‘A Spark to Light the Fire…’ And Why The Last Jedi is the Most Important Film of the Year
Harry Potter. Lord of the Rings. The Matrix. Over the years these are the series that I have loved and made me realize the importance of friendship, loyalty, love, and perseverance. While these films have provided me with so much entertainment, there is one that stands tall above the rest…STAR WARS.
No other saga has filled me with such joy and cinematic wonderment more than Star Wars. Being in a theatre and seeing “A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…” followed by John Williams iconic score immediately overwhelms me with the magic of cinema. I am transported to a distant universe riddled with intriguing creatures, fiendish villains, and unlikely heroes. Anytime I watch these films there is a smile from ear to ear with tears streaming down my face. This is what going to the movies is all about.
I purchased my ticket for The Last Jedi 2 months in advance. To say I was excited would be a gross understatement. The theatre is my church, the only place I can go to feel a sense of belonging. There are fandom’s that I simply do not understand, but to be surrounded with die hard fans on opening night, who share the same enthusiasm is a thing of beauty. Before the movie started Star Wars devotees, dressed up in costumes of their favourite characters, went up front with a live band playing theme songs and dancing. I am not alone. This is my mecca. The hype is real.
Being a fan of writer/director Rian Johnson I knew I was going to see a well made movie. With most films I walk in hoping to be entertained, but when it comes to this saga I expect to walk out brimming with joy. I did not walk out of The Last Jedi filled with joy. I left with a feeling much more substantial.
I woke up the morning of December 14, 2017 with so much excitement, that feeling was stripped away around noon that day. On this day the FCC, led by chairman Ajit Pai, voted to repeal net neutrality. After the vote was made it was readily apparent that the internet had became a quite desolate place. With a simple login to Twitter or Facebook you could see and feel an immense sense or sorrow. 2017 has been a bleak and dismal year. From the swearing into office of Donald Trump, to the tragic events in Charlottesville, to mass shootings, faith in humanity dwindles daily. Everyday is a struggle to find the light to keep the fire burning in all of us. The repeal of net neutrality seemed like the proverbial nail in the coffin we call “hope”.
Feeling the fire dying out, I walked into The Last Jedi with much less excitement than I had when I woke up that fateful morning. I needed this movie to provide me with the joy that I felt was taken from a lot of us that day. There are many awe inspiring and emotional moments, also times where I was enthralled and swept up by childlike glee. Out of all of those feelings I had while watching there is one word that I kept repeating to myself: Resist.
At its core Star Wars is an allegory for World War II and the Nazi regime. From the paramilitary fighters who defended the Nazi party — Stormtroopers, to Darth Vader’s helmet which resembles those of the Nazi soldiers, all the way to the rise of power of Palpatine. Subtle, this is not. It’s almost impossible to separate politics from art, everything is indicative of the struggles we as a people suffer through on a daily basis. It may me be bringing my own baggage into this, but The Last Jedi reads as a political allegory of our times, and one we desperately need right now in our time of civil turmoil.
The original series had a ragtag band of heroes, some that we can all relate to. Luke, a young man living on a moisture farm looking up at 2 suns wishing for a more significant life. Han Solo, a rogue cynical smuggler who realizes the importance of helping those around him for the common good. Last but not least Princes Leia, a member of the rebel alliance who see’s the destruction of her home planet (along with everyone she’s ever loved) at the hands of the Empire’s secret weapon the Death Star.
The sequel trilogy had similar unlikely heroes. Rey, a headstrong scavenger who was left behind on a desert planet as a child; living in the relics of the past with dreams of one day having a more purposeful life. Finn, a Stormtrooper who after seeing the tyranny of the First Order flees with help from the captured Resistance fighter pilot Poe Dameron to retrieve information of the location of the missing Jedi master Luke Skywalker. Rose Tico, a member of the Resistance who after the death of her sister Paige goes on an adventure with Finn to hatch a plan to escape the First Order.
While there are some similarities and differences between the two trilogies one fundamental similarity exists with both: there is strength in numbers. If united for the same cause we can be the catalyst for change against something that seems insurmountable. Alone there is only so much one can accomplish, but together they are able to topple an evil empire. We are all in the foxhole together, and where there is will there is hope.
“Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to.” — Kylo Ren
During a pivotal moment in the film Rey feels that Kylo has returned to the light side of the Force, unfortunately she is quickly disappointed when he invites her to rule the galaxy with him. He posits that the only way to move forward is to put an end to everything that has come before. He is a complex character who no longer wants to be beholden to previous legacies, to him destroying it all is the only way to be free. It’s not an outlandish belief, but it is a very simplistic and destructive view of “progress”. Rey immediately rejects this notion. Only once we have accepted our troubled history can we finally become the person who we are meant to be. Honor the past, but do not hold it in such reverence and do not let it dictate the future. Though we may suffer incredible losses there are lessons to be learned.
On December 27, 2016 Carrie Fisher passed away. In a year where we saw the death of many icons this one hit me harder than I could have imagined. In hindsight her death feels like a harbinger of things to come in the coming year. She was our princess, not just for the character she portrayed, but for what she meant to legions of young girls. She destroyed the idea that a princess is a always a damsel in distress. You can be a princess, and still be a badass. She is the feminist icon who became the symbol of resistance. With the Women’s March she became the face of the rebellion against Trump. This was no longer about toppling a fictitious empire, it’s about toppling a terrifyingly real one.
The day she passed away I saw a tweet that really stood out to me. “Almost like the universe is trying to tell you something. Be the hero this year took from you.”. I think about that daily. Each day I strive to do more than the previous, some days are harder than others.
In 2017 there was a dark cloud cast over all of us. Some turned to creating art. Some turned to being activists. The vast majority turned to cynicism and nihilism rather than contributing to a greater cause. We were all clouded by a shroud of despair, all guilty of having a bit of a defeatist attitude. With the current state of the nation this notion is not hard to believe.
I understand that we all need a period of mourning, God I do, but letting these events keep you down is exactly what they want. We have all had set backs this year, but we mustn’t dwell on these tragedies, but focus on the future. These should all be motivators to go out and be the change you wish to see. The quintessential human emotion is hope, without it we would be lost. Do you want you and your generation to be remembered for your loses, or be remembered for what you fought for?
“That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love.” -Rose Tico
That statement rings as a rallying cry for the oppressed, the disenfranchised, and everyone who feels their voices are not heard. You are not alone. You cannot change the past, but you can impact the future. Though it may be hard to do we must reject the nihilistic nature of our current state of affairs and forge forward for future generations. Even when attempts may appear to be futile always remember there is still something to fight for, we are still here. Find your two suns. Be the spark that lights the fire to bring down the oppressors that threaten our freedom. The Last Jedi is a film that is for our time. It has inspired me to be more and do more, I can only pray that there are others that feel the same.
Resist. Godspeed, rebels.
