A
long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...A man named George Lucas created one
of pop culture’s most beloved franchises; Star Wars. The original trilogy comprising of ‘A New
Hope’ (1977), ‘Empire Strikes Back’ (1980) and ‘Return of The Jedi’ (1983) (Also known as episodes IV to
VI), is an epic space opera charting the struggles between the good guys, aka
The Rebellion, against the bad guys, aka The Empire. This was followed up by a prequel trilogy including,
‘The Phantom Menace’ (1999). ‘Attack of the Clones’ (2002) and ‘Revenge of the
Sith’ (2005), (Known as episodes I-III) charting the rise and fall of Anakin
Skywalker (Jake Lloyd in episode I and Hayden Christensen in episodes II and
III). Now we have a whole host of new Star Wars movies on the cards with a new sequel trilogy, which began with 'Force Awakens' (2015), and the first of the standalone films, 'Rogue One' (2016). Loved for its characters, epic
plot and cutting edge special effects, Star Wars changed the face, not only of the
space opera sub-genre, but of Sci-Fi as a whole. But it’s not all lightsaber duels, blowing up
Death Stars and Jawa Juice keggers. Some
would argue that the Star Wars universe is misogynistic and male dominated,
where the females are greatly overshadowed and outnumbered by their male
counterparts. Hmmm. Let’s take a look?
Looking at the original trilogy and the
prequels through the lens of Feminist Theory, it’s clear why some people would
certainly feel that women are under-represented. What is Feminist Theory you might ask? Well, in a nut shell, it’s a theoretical and
philosophical discourse on subjects such as the rejection of traditional roles
for women, the rejection of traditional modes of female beauty and undermining
patriarchal establishments. Already, you
can see why feminists might reject Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) as a strong
female role model. Sure, on the surface
she’s a tough talking, laser gun toting political activist who appears to keep
the men folk in check. But, by Episode
VI she’s relegated to a bikini clad sex slave, chained to the universe’s most
wanted gangster, Jabba The Hut, and is in desperate need of rescue from none
other than...the men. Not particularly a
role women should aspire to. But is it a
product of its time? One theory known as
‘the male gaze’ (Laura Mulvey, 1975), popular around the time Star Wars was
created would suggest so. It concerns
itself with the fact that women exist largely to be looked at by men. They’re passive, a spectacle; they’re punished
rather than the punisher. There’s no
denying that in ‘Return of The Jedi’,
Princess Leia falls dangerously in to this cliché. There’s no other reason for her to be in a
bikini, other than to be leered at as a sex symbol. After all, the main demographic for the genre
is the 15-30 year old males. So, you can
forgive the originals for being sexist to some extent, but what about the
prequel trilogy?
Again,
in Episode I, II and III, there’s only one female character in the core group; Padmé
Amidala (Natalie Portman), the soon to be mother of Luke and Leia. Unlike her future daughter, Padmé does appear
to be a stronger female character; she’s the queen that takes centre stage in
an active role in the liberation of her planet.
After becoming a leading political figure in the galactic senate and
kidnapped by the enemy in Episode II, she doesn’t wait for a man to save her,
but defends herself and fights for her own freedom, wielding a blaster as well
as any man. But then everything falls
down. Padmé’s sole purpose in the film
is for Anakin to fall in love with her and to subsequently die in childbirth,
thus pushing him over the edge into the abyss of the dark side. She’s basically used as a plot point, albeit
one that gets dragged out over the course of three films. She doesn’t even get a heroic death, instead
dying from a lack of a will to live. A
broken heart. Cliché anyone? And it’s the same across all six films; the
female characters, both leading and supporting, are there to serve the purpose
of a male, usually the lead. None of
them go out in a blaze of glory, lightsabre held high. They don’t even get a decent story arc.
However, jump to today and it appears that Star Wars is finally catching up with the times. In both of the new films female characters take centre stage; the force wielding orphan, Rey, in Episode VII, and Jyn Erso, the rebellious lead in 'Rogue One'. Both of these women are strong leaders, surviving by their wits and determination under trying circumstances. They don't wait around for the men to come and save them because they're quite capable of doing it themselves. They're active, not passive, dealing with situations as they arrive and taking charge. It's a massive step-up for the franchise.
So,
the prequels are an improvement, but it's the sequels that really change the way in which female characters are used. There’s no denying, Star Wars is an awesome
piece of cinema history, one that will forever hold a prominent place in my
heart. Its innovative use of special
effects, its epic plot, the memorable characters, all come together to create
movie magic. But like anything, it does
have its faults. Women are greatly
under-represented and given, some would argue, sexist roles. The originals can be excused to some degree,
but not the prequels. On the other hand,
Star Wars wasn’t created to be a politically correct treatise on Affirmative
Action. It’s entertainment, plain and
simple. Let’s hope LucasFilm and Disney
can find a happy medium, as they've done a great job so far. I, for one,
cannot wait to see what they have cooking up for us next.
Until
next time...To infinity and beyond.
