SPOILER ALERT! Do not read if you haven't watched Rogue 1, Luke Cage, or Dare Devil!
Wow, what a great film! Rogue One is a film which depicts common criminals who band together as vigilantes for a great cause. But how is it speaking for modern day millennials? Okay, we need to first realize how targeted generations are in the media, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the movie is speaking for us to generations before us. Even more so, Rogue One is not the only film that represents us, there are many others we identify with. Nevertheless, Rogue One does have a couple twist that are specifically inspiring and might help others understand us a bit better.
Are we Rogues, or Vigilantes? Yes.
According to Google, the definition of a rogue is, "a dishonest or unprincipled man", which is synonymous to a villain. However, the second definition is, "an elephant or other large wild animal driven away or living apart from the herd and having savage or destructive tendencies." Now, most of us can't identify as villains or savage animals, but maybe the terms dishonest, unprincipled, savage and destructive need to be redefined. How did Rogue One define a rogue? The Rogue team was a group of assimilated minor criminals who were criminals in order to survive, or didn't have a choice, and after they accomplish something great we are left asking "are these really the bad guys?".
This is a common motif within many of our favorite modern shows. Take Luke Cage for example, the director did a fantastic job causing us to hate Cornell, but we later found out he didn't pick his own life, he was forced into it by his crazy aunt. If he left the family he would have been killed and someone else would have taken his place, so, he made a choice. The same thing happens in Dare Devil as the story progresses through season 1, is Fisk really a bad guy? What is intriguing about Rogue One is how the so called rogue characters also identify as vigilantes. A vigilante is "a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate." Therefore, these rogue characters became vigilantes. Maybe this is the kind of opportunity many of us are looking for - an opportunity to fight for the good. Nevertheless, we are still asking ourselves, "what is good?", and within our search redefining dishonest, unprincipled, savage and destructive.
Rogue One is the Suicide Squad of Star Wars. The difference however is the rogue individuals banded together for a cause and took action into their own hands, while in Suicide Squad the government leveraged full blown criminals with a plea bargain of 10 years off their life sentences. Through manipulation they were forced, but that wasn't the case in Rogue One.
We're Tired of Choosing Sides!
No, we are not trying to ride the fence, and we are definitely not lazy, but our options are terrible and we don't want to be on either side. Our generation is damned if we do and damned if we don't. We are tired of choosing sides, that was especially seen during the election, need I say more. So, we would rather be independent and support only the good, which can be found on both sides, and we reject the bad, which is also found on both sides. Harmony is an important aspect of peace, and harmony is usually found in the middle. We are the ones standing up for the victims, but still not taking permanent sides.
Why is this a good thing? Because then important objectives actually get done. We would rather apologize than ask for permission. Individual values are then emphasized and seen more clearly in specific situation. Plus, it also helps more people realize how grey life is, and how less black and white life is. Yes, we need black and white for guidance and to function, but we need them to adapt to the grey world and its circumstances - we need both!
How could this be a bad thing? Well, an autonomous individual can have a harmful influence on society because first, no one is perfect, and second, autonomy is something which breaks down family and community, but also elevates individual power. A figure like this would have "all the power" and would cause people to idolize and imitate them so they too could have power. However, what we need is a team who needs each other. Rogue One did a great job of showing how a team is stronger than the individual, and how support from others can bring desired success. Teams come together for a season, they learn how to lead and follow in the same setting, and each individual is assigned to a specific position they are good at. An even better team is having specialists who know how to do other jobs well, so they can step in when needed, but is primarily used for their own specialization. Nevertheless, once the season is over the team disbands, and the individuals create another mix of teams for other purposes. Sounds like something we have all heard of before, am I right?
We are Willing to Sacrifice
Social causes are more important than our own lives or jobs or education. We would rather survive than live luxuriously if it meant standing up for what is right. Granted this is a generalized article and not everyone is this way, but Rogue One represents our type of fighting spirit. An alternative example of this kind of sacrifice found in the movie is with Jyn's father, Galen, who is misunderstood as a traitor to the rebellion. In modern times we resent our parents and commonly step away from their traditions, but we forget that we learned many things from them that we still value. However, Galen was a powerful example of an individual from gen X who was working in the system only to provide a way out for others to find. There are two ways to bring change: working within the system or working outside of the system. We need both.
In conclusion, though none of this is new, it is becoming more and more obvious to the masses. Our desires should cease to long for power and individual gain as a leader, and more so, begin to focus on others who need help and support. We need to use our specializations for the benefit of others and not for our own gain. We can't survive on wealth and commodities alone, we need each other more than ever - we need hope, and rebellions are built on hope and chances because every empire will fall.
