Rogue One might be the most unique Star Wars film to yet be released. This is, ultimately, not only because it is the first 'stand alone' film in the series but, because it is a stand alone film, it is able to do many things that one cannot do in a typical 'Star Wars' film.
The original Star Wars films, along with the prequels and last year's The Force Awakens, exist firmly in the tradition of mythological narratives of the hero's quest a la Joseph Campbell's monomyth (although Force Awakens offers some promising new elements). Rogue One, however, is a war movie, plain and simple. It has a different tone altogether than the stories that have been told as part of the main 'Episodes' of the Star Wars Saga.
This is actually rather freeing for both the 'spin-off' films and the flagship franchise. For the former, it means they don't have to live up to quite the same expectations as their more fantastic brethren; for the latter, it means they no longer have to be EVERYTHING that every fan wants them to be. For years, Star Wars fans have clamored for a 'grittier, more-realistic' take on the Star Wars universe. However, if you think about it, that approach doesn't work on a series that is, at it's heart, operatic fantasy. If you make it too grounded, it loses the element of fantasy and escapism that is what brought everyone to the table in the first place. Now, certain elements of a grittier world have always been hinted at: the under world of Jabba the Hutt and bounty hunters. They have even been explored to an extent in Dave Filoni's work on the Clone Wars and Rebels animated series which both, in their own ways, function as more grounded takes on familiar elements of the Star Wars Universe.
In a perfect example of something Rogue One can do that typical Star Wars movie can't, very early on in the film, the rebel spy, Cassian Andor, kills another rebel spy when he becomes a liability that will prevent his own escape and jeopardize his mission. Luke Skywalker could never do this. Even Han Solo, forever the bad boy space pirate, couldn't do this. Sure, we're ok with him shooting first and taking out the scummy bounty hunter holding him at blaster-point but would we be as accepting of Han if he killed his allies just as callously? The heroes of the main saga must be a purer sort of hero. The heroes of Rogue One are not heroes in the mythical sense; they are soldiers. And, as soldiers, you have to do things in the greater service of the mission that aren't always the most noble. As Cassian himself points out they,"are spies, assassins, and saboteurs"
. Their story is not one of redemption but of justification. They make the compromises so that those who follow can make the more noble choice. Their sacrifice is the sacrifice of real, everyday heroes.
Oddly, in some ways, Rogue One harkens back in many ways to one of Lucas's original inspirations for Star Wars: The Seven Samurai: a group of warriors is brought together to serve a greater cause, each sacrificing in turn until the victory is complete. Oh, and by the way, SPOILERS, everyone dies... EVERYONE! All the heroes live just long enough to play their necessary parts in the final mission. This is a bold move for a Star Wars movie. It is a fate viewers become uncomfortably aware of in the film's final act. As each character falls, you get the sinking feeling that fewer of our heroes will make it out than we'd hoped and, then, you not only realize that this is how it will end but how it must end. Their sacrifice gives an even greater weight to the heroes we are introduced to in A New Hope--- and it emphasizes why the hope is so needed.
Also, on a side note, it is reassuring that the stand-alone films won't simply be used as a means to manufacture more spin-offs. That is, it will not become the 'shared universe' of the Marvel movies, continually spinning off various 'sub-franchises' that link together in various iterations. The same way these stand alone films are able to do things that the main 'Episodes' can't, they also take nothing away from those films. Rogue One takes nothing away from Episode VIII. It will still be the next installment of the classic, mythic saga. The stand alone films can enrich the larger universe and still let the traditional 'Star Wars' movies do what they do best.
A couple of final thoughts:
CG Tarkin: Ok, they may have overplayed their hand a bit by recreating Peter Cushing digitally. If it had just been a single moment, where he turns around and delivers a line, it would have worked and been a pretty thrilling tip of the hat to the original movie but, instead, they KEEP using him in multiple scenes. Some called the CG 'cheap'; quite the contrary, it is pretty remarkable and quite lifelike but even the best CG still looks ...off. And, the longer it's on the screen, the longer you notice it.
Vader Unleashed: When we finally see Darth Vader slaughtering rebel soldiers with his lightsaber in the film's final moments, it is actually the first time we have ever seen Darth Vader go... well... FULL ON VADER on the big screen. Most of the original trilogy merely implies his deadliness and confines his saber-skills to one-on-one duels (a pretty boring one in the original Star Wars --- not much of a budget for stunt people on that one). For over thirty years, Vader has been the tragic figure: the fallen hero redeemed at the finale of Return of the Jedi. Even in Revenge of the Sith we merely saw his transformation into the monster; we didn't get to see him simply BE the monster. In Rogue One, that's what he is: summoned from his lair on Mustafar by his evil masters, he is the Dracula/Frankenstein/Smaug/Jason that haunts the nightmares of the Rebel Alliance.
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