It was completely empty when we got to the theater and took our seats. My girlfriend told me not to look to see what movie we had gone to see, so it was a total surprise for me, but once the LucasArts logo popped up, I knew I was in for a real treat.
I am only a recent "Star Wars" fan, having seen the original trilogy for the first time this past summer. I had already seen "The Force Awakens" in theaters alone, and much to my chagrin, I was pretty much the only person my age in the theater at the time. Everyone else was decades older than me, with years and years of experience clearly shown in their faces, yet they seemed to retain their youthful joy the second the iconic symphony sounded their first four notes that marked the epic cinematic series.
My girlfriend had only seen the originals during our fall semester, so she was eager to see the next one as much as I was to see it again. For me, as with most people, the "Star Wars" franchise is much more than futuristic worlds and space battles: it immerses the viewer from the title screen and the signature crawl until the credits roll. It tugs at every sense of emotion you could have for a movie and pushes it to the extremes. In addition, it break the social norms that have been seemingly set for cinema by making the main characters a woman and a black man, some of the most compelling characters the franchise has ever crafted. The way that Rey is introduced is simply fantastic, and the moral fortitude that she shows on Jakku far surpasses that of Luke in "A New Hope."
All things considered, there were a few aspects that are still resonating with me, months after the movie has been released. As can be easily understood, the "Star Wars" franchise has always been a great representation of how society is currently, and that can clearly be seen. For example, in "A New Hope," everyone involved in the attack on the Death Star was fully devoted to fight the Empire, or what can be understood as the “system,” or “the man.” An oppressive government trying to control its people, the people revolt, and revolution ensues. It is important to note that the Empire in the original trilogy was controlled by Emperor Palpatine, a wrinkled, old man. After the destruction of the second Death Star, the Empire fell apart, and the Republic rose again, moved to the Hosnian system after the destruction of the planet Alderaan.
Who are the faces of the First Order now that they have risen to prominence? Young men and women. The youth of this generation, therefore, are seemingly the root cause of the destruction of the sense of structure that we had established from after the Battle of Endor. You can see and feel the reluctance of Han, Leia, and Luke throughout the movie, as they thought they were scot free and out of harm’s way. If you compare the speech that Commander Hux gives before the First Order destroys the Hosnian System to the way that Adolf Hitler address the German people, some stark similarities come to the surface, mainly they both yell at their follows and at the time they rise to prominence, they are both young.
This reading of "The Force Awakens" is not enough, however, to pass off as a complete thought, and I think that it can all be summed up when Kylo Ren kills Han. As part of the force, force-sensitives can feel and hear when people die, as was apparent when Obi-Wan Kenobi sensed the destruction of the planet of Alderaan. Where was a scene similar to that in "The Force Awakens," when the Hosian System was destroyed? The only time this aspect of force-sensitivity was prevalent was when Han died, because Leia felt the death of her husband when they cut to her distressed expression.
It speaks volumes that the deaths of potentially millions was felt by no one. It shows how independent we have become, and how wanting that independence has destroyed the united nation we once all valued together. That is why it is so important that the Rey and Finn are the two main characters, and that is also why the most powerful scene in the entire movie is part of the falling action, in which Rey and Leia are looking at each other before they embrace, alone from the others. It is a sign of mutual respect and understanding, which is what truly makes this movie important and powerful. It is one of the only acts of compassion, which, as master Yoda would most likely have said in regards to our generation, Strong with compassion, we are not.
