ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Return of the Jedi

Welcoming the Stranger: The Ewoks Got it Right

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If you’ve been on the Internet for more than 5 minutes in the past two days, you are no doubt aware of a certain PR crisis surrounding an alleged Presidential statement. Nightly news anchors, local bloggers, church leadership councils and literally millions of people are in a state of shock and uproar and have taken to the web in order to communicate their feelings on the matter. And while I am admittedly terrified to even step foot into such a polarizing climate, I am also committed to bearing witness to my Christian faith. Today that commitment has conquered fear. And it is through film that I hope to express my response.

Instead of watching a film and pulling out a certain element or moment, this time I needed to find a film that illustrated what I was already thinking, which can be summed up as “why are we ok with going into these countries to serve and help, but aren’t ok with bringing those same people to live among us?” In other words, “who is worthy of our welcome?” And as it does so many times, Star Wars can put it into perspective.

In Return of the Jedi, our beloved Rebels have infiltrated a small forest moon in order to destroy the shield generator that is protecting the unfinished Death Star. But before they can complete their mission, they get a little sidetracked by a tribe of Ewoks.

Personal feelings regarding Ewoks aside, they are the ones I want to focus on. At first they respond to the strange human creatures with fear – they are threatened and take the steps necessary to ensure their tribe’s safety. But then conversation happens. C-3PO (voiced by Anthony Daniels) tells the story of the Rebel Alliance and the Empire, of their journey to this place and their mission moving forward. Despite language and cultural (and species) barriers, the Rebels and the Ewoks connect. Even beyond that, the Ewoks accept these strangers into their tribe. They become family. The Rebels’ mission becomes the Ewoks’s mission. The Rebels’ needs become the Ewoks’ opportunity to give.

Yes, the Empire is a universal threat, meaning there can be immediate commonality between the persecuted. But accepting someone into the folds of a community goes beyond a common enemy – it illustrates a deeper desire for relationship. It’s an acceptance that has more meaning than the temporary joining of forces in battle.

When we welcome a stranger into our midst, embracing them as part of our family or community, we are actively participating within the Biblical narrative. The story of Christianity is permeated and formed with countless references of how the Israelites were required by God to welcome the foreigner and alien into their lives, and to treat them as “native-born,” granted the same rights and protections as anyone else. In the book of John, chapter 14, verses 2-4, Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Jesus came so that we may one day be brought to dwell with Him. We are undeserving and unworthy. We have done nothing to earn this privilege. Our beginnings are far below the majesty that is the Son of God. And yet we are welcomed into an eternal kingdom of glory! Jesus doesn’t care where we came from, but that we acknowledge His sovereign place as Lord of our lives. We are beloved not because we are Americans or African, white or black, rich or poor, but because we are created in God’s very image.

Yes, welcoming the stranger is scary. It’s risky. It requires vulnerability and grace and sacrifice. But there is so much more strength and power behind the gospel message when it is exemplified in our day-to-day interactions with the people that the rest of the world has deemed “unworthy.” It is wonderful to go into the lives of the suffering and help while and how we can. But it is life-changing when we welcome those same people into our communities to dwell with us.

Rogue One, a Star Wars Story: What Would You Die For? (A Spoiler-Free Review)

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rogueone
Rogue One is conspicuously “a Star Wars story,” not cut from the same mold as The Force Awakens. But from this lifetime Star Wars fan, that may in fact make it better than (some of) its predecessors. In fact, I found myself emotionally more connected to the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and her team of misfit castoffs than I did to any set of characters since… Return of the Jedi thirty-plus years ago.

[Editor’s note: this is about stealing the plans for the first Death Star. If that doesn’t make sense to you, you shouldn’t be reading this yet!]

