Too Dark Park

How dark is too dark for Star Wars? Let’s think what we’ve already experienced in the saga, for a moment.

 

Death of parents and close relatives? Check.

Loss of several limbs? Check.

Younglings being murdered by a glowing eyed Sith Lord? Check.

Slavery? Check.

Torture? Check.

Being engulfed by lava? Check.

Death of a mother minutes after giving birth? Check.

The list above is in no way exhaustive, either. The Star Wars universe if full of horrific acts, ideas and mindsets. It’s a universe of contrasts and extremes. We have the lush beauty of Naboo, with all its finery, stunning architecture and regal imagery, juxtaposed with the scarred and barren landscape of Tatooine – a perfect visual anchor to the existence of those on the planet. But the point is that it’s not overly dark, to me. I’m the first to accept that I have spent many an hour watching some very bleak films indeed. The kind of films that leave you questioning humanity itself. I also understand that Star Wars was never intended to be one of these films, despite the some of the content, and this leads me on to Rogue One…

I’ve been doing quite a lot of forum surfing of late. Out of necessity, I’m a lurker and don’t tend to post much, although I do like to absorb what people are discussing and mull it over in my tiny little mind. One thing that I’ve noticed a fair few people discussing, of late, is that Rogue One could potentially be ‘gritty and dark.’

So, as I noted above, we’ve always had ‘dark’ in Star Wars, but I’m not sure that it’s ever been ‘gritty’ at the same time. Whilst we will all immerse ourselves in the films, I don’t think that we ever really get ‘shocked’ by what we are seeing. It’s all done in a way that is fit for family viewing – on the whole. There are parts of Revenge Of The Sith that I need to skip through when I have my three year old with me, as I don’t really want her to watch Anakin get burnt up on Mustafar, in what is, without question, an emotionally intense scene. But what is it that gives it that intensity? To me, its Hayden Christensen. He really shines in that scene and his hatred for Obi-Wan is unmistakable. Hayden simply blows Ewan off the (green) screen. The thing is though, it’s all shiny…the CGI, the production values; the whole package keeps it just on the right side of family viewing.

That’s what makes Star Wars the unstoppable Force that it is. It’s suitable for everyone. It’s not Game of Thrones – which it could easily be, given the list I put together at the start. It’s testament to the genius of Lucas, the talent of every actor or actress (am I allowed to say ‘actress’ – I lose track of what’s allowed in the world of political correctness these days) and writer that has been involved in the saga that they have managed to keep so much inherent darkness and pain so accessible.

Will Rogue One change this? I don’t think so. It’s Disney, after all. Gareth Edwards has reportedly stated that it’s going to be a darker take on the universe and given the sense of menace and fear that were present in Monsters, I have no doubt at all that he can deliver dark. We need to ask ourselves how far the core values of the franchise can be stretched though. I don’t see Disney, especially with this being the first of the Anthology films, allowing it go down too dark a path. It could potentially alienate some fans. Are the kids who are now being brought up with Rebels going to appreciate sitting though something that upsets them? Well, some might, based on my experience with kids these days, but I don’t think that the parents – the ones paying for the tickets – will. Disney have to be careful. Yes, there are us older fans out there, but they’re also setting things up for the next generation of fans, the ones who are going to be where some of us are at now, in another thirty years.

Will it dark? I have no doubt.

Will it be family friendly at the same time? Again, no doubt – Disney will make sure of that.

Will it polarise opinion? Show me a Star Wars film that doesn’t.

Am I looking forward to it? Very much so…

I’d like to get your thoughts on Rogue One. Do you want it to be the grittiest thing we’ve ever seen in the GFFA? Do you want it to be subtle? What are your  hopes for the Anthology films? Let me know and let’s get a discussion going!

Follow Paul on Twitter @ngc_457

The Cantina Cast

The wretched hive your Jedi Master warned you about!