Workers of the galaxy, unite! The socialist undertones of 'The Last Jedi'

WARNING: THERE ARE MULTIPLE SPOILERS AHEAD. DON'T BE ALL STROPPY IF THE FILM IS RUINED FOR YOU

For the nerdy side of Ben, Christmas has brought forth numerous new trilogies that have kept me occupied and brought me to a haven away from the strains of modern life. The Hobbit trilogy, although largely underwhelming and drawn out to the very extremities of the phrase, entertained me and allowed me to return to the wonder of seeing Middle Earth in all of its glory. Give me the Lord of the Rings trilogy any day of the week, but I tip my hat to Martin Freeman and his hobbit adventures.

Star Wars also returned to our lives in an attempt to remind people that the prequel trilogy would not be the last hurrah of the franchise. With two separate trilogies running side by side with one another (one continuing the plot, the other filling in the gaps between prequel/original), we are truly blessed to be living in a time where we have a Star Wars film at Christmas for six years in a row. More films are on the horizon as well; it's all a bit overwhelming.

There was much hype

On Monday I watched The Last Jedi and found myself very content with my recent cinematic experience. Fan service was dished out, and there were enough points in the film that I could pick apart. It's the perfect balance, to be honest, and allows me to maintain my high regard for the franchise. But seriously, who licks a planet? Surely the fact that Crait has a whole layer of salt covering the red soil should give a salty aroma? I digress.

The First Order will feel a bit... salty... after this attack

As I sat back and watched the latest film unfold before my eyes, I tried to put myself back into my review shoes and assess the merits and faults of The Last Jedi. There is plenty to comment on, but today I want to talk about the undertones of the film. In my opinion, which may or may not be shared by others out there, there is a very populist/ socialist feeling to the whole film. The fires of revolution are very much alight in the galaxy far, far away.

Yes, I'm aware that I am very left leaning at times, and anyone can argue that someone with my ideology can pick out the Marxist easter eggs sprinkled throughout the cinematic universe. But hold on there my young Padowan, just read on and maybe you can politely nod your head in agreement and say' Yeh, I guess you're right to an extent'. After all, the internet is there for everyone and we all have an opinion. Some are more sane than others, but we are all curious creatures and can formulate our own observations.

Dammit Windu, if you hadn't been such a dick we wouldn't be in such a mess

I shall start my thesis by stating the obvious; the whole Star Wars sage is populist. By populist, we mean that everyone finds the film appealing, and Star Wars is considered a 'four-quadrant' saga. That means that males and females that are aged 25 and over/under will want to see these particular films. There are heroes and villains, romances, violence (although most of it are the bad guys missing easy shots) and an engaging plot. It's the very definition of an all-encompassing film, and everyone's cinematic needs are well and truly fulfilled. There will always be faults, but the films are enjoyable for the most part.

Then we reach The Last Jedi, whereby the term 'populist' takes a more political meaning, and implies that it appeals to the everyday Average Joe; the 99% if you will. There have been populist tones throughout the saga already, such as the rise of Anakin and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). From the fringes of society these two figures rose to become masters of the Force, yet would find themselves on the opposite sides of the Dark Side and the Light Side. Talk about a family schism.

So much angst

My first hint of this overly populist tone was Canto Bight. With Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) arriving at this fantasied version of Monte Carlo, it's clear to see that it is destination for the super rich. There's horse (well, space horses- they're called Fathiers) racing, high stake gambling and etiquette to rival the goings on behind the doors of Downton Abbey. Rose's disdain for the well-off is laid out before us, commenting on how these people have profited from selling weapons to the First Order and, as revealed later on by code breaker DJ (Benicio del Toro), the Resistance. No such thing as galactic stock brokers, apparently.

Moreover, we see the scummy conditions that the child workforce of Canto Bight work in, tending to the Fathiers who themselves are subject to harsh treatment. For Historian Ben (my tweed wearing alter-ego), this reminds me of the livelihood of the working class during the Victorian era, as the child populace were brought into the working world and were entrusted with the more dangerous jobs of the early Industrial age. These war profiteers temporarily take the place of the First Order as primary antagonists, as Rian Johnson attempts to portray the apparent evils of capitalism and how the lower order of society are just a means to an end.