Here, Jyn is the daughter of Galen Erso, research scientist for the Empire who designs the Death Star, and Lyra Erso (Valene Kane), whose one dying wish is that her daughter recognize the Force. While we have a typical Disney “orphaning” process in the first stanza, the next stage flips us forward fifteen years to the full-blown conflict between the Rebel Alliance in its fledgling, pre-New Hope success and the evil onslaught of “Lord” Vader and his evil Empire.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Director Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) Ph: Jonathan Olley �Lucasfilm LFL 2016.

In the present, Rebellian intelligence officer Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) makes Han Solo look like Snow White – Andor clearly shoots first, potentially having done worse work on behalf of freedom. Opposite Andor in capacity, but not necessarily in mentality, is Ben Mendelssohn’s Orson Krennic, whose Empire focus has him issue lines about how sometimes the presence of fear must predate freedom. [Who says this film doesn’t have a political feel? Oh, wait, the Alliance versus Empire saga has always had an eye to history. Check out the landing on Normandy played out in a galaxy far away by the end of the film… complete with WWII era helmets.]

rogueone2While Jyn struggles to figure out who she is, she’s joined by two former Jedi Temple guards, Chirrut Imwe (the great Donnie Chen), a blind Jedi follower, and his sidekick, Baze (Jiang Wen). The fact that their temple can no longer be guarded highlights that they have in fact failed – that some might see they have already lost. Thanks to their mentality and banter, they’ll provide the Force or no Force debate, with the blind man who can see better than the seeing serving up helpings of Yoda and Obi Won, while his mercenary friend believes (for much of the film) only in his blasters and brute strength. Rebellion or no, these two recognize the Empire as evil, and stand against it – but they recognize something different in Jyn. The human team is rounded out by The Night Before’s Riz Ahmed, who plays a defector from the Empire, Bodhi Rook, seeking his own set of redemption.

Jyn may be the one most likely catalyst to our story, thanks to a female protagonist with daddy issues, but she is hardly the last character in this film seeking redemption. To be clear, if you are a Star Wars fan, then watching the film is like watching Titanic – you know what is going to happen here, you know what the tragic future for many is, and yet, you’re gripped by the power of the Gareth Edwards-directed visuals and the story of true freedom fighters.

rogueone3This is only the second movie in 2016 to make me want to stand up and cheer at the end (the other, Hacksaw Ridge). This is the one that makes me want to highlight (again) for my children that in the end, the good guys always win … but that along the way, there are sacrifices made by brave men and women. Please don’t get me wrong: the movie made me laugh outloud (thank you, Alan Tudyk) and cry (here’s …looking… at you, Imwe) but it’s deeply provoking as it speaks to war, peace, justice, power, faith, and the practice of all of them. I’d say more – but I promised a spoiler-free review.

Just go see it. And then ask yourself, what do you believe in enough to die for? Are you willing to live for it, too?

Star Wars: The Force Awakens–Thoughts to Consider (SPOILERS)

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Kylo RenSince a large chunk of the population has donated a portion of their disposable income to a movie theater in order to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we’re getting to the point where spoiler-free reviews are going to be unnecessary. If you haven’t seen the film yet and want to be surprised when you get to the theater, I’d recommend taking a look at my earlier review first, since it contains no spoilers.   Otherwise, read on, as I go into some of my personal ponderings regarding the movie.

Scroll past the picture below to read on.  Otherwise, it’s okay to return later and read when you’ve had a chance to see the film for yourself.

Fighter battleAre we all here? Good.  Here are a few personal thoughts after seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens twice (Thursday PM and Friday PM):

I am not a Star Wars fanboy, but I have always had an interest in the series.  Perhaps it’s because George Lucas wanted to change some sequences in the preexisting films to make a plot point more noticeable (Greedo shooting first instead of Han Solo), more detailed (all the CGI with Jabba the Hutt in A New Hope) or look more unified (the horrific revised ending to Return of the Jedi that seems a bit ironic, seeing as it shows the folks on Corcuscant celebrating freedom, not knowing they’ll suffer the same fate as Alderann thirty years later). Maybe it’s because I wanted to leave a theater with a sense of awe and wonder—something I didn’t get when seeing The Phantom Menace back in 1999.  It could be due to the fact that I saw Peter Jackson succeed mightily in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Hobbit?  Not so much.). Regardless, I went in wanting something more, something dynamic, something post-worthy.

