skywalkerapologist:

luminousfinn:

The
narrative arc The Force Awakens create between Finn and Kylo Ren is an interesting one.
Visually it begins in the very first scene they appear on screen
together at the assault of Tuanul village after
the execution of the villagers that FN-2187 refused to participate
in. When Kylo Ren is returning to his shuttle, he stops and stares at
Finn for, at the time, no discernible reason.

In
doing this the movie draws a visual line between the two men,
connecting them in the audience’s mind and in-universe. One is
dressed in black, the other in white, both are helmeted and faceless,
but already we have witnessed the distinction between them and the
movie spends the rest of its time emphasizing it: Kylo Ren will
murder on a whim, while FN-2187 refuses to kill unarmed civilians.

After
this “meeting” Kylo Ren maintains a distinct interest in FN-2187. So much that he not only knows that it was the same
trooper which aided Poe in escaping, but that when he learns that Finn
has got away with BB-8 he throws one of his two destructive rampages.

The
other he has when Rey escapes captivity.

After
this their stories part for a time, but only to be rejoined on Starkiller
Base after Kylo Ren murders Han Solo.

After Chewie shoots Kylo, blows up the oscillator and everyone including Finn and Rey starts shooting, we see Kylo Ren kneeling on the bridge looking up. .

The camera cuts to an angle behind Kylo Ren’s head so we now also have Finn and Rey in the shot, both standing on a balcony in the background

Another
cut, closing up on our two leads. This shows them both standing,
looking down on Kylo Ren. Both look shocked and Finn is stepping
forward on the balcony, towards the audience and more importantly, towards Kylo.

Once
again the movie cuts and again it zooms in so that now Finn is in
focus. His face merges from the shock and fear he has so far
displayed, into grief, anger and determination. And throughout the
shot he steps further and further forward while the camera zooms in on him, visually emphasizing him
stepping into the conflict with Kylo Ren.

Rey
is barely in the frame here and by the end of the shot she’s entirely
gone, leaving her literally out of the picture.

Next
cut is back to Kylo Ren, who is staring up at Finn. The way this
sequence is cut together makes it startlingly clear that this is
where he is looking and who he is looking at. Kylo’s face merges from
surprise into unmitigated fury and hatred at the sight of FN-2187,
the Stormtrooper who defected, who is everything he is not.

The
whole sequence mirrors their first encounter with the two men staring at each other, though they’re now unmasked and we can see the mutual enmity clear on their faces. Finn
is no longer running away, he’s stepping forward and the camera zooms in on Kylo’s face drawing him into conflict with Finn as well. 

The movie sets up this conflict not just for the coming battle in the forest, but also for the next two Episodes as the battle between the two men is a draw. Finn
is defeated by Kylo, but the Dark Sider does not obtain the
lightsaber and is in turn defeated by Rey. Neither of them emerges a victor and the narrative conflict between them remains unresolved.

So whatever Episode VIII and IX brings, it is clear that Finn and Kylo will cross paths again and Kylo had better beware. To borrow John’s words: “Finn ain’t playing no more”, that much is clear from the scene in the oscillator.

Next cut is back to Kylo Ren, who is staring up at Finn. The way this sequence is cut together makes it startlingly clear that this is where he is looking and who he is looking at. 

This part is so important and yet flew over like 90% of the fandom’s heads in favor of focusing on Rey (gee I wonder why). 

The shift in Finn’s expression from shocked grief to quiet rage reminds me of Luke’s reaction to seeing his aunt and uncle’s burnt corpses in ANH. Obviously Rey and Kylo will be squaring off again in VIII but TFA also made it clear that there’s some serious bad blood between Finn and Kylo that’s entirely separate from wanting to protect or recruit Rey. Which is why I roll my eyes when I see people claim that Finn is going to be shunted off to a B-plot opposite Hux (a character he never interacted with in TFA) and Phasma (who he literally threw in the trash).

Also, it’s worth noting that for the first time, Rey has to take Finn by the arm and pull him away.

Kylo was stumbling up towards them and I’m not convinced that Finn wouldn’t have tried to take him down right then and there.