Look, he's smiling! Maybe it wasn't so bad after all...

Even with Rose releasing the Fathiers and declaring their jaunt to Canto Bight was now 'worth it', the populist/socialist tones keep on coming. The reveal that Rey's (Daisy Ridley) parents were not any of the well-established characters of the franchise, but were just deadbeats who abandoned her on Jakku, gave us another working class hero. Luke is a Skywalker, and his father Anakin had already made a name for himself, as both a Jedi Master and Sith Lord. Luke had that stepping stone early on in his life; he was destined to be a hero, and he delivers well on that.

Rey is just a nobody who just so happens to be strong in the ways of the Force. However much I wanted a big reveal that Rey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver) were related or Rey was the love child of Obi Wan 'Hello There' Kenobi, this was still satisfying. Rey has no dynasty to fall back on, or any pre-ordained expectations hoisted upon her shoulders. She is free to create her own path in this war torn galaxy, and has taken up the mantle of being 'the last Jedi'.

You do you, Rey

Let's jump quickly back to Canto Bight, and talk about the ending of the film. As the child proletariat reenact the heroics of Luke on Crait, abruptly broken up by their master, one child (who is Force sensitive) looks up to the sky and dreams of a future fighting the tyrannical First Order and being free from his surroundings. It's an obvious call back to Luke's gaze toward the two suns setting on Tatooine, himself yearning to join the Rebel Alliance and become a hero. Both Luke and the child are on the bottom rungs of society and want to find their place in the galaxy; populism is well and truly alive.

OMG, and that orchestral bit as well... cinematic brilliance

Yet the Luke we find in The Last Jedi is not the hopeful young lad he once was. He blames himself for the turning of Kylo Ren to the Dark Side, and his impulsive decision to try and dispose of his nephew only led young Solo into the clutches of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Indeed, Luke just wants the Jedi to end, as their track record hasn't been immaculate. Anakin and Ben were turned to the Dark Side after the ways of the Jedi had failed them, as Darth Vader and Kylo Ren took their places as apprentices to the Sith Lords that headed the state running the galaxy. Luke Skywalker, with 'mighty Skywalker blood' that ordains him to be a pivotal character, had failed miserably.

The Jedi are supposed to be the epitome of good, battling the corrupted forces of the Sith and return balance to the Force. But they failed to stop the rise of Emperor Palpatine, and Luke had his temple destroyed by his pissed off nephew and his intentions to train a new era of Jedi literally went up in flames. Thankfully, for all of us fans, Luke redeems himself and the bane of the Empire was back to his very best. His legacy cemented (as seen by the reenactment of his last ditch heroics in the closing scene of the film), Luke passes on to the next life, with a new era of telekinetic super heroes ready to take the fight to the First Order.

I swear he was going to tell Rey to 'get off his property'

I doubt that the entire series shall end with one incredible upheaval by the proletariat, as the First Order falls to an unstoppable wave of socialism and a new state rises from the ashes. The everyday heroes, with no drop of Skywalker, Solo or Kenobi blood running through their veins, would be the real driving force behind a galactic wide revolution. I think as long as we get one pretty awesome lightsaber duel in Episode 9, I can happily call the new trilogy a success.

Will the high ground bring down a Sith Lord once again?

For now, we must all patiently wait, and take our sides over whether The Last Jedi was a good film or not. With the Star Wars fanbase erupting into civil war, it is intriguing to see which side comes out on top. Perhaps both sides can find some common ground and just agree that we all got our annual Star Wars dose, and we should all be thankful we have more films in the first place. I mean, at least it was better than Attack of the Clones... crap, I've just pissed some people off probably.

Ben G 😁 xo

P.S. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas, or a Happy Holidays if that's the way you prefer it. May the season bring you much joy, and enjoy the bountiful offerings that TV shall bestow upon you.