Star Wars the Force Awakens is here. I, of course, loved it because it's Star Wars and I've previously explained how much Star wars means to me. However, there are many things about this new movie that I think were superbly done. JJ Abrams really created a wonderfully familiar sandbox that at it's core is Star Wars, but brings many new and exciting ideas to the Star Wars universe. He did what I knew he had to do, create a way to pass the torch from the old Star Wars to a new generation.
Before I jump into Episode 7, let me talk a bit out what I see the stories of 1-3 and 4-6 being and how they inform thing in 7.
Anakin Skywalker is the central figure in Episodes 1-3, and at their heart, 1-3 is a tragedy. A noble man is undone by a fatal flaw, and I do think Lucas was trying to go more Shakespearean for 1-3 than he had in 4-6 because this wasn't about a heroes journey but all about the fall of Anakin (he even tried including a fool in Jar Jar with very limited success). It was important to be aware of Anakin's flaw being his attachments - to his mother as a child and having to leave her behind, to losing her to the sand people, and his failure with Ashoka in the Clone Wars - so that when he is faced with another potential loss in Padme, he has no hope but to be undone by that flaw. It's also important to understand that only one Jedi obtained 'immortality', and that is Qui Gon Jinn. Yoda becomes aware that Qui Gon Jinn returned after death when he hears him in the force as Anakin is killing all the sand people. He then tells Obi Wan to learn how to do this as well. This are fairly important details that feed into understanding parts of 4-6. We are also told of the prophecy about someone bringing balance to the force, but we aren't really told what that is. Now, it seems clear that the Sith and Jedi think balance means that only they exist, but that's not how balance works. More on this in a bit.
So, 4-6 are all about the hero's journey of Luke, but also a bit about the redemption Darth Vader. More importantly, 4-6 are the first repeat of a cycle in many ways. The same bits that fed into Anakin's past, feed into Luke's past. Luke loses his 'parents' in uncle Owen and Beru, as Anakin lost his mother. Luke 'loses' Obi Wan, as Anakin lost Qui Gon Jinn. Both start on a hopeless desert planet trying to survive. And in many ways, episodes 1-3 are a mirror image of episodes 4-6. Now, there are a few things that stick out as being a bit off to me, and that's just how much Obi Wan manipulates Luke to try to get the balance that he believes which is no sith. He isn't actually killed by Darth Vader, but lures Vader to have a big showy fight for Luke's sake, then disappears into the force to become a force spirit like Qui Gon did (Yoda does this too). This way, he can place a giant wedge between Luke and Vader so that Luke is less likely to be tempted by his father. Plus, Obi Wan pretty much spins the truth to lead Luke around, for valid reasons but it's still a bit of a dick move.
This leads us to 7. Now, many people write off 7 as a remake of 4. It's true that events of 4 and 7 mirror each other, and that is very important to the story. By using the events and archetypes that we know from 4-6, we can learn so much about the world through the elements that are different than we do from the parts that are the same. Even the opening crawl does this to us with the last line, "General Leia has sent her most daring pilot". This is designed to make us think we are going to see Han, but instead we get Poe (aka my space boyfriend). Right away we are informed much about Poe by comparing him silently to Han. He's a great pilot, irreverent, and clever. But he is also very loyal and committed to the cause immediately, unlike Han who had to be convinced to think of more than himself. This says a lot about who Poe is in a short amount of time.
Rey is a woman trying to survive on Jakku. A lone figure on desert planet, who has lost her family. She is our Luke and we know this from all the little things they show us. She wears a rebel fighters helmet, she's immediately a great pilot much like Luke and Anakin were. Here, the similarities help us to guess at who this mystery girl really is. But they also show that she is a surviver. Unlike Luke, who was an innocent punk kid, Rey is a fighter who has struggled. She knows how to defend herself, she understands mechanics by surviving through scavenging parts (her opening scene of removing the part from the Star Destroyer is a clever telegraph of what she does later to open the doors for Han and Chewie on Starkiller Base). She knows how to fight, but she also is compassionate and wants to do the right thing and avoids temptation, like selling BB8 for more food than she has probably seen in her lifetime. But she also has a flaw of attachment, she feels she has to stay on Jakku to be with her family. She, like Anakin, can't let go. But unlike Anakin, she eventually accepts that loss in her life.
