WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Her Campus Falmouth accepts no liability for spoilers absorbed during this article.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens was released in the UK on Thursday to fantastic acclaim, smashing multiple box office records and proving itself to be the film that fans have been craving. I was lucky enough to see it on the day of release (something of a challenge with tickets selling out far and wide) and have to give kudos to J.J. Abrams; he has finally rebalanced The Force – there are finally more good Star Wars films than bad ones. We aren’t talking about Supreme Leader Snoke for now, who presently has the look of a BFG/Voldemort/The Silence from Doctor Who hybrid; more data must be collected before judgement can be passed on that one, and nothing has been strained writing the plot so far – we’ve essentially got a reboot of A New Hope here. However there’s plenty to get excited about and one of the best things about The Force Awakens is the powerful way in which it portrayed the female characters; even today it is rare to come across great writing for women but this proved that it can be done and it can be done brilliantly. There are no major plot spoilers here, but you may want to stop now if you’re determined to avoid any details of the story.
Women are at the centre of The Force Awakens. 2015 has seen a growing number of strong female leads on the big screen: Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games franchise, Kate Winslet’s portrayal of Joanna Hoffman in Steve Jobs and the entire cast of Suffragette to name a few. Episode VII’s writers have added to this cohort with gusto; it becomes pretty clear within the first twenty minutes of Force that we will be seeing real charge in our heroines, as John Boyega’s Finn spots Daisy Ridley’s Rey in a spot of trouble, but before he can rush in to rescue his damsel in distress she swiftly defends herself against her attackers, being more than a match for the men in combat. Abrams does well to use this subtle shift in Star Wars’ gender politics to comic effect, and I could swear I felt the room swell with a silent “Girl Power!” Rey’s captivating endurance persists through the film, as she proves herself time and again, repeatedly confused by Finn’s concern for her, and rightly so.
And Rey is not the only offering we get. Lupita Nyong’o’s goggle-eyed wise woman Maz Kanata, while a little derivative in appearance (is anyone else seeing E.T. here?), is a pleasure, and emitting a bit of a Yoda vibe. The scene between Rey and Maz is the first of two poignant and powerful moments where women verify their places at the forefront of the film – the other being a wordless moment of mutual support between Leia and Rey which undoubtedly touched everyone in the theatre and will make you want to dance and clap for women everywhere.
Speaking of Leia, she’s back, in her rightful place as a commanding military General of the Resistance. Not only does she stand steady and strong in the fight, but she demonstrates a deal of warmth as well. It’s tiring to sit through a film featuring a female lead who, whilst tough and compelling, has the social aptitude of a toothbrush, and there a plenty of them about, but Force’s women (and female aliens, no discrimination here) showed immense depth of character. They were strong, clever, funny, and brave, and at the same time kind, nurturing, sympathetic and approachable. They were allowed to be vulnerable, and show their vulnerabilities too, not only that but so were the men. In the face of loneliness, fear, grief and confusion, both genders reacted with complexity and humanity. The only robots were the droids – and even they had pretty deep emotional ranges.
On the other side of the board, we get our villainess; the only criticism I have for Gwendoline Christie’s impressive and brooding Captain Phasma is that she doesn’t get enough screen time. The casting of Phasma as a woman is sure to drive the role to fans’ hearts, yet without further exposition is in danger of coming across as a lazy and superfluous addition. Fortunately, for now, the strength of female leads in the film does not feel artificial; with reinforcement from a cast of very solid supporting characters, as both male and female pilots and aliens are abundant, it is a seemingly natural and very welcome development in the franchise.