Unlike many people, I don’t have a long history with the Star Wars franchise – I watched the original trilogy a few years ago and really enjoyed them, and totally got caught up in the hype of The Force Awakens, but I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard Star Wars fan by any means. I wasn’t expecting much out of Rogue One, maybe just a fun space adventure film that would be good enough to rewatch every once in a while, so it took me completely by surprise.
Rogue One’s story is a dark one, of the Rebellion battling the Empire at a time when their own forces were scattered and divided, with news of the Death Star lurking at the door, but it is also ultimately one of hope. One of the movie’s most important lines is “rebellions are built on hope”, and both the actors and the writers throughout the movie build on this thread of hope masterfully. When we first meet Jyn Erso, once a rebel and now a criminal fighting to survive, she is world-weary and cynical, only agreeing to help with the Alliance’s mission in order to secure her freedom, even going so far to say that it’s not so bad with the Empire’s flag flying above the galaxy “if you don’t look up”. After she receives news of her father’s work in sabotaging the Death Star, this all starts to change, as she learns to believe and trust in a cause again, leading her to take up charge against the rebellion with Cassian’s own words, “rebellions are built on hope.” It was wonderful to watch her character change and evolve throughout the film, and I felt like her arc was extremely well written.
Captain Cassian Andor, Head of Rebel Intelligence was one of my favorite characters in the film, as his character lent a lot of weight to the importance of the Alliance’s rebellion against the Empire. From the very beginning it is clear that Cassian is willing to do whatever it takes for the rebellion – when the audience first meets him he is conversing with an informant, who he later kills in order to prevent him from giving information to the Empire. The film’s choice in allowing their characters to be morally grey and to make questionable choices is one that makes the narrative stronger, as audiences are able to grasp the true extent of the sacrifices the characters make in order for the rebellion to succeed. This idea of hope and sacrifice in fighting against a group that wishes to dominate and silence all oppressors is especially relevant given our current political climate, making the film important as well as enjoyable.
As a tie-in to the original trilogy, I thought Rogue One worked remarkably well, both in establishing its own story and narrative well at the same time providing call-backs to the original trilogy, specifically in the form of Darth Vader – his last scene where he kills all the rebels without a second glance was terrifying, and firmly establishes him as a villain for the purposes of A New Hope.
Rogue One’s ending was heartbreaking, and although I prefer to imagine that Jyn and Cassian surviving the Death Star and getting off Scarif, I do see the value in their sacrifice for the rebellion – they have done what they needed to do, and they don’t mind their sacrifice, and there’s a beauty in that ending. That being said, I also feel rather cheated after spending two hours with characters I fell in love only to have them all die, but Rogue One was definitely a memorable experience.