Finn is the wild card. Finn is a villian seeking redemption, but he is also our innocent. He knows nothing of the world other than what he was conditioned to believe. In that first battle, when what he was conditioned to believe and the reality of what he sees around him collide, he rejects that life. He also becomes our reluctant hero. While Rey is use to fighting, and runs head first into action, Finn wants to run away, to survive. They are a good pair together because they show the two sides of most human insticts, fight or flight. I think most people would be Finn, just get away and be safe. But Finn will do the right thing to protect the people he cares about.
Kylo Ren is Darth Vader, or at least he wants to be. All of the familiar trappings of Darth inform us about Kylo, he's cruel, angry and is a emo whiner like Anakin. However, they let us know right away that he is different. We have not seen such raw and blunt force use like we see with Kylo. This difference shows us something has changed. His powers are bigger, more dangerous (which is also mirrored in Starkiller Base - bigger and more deadly). But, we also get to see that unlike Darth Vader, Kylo feels a pull to the light, he knows what he is doing and can feel that regret and guilt gnawing at him. He has to remind himself to stay angry, to stay in the darkness where he thinks he has power. He is at his most powerful when he is lashing out, and filled with fear. The scene with Rey resisting him and uncovering his fear about not living up to Vader was excellent in not only humanizing Kylo and his weakness more, but showing Rey's awakening power and confidence. Kylo also has to deal with his father, and is offered the same choice that Luke had to make. But unlike Luke, Kylo decides to finally give into the darkside and destroys his father to make his journey complete.
So right away, we know much about these people by who they are like, and where they differ. But the events of The Force Awakens also tell us a lot about the world and galaxy. First of all, we are running through the same events again. We know that Anakin failed to bring balance in 1-3, but the hope that Luke brought us in 4-6 also didn't pan out. The cycle was not broken and things have gotten worse. The light side of the force seems to have been driven from the universe, and it's believed that Luke is the last flicker of light left, that is until Rey touches Luke's saber and her power fully begins to appear. In fact, Maz Kanata helps Rey to understand that she needs to let go of her past, release her attachments to move forward, allowing her to surpass Luke and Anakin. However, the universe is still trapped in an escalating cycle, the end result of this go around being the First Order and Starkiller base - bigger, darker, and more destructive.
The First Order are stormtroopers, so we know who they are right way. They are foot soldiers and loyal to this new 'empire'. But unlike clones (who were created and programmed) or the stormtroopers of 4-6 (ordinary citizens enlisted into the military), First Order stormtroopers are a horrible hybrid of clonetroopers and Jedi. These units are programmed just like the clones were, but were stolen as children - a practice previously used by the Jedi. I can't help but feel that this is a dark insight on the failings of the old Jedi order and how rigid they actually were, leading to their downfall. Star Wars has always been about light and dark, good and evil, uniformity against diversity.
Not only does Ep 7 thematically deal with light and dark, but how it is shot was so clever at underlining these themes as well. The opening planet is a bright white shot of Jakku, that is blotted out by the dark shadow of the Star Destroyer. The Stormtroopers arrive in darkness and become visible in the flickering light. They attack at night, and BB8 flees in darkness. Rey appears during the day, in the darkness of the Star Destroyer before walking out into the light. She finds BB8 during the day. Finn sheds his stormtrooper armor and his old self as he walks through the desert, and puts on Poe's jacket to become a new person. Han's ship is dark and empty, just like he is until he is returned home and the spark of life and purpose comes back to him. The snow on Starkiller base is bright white, and Kylo and Rey fight among dark trees - a perfect visual for the light fighting the dark. Kylo is in black and uses anger to gain power, Rey is in light grey (interesting choice) and only finds power through calm and letting go of her fear. Starkiller Base explodes and becomes a sun, a source of light. One of the most moving sequences of light and dark for me comes when Kylo and Han are on the bridge. The sun is being drained, but there is still light in the sky that is shining on Kylo and Han. It's only when that light goes out, that Kylo does the final act in darkness. Powerful imagery.
Star Wars The Force Awakens leaves many questions unanswered because it knows that it is part of a trilogy, but through clever use of mirroring, tells a very rich story in a small amount of time. Every time I watch the film, I find something new, like understanding that Rey was left on Jakku after Kylo killed the Jedi (as shown in her flashback). So, did Luke hide her away, and then leave breadcrumbs to find him so that the First Order was only looking for him and Rey could protected?
Overall, I found the movie to be brilliant and successful and I'm happy we have a new addition to our mythic cycle.