I got that—and much more.

The film’s first portion centers on the planet of Jakku, as BB-8 takes the map portion with him a few seconds before Kylo Ren’s Bat Cruiser (not trademarked, but it should be) shows up and annihilation occurs.  Rey, a scavenger in those parts, wants little to do with the droid when she encounters him and eventually has to make a decision about whether to sell him.  BB-8’s loyalty reminds me, in a non-speaking way, of the loyalty of Ruth to Naomi in the Old Testament (see Ruth 1:16-18).  Rey decides not to, and it’s a good choice on her part, as the droid introduces her to Finn, a Stormtrooper gone AWOL. The two make quite a formidable pair, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of this pair in future films.

As for Kylo Ren, it’s revealed that he’s the son of Han Solo and Leia.  He’s definitely a force (pun intended) to be reckoned with (notice the Force stop of Poe Dameron’s blaster shot in the opening sequence). In fact, the only folks who can fight him off are Snoke, General Hux, and (later on) Rey. But he’s got some serious issues. He has no control over his temper, slashing massive streaks into a computer wall when he finds out Rey was not captured. In another sequence, the Stormtroopers on duty just turn around and walk away. This probably explains why his lightsaber fizzles, pops, and looks so different than the ones we’ve come to know in the past. He wants to be good, but can’t seem to fight his way out of the Dark Side. We see this in play on numerous occasions, notably when taking to Han Solo on the bridge at the end of the film.  He knows what he needs to do, but can’t do it—does that sound eerily like the struggle Paul talks about in Romans 7:15-25?  As a result, he is a wretched man.  It looks like we’ll get to see more of this struggle in future episodes.

The last scene location of SW: TFAIn the end, Starkiller Base is destroyed, Han Solo is taken out by his son, Finn is on life support after a nasty lightsaber slash up the back from Kylo Ren, and Rey travels with Chewbacca to a planet full of islands.  Atop one of the islands, she meets up, for the first time, with Luke Skywalker.  Luke on the island reminded me of John on the island of Patmos in the book of Revelation. He had vanished (remember the opening screen crawl?) after seeing one of his Jedi trainees go rogue (in this case, Kylo Ren).  Perhaps he was waiting for a revelation of his own.  In John’s case, he came across Jesus himself, who told him to write some letters to a group of churches that needed a wake-up call badly (except for Philadelphia) and provided an amazing look at what will eventually come to pass. We’re not sure about Luke yet, but Rey holds his lightsaber out to him as the camera pans around them and the film ends (one of the best shots I’ve seen in a film in quite a while, I might add).  Perhaps it’s the wake-up call Luke needs to hear.  Sadly, we’ll have to wait a few more years until director Rian Johnson shares Episode VIII with us.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (NON-SPOILER): Visiting a Good Friend Once Again

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Rey and Finn runThe internet is a fickle place. A good amount of the time, people are doing everything they can to get you to respond in a specific way to a picture, an article, or an attempt by someone else to troll. However, when it comes to the launch of a film that is beloved across many generations, a unique thing happens: the Internet goes on self-policed lockdown.  People don’t want to know what happens.  They prefer to remain in blissful ignorance until they see it for themselves and make their own evaluations. And woe be to the individual who chooses to violate that unwritten code!

(Don’t worry; I’m not going to be that person)

Han Solo and ChewbaccaSuffice it to say that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a grand return to the galaxy far, far away that we all have come to love over the last thirty-seven years. Director and co-writer JJ Abrams knew he had to accomplish three main things: 1) bridge the unseen gap between Return of the Jedi and his film; 2) instill a powerful story that beats true to the Star Wars ethos; and 3) not tick off legions of die-hard fans in doing so. Mission accomplished.

