The uncertain fate of Luke Skywalker hangs over Star Wars The Force Awakens; we know he is alive, but in a narrative where familial destinies are key, the impact of Darth Vader looms large over the once famed Jedi. Cyclical narratives are at play here as director J J Abrams and writer Lawrence Kasdan weave themes of nature battling nurture into episode seven of the Star Wars saga. New characters appear to take on familiar characteristics, only to be taken in new directions, further evidence of Abrams making his film, whilst remaining respectful to the original trilogy. Mid way through, when Solo and fellow resistance fighters visit Maz Kantana, she tells the aged smuggler "you need to get back in this fight". The "fight", we learn, is the oldest fight ever to take place, that between light and dark and in one of the best creations of the whole saga, Kylo Ren, we witness the struggle between light, dark, nature and nurture. The Force Awakens has genuine humanity behind the battle and Ren's heartbreaking dilemma illustrates the power of Abrams and Kasdan's storytelling ability.
It was never a risk, passing over the adored Star Wars franchise to J J Abrams, and here he intertwines characters from the original trilogy with new ones so seamlessly it appears effortless. To please all the people all the time is an impossibility, but Abrams may have come as close as possible with The Force Awakens. It surpasses expectations, at once being everything that is loved from episodes four, five and six and still feeling fresh. Yes, it borrows heavily from A New Hope's (1977) narrative, but that fits in with the cyclical nature of good and evil that is being explored here. It feels like there has been developed consideration about how the world we left at the end of Return of the Jedi (1983) would have transformed in the thirty years since we were last there. Therefore, we find an Empire that has come back, as evil so often does, more violent, more brutal and more determined than that of Vader and the Emperor. This is made extremely clear early on when Ren orders the slaughter of innocent villagers. The rebels, calling themselves the resistance (appropriate against the Nazi influenced First Order) are being driven underground and remain plucky despite being outmanned and outgunned. This is a stand alone Star Wars film, but familiarity with the original trilogy allows for a far deeper reading.
Not only are there thematic influences, The Force Awakens also looks like the original trilogy. The Lucas screen swipes are present and rather than the unreal worlds and polished to perfection chrome of episodes one, two and three, Abrams has kept to actual, tangible locations as much as possible. We never felt that the environment of Revenge of the Sith (2005) was anything but a computer creation, yet Jakku has the dust in the nostrils feel of Tatooine and we can almost feel the sea air of Skywalker's retreat. Where the film departs from the look of the originals, it does so only as an advantage. With advances in technology, we are able to get more out of the battles as the camera follows x-wings in their fight, sweeping through explosions or skimming across the water. It is a smooth and subtle integration of technology.
It isn't just the aesthetics of episodes one, two and three are ignored here, gone are the senate trade agreements, the choreographed battles and the convoluted plot lines. Abrams takes us back to a simple light versus dark story with an intelligent subtext. For fans of the original trilogy The Force Awakens is the film they have been waiting for and for new audiences, Abrams is likely to have created the same magic. More than just relief at this not being more of episodes one, two or three, The Force Awakens is great cinema. That it happens to expand the Star Wars universe is even better.
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