of Han, Leia, and Luke. While Han was vacillating between being a rebel or a rogue, and Luke was impetuously disobeying his Jedi master, Leia was always the rock. She had a mission to overthrow the Empire, and nothing could keep her from that.
Yet Leia was always pure woman. It wasn’t she who aggressively pursued Han. Instead she allowed herself to be pursued. In most movies today, the female character is the one who initiates the first kiss (think Ginny in “Harry Potter,” for example), supposedly showing that “she’s in control,” but Leia allowed Han to be the lead in their romantic relationship. All the while she remained the leader of the Rebellion that Han was a part of. Likewise, she was the “damsel in distress,” having to be rescued by the guys in “A New Hope” (although she then had to help them actually escape!).
Most likely, Hollywood wouldn’t allow a Princess Leia again. They surely wouldn’t want to have a female lead rescued by men, or stay behind during major battles. Nor would they want a woman who allowed herself to be wooed by a male lead. Yet in refusing to depict such a woman they denigrate the beautiful and unique strengths of women, strengths found in Princess Leia.
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