There’s a nice blend of old and new in the film, from the planet sequences to the familiar faces (Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Leia—all of whom need zero introduction) and an inevitable new cast of characters, led by John Boyega (Finn), Daisy Ridley (Rey), and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron). In fact, if I have a quibble about the movie, it’s that it plays a little too much to the nostalgia side at times. But that aside, this is an extremely fun ride, filled with a nice mix of action, humor, and things you just need to see for yourself.  One of the bonuses is that Star Wars: The Force Awakens feels more organic in nature than CGI-laden.  The film is filled with lush environments, sweltering deserts, and icy climes that feel out of place in the first three prequels (note: this is a good thing). It tends to draw the viewer into the film more.

Kylo RenWhen it comes to the faith aspects of the film, there’s a lot to talk about in regard to good and evil—as well as a number of other themes.  But I’ll mercifully save that for a more in-depth look at the film next week—when a good number of people have seen it and an online discussion can legitimately take place. Until then, it’s best to follow the crowds to the cinema, find a seat, grab a snack (if you so choose), and prepare to be entertained for a few hours.  With the state of the world right now, it’s a nice thing to look forward to.

Star Wars Episode VI: Compassion Leads to The Return of the Jedi

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return2“Luke Skywalker has returned to his home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of the evil gangster Jabba the Hutt.”

So begins The Return of the Jedi. This sentence seems to explain the meaning of the title, but there are definitely other circumstances in the movie which apply. Not only does Luke return home, but he also returns (briefly) to the Dagobah system as he promised Yoda. Later, he returns to face Darth Vader. Furthermore, at the end of the film, Vader returns to being a Jedi. The Return of the Jedi could refer to any of these situations, and since “Jedi” can be either singular of plural, both Luke and Vader could be in view.

At some point, the title of Episode VI was going to be The Revenge of the Jedi. There was even a teaser trailer released in 1982 which used that title. However, the theme of “revenge” does not fit what actually happens in the movie. Jedi are not supposed to be motivated by revenge. Revenge contributed to why Anakin Skywalker was drawn to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader. It is fitting that the word did not headline any of the movies in the Saga until The Revenge of the Sith.

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When Luke comes to liberate Han, he gives Jabba several opportunities to solve the conflict peacefully. It was about rescue, not revenge. And, despite the advice of his mentors Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke refuses to exact revenge on Vader, but seeks to rescue him, too. Obi-Wan was certain Luke’s refusal to kill Vader meant “the Emperor has already won.” But Luke was able to “feel the good” in him, convinced his father could be “turned back to the good side.”

And, as Vader acknowledges as he lies dying, Luke was right. Luke was not able to rescue his father physically, but his spiritual rescue had already been accomplished. Luke’s compassion for his friends and his father, instead of causing the Emperor to win, paved a path of deliverance even sage Jedi were unable to see.

The Other Hope: An Undauntable Princess Gets a Makeover

Luke was right, but what if he hadn’t been? Obi-Wan opines Luke is the “only hope.” But, as Yoda says in The Empire Strikes Back, “There is another.” In Return, we finally understand what Yoda means. With his dying breath, he tells Luke, “There is another Skywalker.” Obi-Wan seems to have discounted this other hope—this other Skywalker.

Of course, the other Skywalker is Leia. And it would be unwise to discount her.

return4When Luke rejoins the Alliance, he has a conversation with his sister, letting her in on the secret Obi-Wan had been keeping from them. He tells her she is the “only hope for the Alliance” if he does not return from facing Vader. He reminds her she has “always been strong.”

Hollywood has always had a hard time portraying strong women. They are usually angry and bitter, needing the influence of the “right man” to mellow them. Of course, that particular story line is older than the movies. Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew comes to mind. Even in the 21st century it is hard to find a modern movie with a strong female role which isn’t skewed this way. The shrew must be tamed.

