“Chewie, we’re home.”
With that line from Harrison Ford’s Han Solo in The Force Awakens, I knew that I too was home, back in the universe that has so powerfully captured my imagination since childhood. It was a line so muffled by the cheers of the audience that I probably would not have caught it had I not already seen it in one of the film’s trailers. Another on-screen reunion of two of the previous films’ main characters caused tears to well up in my eyes, a moment in which J.J. Abrams expertly had me feeling the same complex range of emotions those characters were feeling.
I’m writing this a day after having seen The Force Awakens on opening night. I still don’t know if I can trust myself to give a fully objective critique of this film, simply because the universe in which these films take place holds such a special place in my heart. One of the reasons for this is because that universe is so vast and well-developed. I’m not only talking about the source material of the films. Lucasfilm has created countless other books, comics, video games, and more for the last 30 years, all of which have additional stories taking place in the universe created by these films. With Disney now at the helm of this franchise there are sure to be countless more stories spawned from the source material of the films. These stories continue to build on the mythology of the Star Wars universe in a way that playfully ignites the imaginations of those who encounter them.
The cultural impact of the Star Wars cannot be denied. I believe a large part of the reason for this is the way in which it functions as a mythology. One of the strengths of a mythology is its ability to describe a world, situation, or character that is slightly foreign to us yet also slightly familiar. This gives us the ability to recognize and respond to certain elements of a story while still learning something through its other more unique elements. Even though we know the myths aren’t true, we still enjoy engaging with them over and over again. We want to spend time with those worlds and those characters. Maybe it’s because they teach us something about ourselves. Maybe they give us hope. Maybe somewhere deep inside of ourselves we secretly wish that somehow it is all true and that there is some way we could be a part of it. Whatever the reason, the mythology of Star Wars has a strong appeal for many people.
Throughout the franchise, there have been moments in which the characters themselves have referenced the internal mythology of the Star Wars universe, whether it was Obi-Wan reminding Luke about the brave Jedi Knights who fought in the Clone Wars, Chancellor Palpatine seducing Anakin with tales of an ancient Sith Lord who cheated death, or those during the time of the Empire who were doubtful of the entire existence of the mythical Jedi and their powers of the Force. (Darth Vader choking one of those doubters through using the Dark Side of the Force comes to mind). The Star Wars films have shown us many of these important events and characters, and they are pivotal elements of the films’ mythological development.
The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after any of these “important” events. Finn and Rey, two younger characters who had not been born early enough to witness any of those pivotal moments, speak as if the mythical stories of Luke Skywalker, the Jedi, and the Force are nothing more than that – just stories. One of my favorite moments of the film was when Han Solo tells them both, “It’s true…all of it.” He knows because he was there when it all happened. Han Solo is a living witness to each of these exciting events, something which helps to further prove its historicity.
I wonder, however, what the generation of characters in the Star Wars universe that comes after Rey and Finn will think of the events depicted in the earlier films, especially if they no longer have direct access to people like Han Solo who were actually there to tell them about how it all happened. I imagine the Apostles mulling over a similar problem two thousand years ago, after they had witnessed all of the incredible things that happened during their time with Jesus. They recorded these events and teachings of Jesus while they were still alive, which are preserved in what we now call the New Testament. Just like Han Solo affirms the truth about the Jedi and the Force to Finn and Rey, the Apostles were able to affirm the truth about Jesus’ life and work because they themselves had been there with Jesus. They had witnessed firsthand a forceful awakening of God’s power manifested through Jesus Christ, and we now have access to their firsthand authoritative accounts in the form of the Bible.
Luke Skywalker is certainly not a myth to those in the Star Wars universe, just as Jesus Christ is not a myth in our universe. The stories about him – his revolutionary teachings, the miracles he performed, his death and resurrection – “It’s true…all of it.”
You might also find these reviews of Star Wars: The Force Awakens helpful:
1 More Film Blog
Christianity Today
Decent Films
Elijah Davidson’s original review for Reel Spirituality
Larsen on Film
Looking Closer
Movies and Meaning
Reel Gospel
Think Christian
