*WARNING, THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM "STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS", DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.*
Like the rest of the world, I am freaking out about "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Even though I saw it over three weeks ago, this film is constantly on my mind. Having been a "Star Wars" fan from a very young age, I was very excited to see "The Force Awakens", but I had my reservations. Would it be horrible like the prequels? Or would it be iconic like the originals? Would Jar-Jar Binks return? And most importantly, would there be diversity? Fortunately, I found the film to be funny, endearing, and so much better than the prequels. Yes, it borrowed a lot from "A New Hope", but it is the first film in a trilogy, there is hope for more original content. Particularly I was ecstatic about the portrayal of the main female character Rey, a young scavenger from Jakku who is portrayed by newcomer Daisy Ridley.
In a world where it feels like the only people with fleshed out storylines and legitimate characterizations in action and science fiction films are white men and talking raccoons, Rey IS the girl we have been looking for. From the moment the audience meets her on the deserts of Jakku, it is made clear that Rey is not here to be a love interest for a male character. Most of the time, women in films like "Star Wars", or Marvel films like "The Avengers" are often delegated to the role of love interest, or used as a prop to forward a male character's storyline. What is amazing about Rey is that she is the protagonist of the film. That's right, Rey is the protagonist of this juggernaut of a film. Not John Boyega's Finn, Oscar Isaac's Poe, or even Harrison Ford's Han Solo. Instead, Rey is the mysterious awakening in the force, and the main focus of the film. While these characters play important and very significant roles, Rey is the main protagonist. It is sad to say, that this is still rare in 2015/2016. Take for example, another major film of 2015 "Avengers: Age of Ultron". All of the main characters are men, and then there is Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, whose role in the entire film is to be a nonsensical romantic interest for Mark Ruffalo's Hulk. Instead of having Black Widow hold her own against her male counterparts, she is reduced to a flimsy excuse as a prop to forward the Hulk's story. Disappointing and frustrating.
I am happy to say that Rey does not fall into the fate of female characters before her. She is well-rounded, smart, an ace pilot, loyal, and brave. She is not used as a love interest for Finn, even though he does ask "So, do you like have a cute boyfriend?", which comes off as funny and cute, not annoying. Also, Rey is not sexualized just because she is a woman. Often in films like "Star Wars" women wear tight or revealing clothing that feels unnecessary for a character that does a lot of physical stunts. Rey wears an outfit that is fitting for her occupation as a scavenger, there are no metal bikinis found in this film.
Like her male counterparts, Poe and Finn, Rey is important. I cannot express how happy I was to be seeing Rey on the big-screen. Rey is someone young girls and boys can look up to and aspire to be. There needs to be more Reys in film and television. In short, Rey is just cool. She is a new hope for us all.
