The Shakespearean Embodied in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
[Note: Article contains spoilers]
Compared to other films in the series, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker did not give fans the epic close that they desired. I mean J.J. Abrams is the director so let’s not get our hopes up too much. While he had the ability to completely bring these last three movies (Episodes 7–9) in the series in a new direction, we literally see an imitation of the first three films (Episodes 4–6). Not original at all. Despite the new characters, themes, and adventures, his new films did not really bring fans a lot of depth- this last series could’ve been more imaginative to say the least .But despite some of its storyline flaws and confusion, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, entertains and captivates audiences with its mainly overarching theme of Shakespearean tragedy set from the very beginning of the film.
In 1977, when George Lucas decided to go ahead with this project of his, this “space opera”, the film was geared toward a specific age group- teenagers. While there were certainly plenty of movies out there for teenagers, even sci-fi movies, most of them weren’t really the kind where your “imagination could soar,” as Lucas wanted. And with his first film he certainly did bring in hordes of teenagers eager to bask in this new, experimental film called Star Wars.
Fast forward to 2019, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the last film in this Rey trilogy, still allows our imagination to soar. Out of all three (Episodes 7–9), The Rise of Skywalker, brings with it the familiarity of the Star Wars franchise, with new quirks: new characters, revelations and twists. Yet unlike the other two films (The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi) this last film carries with it, an emotional depth that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very first scene.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) picks up right where The Last Jedi left off: Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) are still mortal enemies. Rey is continuing her jedi training and the battle between good and evil continues to be fought across the galaxy. We learn that C3P0 can be reprogrammed for specific tasks and that both Poe (Oscar Issac) and Finn (John Boyega) may have a thing for Rey. We find out the importance of certain objects in the galaxy: some possess hidden knowledge and other relics pop up to remind us of the not so distant past.
Director and screenwriter J.J Abrams (Super 8, 2011), screenwriter Chris Terrio (Argo, 2012), and director of photography Dan Mindel (Star Trek, 2009), revived one of the greater elements of the first Star Wars series in this last flick: the element of tragedy. The same element that made Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, one of the most significant and monumental movies of the entire franchise. I don’t think anyone will ever forget that key moment when Vader reveals to a wounded Luke on the Cloud City that he is “his father.” I would say that this moment surpasses that of any Shakespearean play and goes more in the direction of Oedipus Rex.
Here the Rise of Skywalker opens up in a similar way- with tragedy. Kylo Ren is wounded- internally in a spiritual way. There is a battle brewing up inside him, where he begins to question his path on the dark side, more so than in The Last Jedi. He’s already lost his own biological father and Snoke (Andy Serkis), both by his own hand. It seems that he is alone. He is without a doubt despite all the “power” he has, the most isolated character in the movie. All J.J Abrams needed to do- this he got right- was add a monologue and presto we have Hamlet! And truth be told it would’ve been appropriate, given the predicament Kylo Ren finds himself in.
Much to the crowd’s surprise however, we find that Kylo Ren isn’t alone and that another relic from the past (pun intended- read next paragraph) has come to make him an offer, sort of, in the same way that Hamlet is approached by the specter of his father coming to warn him of the future. Except that Kylo Ren is visited by the tenebrous ghost- like appearance of the Sith Lord Palpatine (plot twist!) on the mucky and somber planet of Exegol. Enter a revived Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) who speaks to Kylo Ren “offering” (threatening) Ren to kill Rey and avenge his grandfather, Vader (gasp), who obviously could not kill his own son, Luke, three Star Wars episodes ago.
Rey, on the other hand, is fighting her own internal battle, she has her own internal monologue going on. She continues to train with Leia (Carrie Fisher) and while determined, she’s still stumped. She still cannot remember all the pieces of her traumatic past. Her emotions are darker in this flick. But like every great Jedi, like Luke in Episode 5, she too must master her darkest emotions: fear and anger. Her feelings at some point begin to get out of control and at least in the beginning of the film, nothing makes sense. Until after Kylo Ren reveals the truth about her “bloodline”, which is that she is related to Palpatine through a Dyad (whatever that is). Somehow they are related, though the film doesn’t go into great depth about this (c’mon Abrams, your line here).
At the same time that all this is happening, Rey is left with the pressing issue at hand: if she does not succeed in taking down Kylo Ren and the First Order, well I mean that’s it. The previous films imply (specifically the last one The Last Jedi, read the title) that she is the last hope for the galaxy. If you don’t think that the idea of fate versus free will is Shakespearean (hint read: Macbeth) then I don’t know what to tell you. While she has this struggle, Ren takes it upon himself to whisper into her ear, the idea of ascending some throne together with him as “rulers of the galaxy” (again never introduced before but still evocative of Macbeth or Hamlet in some way).
The cast and crew of this last movie in the Skywalker series really helped to bring out this theme in the film. Aside from Ridley’s and Drivers performances (Ren was completely emo- well played), Dan Mindel really brought out the dark theme of the movie through his use of an opaque chromatic palette. The movie had more scenes in greyish or dark backgrounds than in light ones, like the battle scene on the planet of Kef Bir or Ren’s confrontation on Exegol.
The score by John Williams (Catch Me If You Can, 2002) really emphasized the overwhelming battle between good and evil, especially in scenes where the protagonists and Palpatine were involved. The script although leaving the audience with more questions than answers and a lot of confusion, wasn’t all that bad. Some of the best lines were said in the opening sequence of the film “The Dark Side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider it to be… unnatural,” Palpatine said, hinting at the vast depth and mysteriousness of the Dark side.
All in all, diehard fans may not give it a nine out of ten. But in terms of mood and theme, the film is a suspenseful thrill ride that does have new twists and turns while simultaneously mirroring Shakespearean tragedy, an old element that captured the screen and the admiration of the audience many many years ago. And that makes this last film in the Skywalker collection, absolutely worth watching.
