SINGAPORE, Dec 16 — This writer was but a twinkle in my father’s eye when Star Wars first hit the silver screens on May 25, 1977, and only four years old when the original trilogy concluded with Return Of The Jedi in 1983.
But thanks to my older fanatical cousins who introduced (read: “Force”-fed) the wonderful world of lightsabers, Wookies and Jedi Knights to me, via multiple VHS screenings and well-thumbed novels, this Star Wars Fan was born.
Between playing with our Kenner action figures preciously kept in a plastic Darth Vader helmut-box and making lightsabers out of cardboard toilet rolls and cellophane-taped together, my cousins and I watched the movies over and over again. Star Wars was my childhood, and the genesis of my love of cinema. I grew up with Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2( Kenny Baker), and was the perfect age for the dazzling fantasy world created by George Lucas to shape my developing consciousness.
And I wasn’t alone.
To our generation, Star Wars was pure magic; a cultural phenomenon that transcended the usual parameters of geekdom, as Lucas captured the imaginations of all. You didn’t need to be a superfan with an intricate knowledge of alien and planet names or know how to speak Wookiee or Ewok to love it.
Star Wars was never about exclusivity. That was its brilliance. People loved it because it was simply about hope, heart and faith. It was, as photographer Marco Grob, who shot the new Star Wars characters for TIME magazine, said, “much more than only a film”. For him, Star Wars is “hundreds of people who try to push the envelope ... People who take enormous risks in creative and in technical aspects (and who) do things we’ve never seen before in a way nobody would have imagined to ever see before”.
The original trilogy made an indelible impression that has endured into adulthood; and, as adults, the films still have the power, despite their flaws, to reach the child within us.
Which is why this writer was ecstatic when I was invited to go to Japan to interview director Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams and the bevy of new Star Wars stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver.
Abrams opened up about why he thought Star Wars has taken on a life of its own. “Star Wars works mainly because it’s a universal language: A story of romance, adventure, comedy and heart, as well as incredible spectacle and action,” shared Abrams. “At the core of the story, it has always been about humanity of the characters and that seems to transcend through cultures and countries.”
Indeed, casting fairly unknown fresh face actors in leading roles seems to be the franchise’s calling card. Legacy cast Ford, Fisher and Hamill were all newbies before Star Wars thrust them into superstardom. The same went for Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the prequels (albeit in a more infamous vein). But what made Abrams choose Ridley, Boyega and Driver?
“Because they were available,” he said with a laugh. “The truth is that we were desperately looking for young actors who were talented and strong and versatile enough to be a part of Star Wars, which is an enormous responsibility. It is so much fun to watch these young actors take on the mantle.
“Star Wars has always been generational; the appeal of each of them can be spectacular that it can go in any direction, but the core of it is always a lot of heart, humour and humanity. These young actors have a great sense of humour and I can’t tell you how necessary that is, not only on the sets but also to bring these characters to life.”
That humour was evident when they interacted with the “legacy cast”. “(Carrie Fisher) told me something inappropriate that I can’t repeat,” Ridley said with a laugh. “And then told me not to take her advice.”
As for Han Solo fan Boyega, it was Harrison Ford who told him, quite simply: “Well this is going to change your life.”
“Anyone who loves Star Wars loves Harrison Ford,” Ridley agreed. “He is kind and funny and never made me feel like I was working with someone out of reach. (Also) Carrie and Mark came in with so much enthusiasm on the set that it was incredible ... It’s really incredible and to watch them all work, and the enthusiasm ... doing Star Wars made everyone feel like this was really a good thing to do. It didn’t feel like they were over it. They were all really excited to be back, so to see that was really incredible.”
Driver, who plays Darth Vader fanboy Kylo Ren, also shared the same sentiment, echoing how working with the original cast was the highlight of being a part of the movie. “Watching (them) have this youthful ambition for making it good, they couldn’t be more excited to be there,” he said.
“Star Wars is almost like a historical person now … I watched all of them and learnt a few things that I didn’t know earlier. There was already so much storytelling in the costume. You see the helmet and then you notice that you can’t see his eyes and you are forced to look into something deeper.”
Which is why the world loses its head with every new The Force Awakens photo, trailer or smidgen of information released. The world is simply waiting for another taste of that old magic that even the young padawan cast are so acutely aware of.
As everyone knows, the continuing devotion of Star Wars fans is almost as famous as the franchise itself. The fanatical hype, the shared anticipation, the collective mythmaking, the pop-cultural force around Star Wars was as much a part of the original trilogy as the films themselves.
But with recent years ushering in more prequels, spin-offs, cartoons, comics and action figures than you could shake a lightsaber at, the franchise has gradually meant less to fans. Perhaps generations since the original saga have been denied the same unifying pop culture event we enjoyed.
The world has changed much since the original trilogy. Rarely do we watch films with the kind of wide-eyed wonder we once did.
And while other movie franchises have taken a stab at it — Marvel superheroes, Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games — none have resonated in the same way as Star Wars has.
Star Wars has never failed to bond generations, social outcasts and the cool kids, and the world. Which is exactly why after all these years, fanboy die-hards still drone on about how Han shot first; and why Star Wars, nostalgia notwithstanding, will always come with the emotional power-punch that only an encounter with the remnants of one’s childhood can pack.
Much like how Luke Skywalker headed towards a destiny he couldn’t have ever possibly imagined, the original Star Wars was fresh and innocent, completely unaware of its own brilliance and the new trilogy must reawaken that very same vibe and recapture that same movie magic. It must capitalise on universal love and not the brand.
The Force is strong with this one. May the force be with us all. — TODAY
* “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opens in SIngapore cinemas tomorrow.
