With 'Force Awakens,' 'Star Wars' expands its universe
In 2015, people across the world are divided over gun control, terrorism, immigration, and whether the term 鈥淐hristmas鈥� should come with a trigger warning.
But there is one thing that can unite almost everyone: the release of 鈥淪tar Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.鈥�
The resumption of George Lucas鈥檚 space opera offers a shared cultural experience that transcends generations, gender, race, and politics. These days, that鈥檚 rarer than water on Tatooine. The popularity of 鈥淭he Force Awakens鈥濃�� ticket pre-sales are $100 million in the US alone 鈥� arises from a desire to revisit some old friends (and meet some new ones) in a galaxy far, far away. But a core appeal of 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� may lie in its universal themes and inclusiveness.
鈥淭here a lot of entry points into the series,鈥� observes Alyssa Rosenberg, an obsessive 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� fan who blogs about pop culture for The Washington Post. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e a teenager, Luke Skywalker may be your point of identification. If you鈥檙e a bit older and you feel jaded, then maybe Han Solo is the person who hooks you into the storytelling. If you鈥檙e optimistic, or idealistic, then maybe Princess Leia is the way into the series. One of the things that 鈥楾he Force Awakens鈥� does really well is that it broadens those opportunities and entry points. It鈥檚 important to remember that it鈥檚 a movie where the three leads are a man of Hispanic descent, a black man, and a woman.鈥�
鈥淭he Force Awakens鈥� bridges two generations of characters. The story picks up three decades after the events of 鈥淭he Return of the Jedi鈥� and includes many familiar faces. But the emphasis this time is on new, young characters鈥攁n attempt to draw in Millennial moviegoers. (Don鈥檛 worry, the yellow scrolling text at the start of the movie doesn鈥檛 include Emojis.)
These main characters are also more diverse than the patrons of the Mos Eisley cantina. British actor John Boyega, who is black, depicts a Stormtrooper named Finn. Fellow Londoner Daisy Ridley stars as Rey, a self-reliant scavenger. Guatemalan-American Oscar Isaac plays cocky pilot Poe Dameron.
The conscious diversity of these characters is partly a response to the perceived racism of the 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� prequels. 鈥淭he Phantom Menace鈥� included black actor Samuel L. Jackson as a Jedi, but it also featured a conniving alien race that appeared to mimic Asian stereotypes. And a certain floppy eared, dreadlocked, and widely ridiculed sidekick spoke in pidgin English reminiscent of 1930s African-American comedian Stepin Fetchit.
The business side of moviemaking has dramatically changed between the release of 鈥淭he Phantom Menace鈥� and 鈥淭he Force Awakens.鈥�
鈥淭he market is no longer white, suburban America,鈥� says Harry Benshoff, a professor of Media Arts at the University of North Texas and co-author of 鈥淎merica on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies.鈥� 鈥淭he market is a global audience that is very diverse.鈥�
Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of movie audiences in the US. And Mr. Isaac's inclusion in 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� is notable given how few Latinos were represented in Hollywood movies this year. (Also largely missing: Asians and Muslims.)
The casting of Mr. Boyega and Mexican-Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o feels proactive during a time of widespread conversations about gender and race in the workplace, politics, and culture.
Despite its alien landscapes, 鈥淭he Force Awakens鈥� reflects our world in other aspects. At a time when one of the leading candidates for commander-in-chief of the United States is a woman, it鈥檚 fitting that Leia has jettisoned the princess title and is now a general of the rebel armed forces. It鈥檚 a natural progression for a character whom, one imagines, could command Han Solo to wash up the dishes in the Millennium Falcon.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a feminist icon,鈥� says Sarah Seltzer, an editor-at-large at Flavorwire who frequently writes about feminism. 鈥淚 went online yesterday to look for feminist odes to Princess Leia. There were so many!鈥�
The series鈥� new heroine, Rey, fits into the trend of female action heroes in movies such as 鈥淭he Hunger Games,鈥� the 鈥淒ivergent鈥� series, and 鈥淢ad Max: Fury Road.鈥� 鈥淭he Force Awakens鈥� also passes the so-called Bechdel test, which is assessed by whether two named female characters have a conversation about something other than a man.
Yet despite all the progress heroines are making on-screen, women in entertainment still face challenges. In a widely read 2015 essay, Jennifer Lawrence revealed her first-hand experience of the gender pay gap in Hollywood and how difficult it is for men in the industry to accept assertive women. Meanwhile, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently opened an investigation into alleged Hollywood discrimination against female directors.
Yet it would be a misnomer to conclude that Hollywood is as much a boys-only club as the Galactic Empire in the original 鈥淪tar Wars.鈥� (The baddies in 鈥淭he Force Awakens鈥� now include women and people of color.) As chairman of Universal Pictures, Donna Langley has generated a record-breaking $6.7 billion box-office in 2015. She鈥檚 responsible for green lighting 鈥淪traight Outta Compton鈥� and 鈥淧itch Perfect 2,鈥� hit movies without white male leads. Ms. Langley鈥檚 biggest hit, 鈥淛urassic World,鈥� will most likely be eclipsed by 鈥淭he Force Awakens.鈥� That movie鈥檚 producer is Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.
Ms. Kennedy鈥檚 canniest move was to persuade J.J. Abrams to direct 鈥淭he Force Awakens.鈥� If there鈥檚 one person who can unite 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� fans across the decades, it鈥檚 Mr. Abrams. As a longtime devotee himself, the director not only tried to recapture the humor and fun of the original trilogy, but was also keen to focus on its underlying themes.
鈥淭o me 鈥楽tar Wars鈥� was never about science fiction 鈥� it was a spiritual story,鈥� Abrams told SlashFilm.com. 鈥淲hen I heard Obi-Wan say that the Force surrounds us and binds us all together, there was no judgment about who you were. This was something that we could all access.鈥�
Abrams鈥� nonsectarian outlook is a signature element of his productions. Following in the footsteps of his two 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� films, which paired Spock and Uhura as a couple, 鈥淭he Force Awakens鈥� features an interracial love story.
鈥淔or the younger generation, I think the interracial romance is moot,鈥� says to Anne Thompson, editor-in-chief of influential entertainment industry blog Thompson on Hollywood. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 notice it. The same goes for gender issues. It鈥檚 the older generation that gets hung up on that stuff.鈥�
For the most part, the original trilogy transcended debates about categorization. Even though its principals were white (with the honorable exception of Billy Dee Williams), the tale of Darth Vader鈥檚 redemption spoke to the human condition.
People of every stripe could relate to its universal truths, says Allen Voivod, host of the daily podcast 鈥淪tar Wars 7 by 7.鈥� Indeed, 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� is actually about seeing beyond appearances.
鈥淟uke realizes that there鈥檚 actually a person under [the suit]鈥攕poiler alert, his father 鈥攁nd that there鈥檚 actually humanity that can be touched in there,鈥� says Mr. Voivod. 鈥淗e tries to bring him back to the good side. People are not irredeemably lost to one side.鈥�
That sense of optimism is something the old and new trilogies share in common. Viewers may come away from 鈥淭he Force Awakens鈥� with a new hope.
鈥淥ne thing I noticed watching 鈥楾he Force Awakens,鈥� is how often the characters hug each other,鈥� says Ms. Rosenberg. 鈥淭he characters are not riven by the same identity-based divides or gender and race assumptions. That鈥檚 utopian, to a certain extent. But it鈥檚 also just a relief to spend time in that kind of world for a while.鈥�
