I am so excited! This year, for my resolution project, I’m rewatching the Star Wars franchise. I chose it because I love Star Wars, and I thought it would be fun to re-watch the movies in order of release date, with perhaps a bit more of a critical and appreciative eye than I have before.
This month’s installment: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.
The Premise:
Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares for battle with the First Order.
Minor spoilers for a 2-year-old film ahead.
I went into this re-watch with a slightly different mindset. Instead of just reminding myself of all the parts I love, or didn’t love, I wanted to see if my train of thought on Family and the Force stands up.
Yes, Anakin Skywalker was born into slavery, but he had a high midichlorian count which made him the chosen one. Luke and Leia are orphans, but they are Anakin’s kids. They inherit the Force.
The Force, as is said repeatedly throughout the franchise, states that it is the energy that is everywhere, around us and in us. That should mean that anyone, under the right training, should be able to wield it. Thank God they abandoned that whole midichlorian business. I mean, I know they were trying to make the whole series based on some kind of science instead of magic, but really, it was stupid, and negated the whole idea behind the Force.
In Rogue One, no one uses the Force. There are no Jedi and yet we have Chirrut Îmwe who believes in it. He says, “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me,” when going into battle. There is no proof that he can actually use the Force, and yet there does seem to be some kind of amateur assistance.
In The Force Awakens, the speculation began about who Rey’s parents were. They had to be one of the Skywalkers or someone else who could use the Force and so passed it on to Rey. Rey buys into that thinking too, that her parents must have been special, and she is desperate to know who they are. Kylo Ren plays into that desperation, and yet he knows, and he says, they are no one. They were junk collectors. By telling Rey this, he is trying to destroy her belief in herself. Kylo Ren, like everyone else, believes the Force can only be passed down from parent to child. Rey proves otherwise. If she can wield the Force, then everyone can.
Luke believes that only certain people can use the Force too, so he believes he’s the last Jedi. He wants to end the order of the Jedi. Except that he was training a bunch of younglings to be Jedi, along with Ben Solo, when Ben destroyed it all. So where did those younglings come from?
Everyone can use the Force with the right training.
And that scares Kylo Ren more than anything. He’s already an imposter. He tries so hard to be like his grandfather Darth Vader, with that stupid mask he doesn’t need like Vader needed his to live. Everyone keeps telling him to take it off. Everyone can see he is the great pretender who can only emulate power. His heritage is all he has to hold onto. It is the only thing that validates his existence and quest for power.
If anyone can use the Force, then what is to stop the lowliest person (in his eyes) from defeating him and taking power? I think that scares Kylo at first. He tries to cut down Rey by telling her that her parents were no one. When he sees Rey doesn’t back down, it inspires him. It fires him up. General Snoke may be the Supreme Leader now, but if anyone can wield the Force, then anyone can take the supreme leadership, and why shouldn’t that someone be him?
In Conclusion: I have a feeling that in the new movie, The Rise of Skywalker, they’re going to reveal something about Rey’s heritage, something to say she’s some descendant of Yoda or something, but I hope not. The Force is like knowledge or education. It isn’t just for the elite. It shouldn’t depend on who your parents are to receive it, use it, and make the world a better place.
What would you do if you could use the Force? What source of dark or evil would you eradicate? Or would you go to the dark side and become the Supreme Leader?
Up next: Solo: A Star Wars Story.
I would use the Force for impeachment.
[…] Sherry continues her Resolution Project in a galaxy long ago and far away — she’s watching every cinematic offering in the Star Wars franchise! We’re up to Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, the second offering in the Star Wars sequels that came out in 2017. More than just a critique of the film, Sherry’s analyzing what the Force actually means, and how family plays a role in fate (or does it?). Kylo Ren, son of heroes Han Solo and Leia Organa, is anything but; Rey’s parentage continues to be a mystery, but does that affect her role in the grand scheme of things? There’s a lot to unpack here, and it’s perfect prep for when Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker comes out next month. Read on! […]