In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1983, Carrie Fisher, who portrayed Leia in the original trilogy, spoke to this.

“There are a lot of people who don’t like my character in these movies; they think I’m some kind of space bitch. She has no friends, no family; her planet was blown up in seconds—along with her hairdresser—so all she has is a cause. From the first film, she was just a soldier, front line and center. The only way they knew to make the character strong was to make her angry. In Return of the Jedi, she gets to be more feminine, more supportive, more affectionate. But let’s not forget that these movies are basically boys’ fantasies. So the other way they made her more female in this one was to have her take off her clothes.”

In this image provided by 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation, a scene from "Star Wars" movie released by 20th Century-Fox in 1977. From left are: Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. (AP Photo/20th Century-Fox Film Corporation)
In this image provided by 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation, a scene from “Star Wars” movie released by 20th Century-Fox in 1977. From left are: Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. (AP Photo/20th Century-Fox Film Corporation)

Wow. Fisher speaks with a bluntness few actresses match even three decades later. Unfortunately, too many even middle-aged and older men* today still view women this way, and those with “boys’ fantasies” too often are being pandered to by the industry. In a 2013 article on McMillan’s TOR.com, Emily Asher-Perrin argues,

“…plenty of us ladies would argue about Star Wars being strictly a boy’s fantasy, but Fisher is correct in context; at the time that Star Wars originally came out, the population certainly agreed that these films were made primarily for kids and teenage boys, and they were marketed as such. So her point about being in the bikini is even more valid—it is hard to suggest that costume change is there for anything but male gaze.”

To be fair, the bikini scenes do end with Leia getting the upper hand, giving her a chance to show her strength again as she turns her chain of subjugation into a weapon of freedom. However, in later scenes in the Ewok village, where she for the first time quite literally “lets her hair down,” she is impotent to persuade the indigenous creatures to free her friends, and has to rely on Luke’s trickery.

Whatever the criticism, it is noteworthy that George Lucas did endeavor to create a strong female character, and the legacy of Princess Leia is, at least in part, a good one. As Asher-Perrin concludes,

“Carrie Fisher always understood why Leia was going to be an important figure to women and fans the world over. Why she was needed when she hit the stage. Even if Hollywood did need to ‘soften’ her, no one has ever been able to soften her impact—real heroes have a tendency to shine no matter how you dress them.”

So, what is the solution? Where does Hollywood find the right balance without catering to the crowd who want to see women tamed?

In her 2014 San Diego ComicCon interview, Evangeline Lilly, who portrayed the elf Tauriel in the Hobbit movies, argued female heroes should be both strong and compassionate.

“…there has been this pendulum swing… Women went from being this helpless heroine to trying to pretend to be men. …how is that gender equality? …it was my mission to represent true female strength. …our strength, as women, comes from our compassion, our selflessness, our instincts to help—to protect, to put others first. … Look what I can do. I can protect, and I can have compassion and be selfless, and I can care and be gentle… be feminine and graceful – while slaughtering orcs.”

Most of the above should apply to male heroes, too. Compassion and selflessness certainly apply to Luke Skywalker. Compassion and strength do not have to be mutually exclusive—in women, or in men. In fact, we see the perfect combination of the two in Jesus Christ.

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*Donald Trumps’ misogynistic conduct with women is the elephant (pun intended) in the room right now. His reaction to Megyn Kelly in the Republican presidential debates underscores how women too often are treated. His accusation Kelly was not “playing nice” is an example of the double standard often used for women in business. In a blog post on HuffingtonPost.com, Karen Frankola addresses this kind of gender bias: “The next time you’re about to criticize a female colleague for a lack of niceness, ask yourself if you would criticize a man for the same behavior. Can you shift your perspective to focus on competence rather than personality? I don’t think Steve Jobs ever worried about being called nice.”