May the Force be with Us

I know...trust me, I really know...how can I do a post about a movie franchise? (For one thing, there are 1,000s of dedicated sites, I'm sure and B (that's an inside joke to those who love Craig Ferguson) it's only make believe, right? 

Right.

Rebel Alliance Flag

Here's the thing though: for the majority of my life there has been Star Wars. I was just a little kid when the first movie came out, sweeping the globe in a sort of interstellar mania. It was simple and sweet, so clear cut that a grade school kid could figure it out. We played it in the school yard and my birthday cake was Star Wars themed. It was wholesome and fascinating. (Occasionally groan inducing, when viewed from today's perspective, but that makes it even more charming.)

I was sitting, innocently, in the theatre, having watched the opening credits of Star Wars - the Last Jedi roll over the screen (so thrilling, right?) and got a good glimpse of the protagonist Rey, It was in that moment that realised Star Wars had provided me with a strong female role model that I hadn't even known that I needed. Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa) was a kick butt, rebel leader and she was...a GIRL. Sure, she was objectified by that Jabba the Hutt guy (put a tribble on his head and does he remind you of anyone???), but she took her revenge didn't she? She bossed around Chewbacca, didn't take any guff (yes, guff...I said it) from Han Solo and stared down Darth Vader. (Hell, she was leading the entire Rebel army now as a General!) 

In the latest instalment there's also Rey, a girl of unknown origins, minding her own business when the Force comes calling. I was watching her on screen and was delighted to see that she had muscles...like she'd actually worked out and could do the things they had her doing on screen. She seemed to be, in many ways, like me (except for the martial arts fighting and lifting stuff with her mind, of course). I saw a cast of mixed races and multiple women in positions of power. We've come a long way, baby. (Yes, there's still a long way to go.)

Imperial Empire Flag

More than that, I found myself asking do I belong to the Rebel Alliance, as I'd like to believe, or am I a cog in the wheel of the Empire? I think this is an important question for our time. Are we as righteous as we think, or are we part of the problem. It's not so clear cut in real life, as in the movies. I want to think that I'm on the side of the oppressed, the down trodden, the huddle masses, but have I contributed to the power of the Dark Side? It's a good and valid question that doesn't have an easy answer.

Some people can't let go of the old and feel that Last Jedi doesn't honour the past, but for me, it's proof of life. Rey is the symbol of passing the torch, the hope that the future has possibility and that the next generation is ready to step up. With everything going on in this crazy world (I'm looking at you, countries that can't grasp the idea that we're on this globe together), we need a rallying cry. And we need hope, we need inspiration and for heaven's sake, we need the Force.