"Andor" is "Revenge of the Sith's" only true born child
I'm sorry Rian Johnson, you and The Last Jedi are like Jon Snow though!
Discourse about George Lucas’ prequel trilogy is just not where I belong. The criticisms are often trite and perturbing. I am happy to be pro-Hayden Christensen, CGI, and melodramatic dialogue. Admittedly, I owe some of this to the way Revenge of the Sith carried me through the angst of being 15. The steadfastness of Padmé Amidala’s character and the absolutely awesome fight on Mustafar have echoed in my head for almost 10 years now. With what is actually the 20th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith’s release upon us, it is high time we reckon with the impressive filmmaking showcased here and the multitude of art that has followed it since.
Since Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars, the Mouse has spent millions of dollars trying to recreate that feeling. The awe of the scale of production and depth of story and the rumbling feeling in your chest. While largely unsuccessful, the names that appear often are J.J. Abrams, Dave Filoni and Rian Johnson. I have too much dignity to discuss J.J Abrams as it concerns Star Wars. However, Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi is superb. Filoni is a “lore expert” but with each passing day he understands less and less what makes Star Wars great. The story is a vehicle to explore the anthropological reactions and survival tactics in the face of evil. The political allegory is certainly there, but not overly emphasized in the original trilogy. Luke Skywalker’s primary focus is his hero’s journey but along the way he finds anyone can fight evil if they have enough nerve, and hope. Lucas takes the opportunity to advance the thesis of the OG trilogy with these prequels. The failures of the Jedi Council and the Galactic Senate are discussed extensively. It is fascinating because the fate of a galaxy that houses Jedi, Sith, clone troopers and a multitude of alien races is being decided in random rooms; through senate votes and melodramatic tears.
Andor is the most successful Disney+ Star Wars series pushed out to date because Tony Gilroy understands Lucas’ thesis. This series identifies with how evil will meet us anywhere, anyhow, even if we have no desire for such a connection. Cassian Andor does not feel a call to action. When we meet our would be rebel leader, he is out of time and favors. Sure, he hates the Empire and is notoriously good at stealing from them, but he is no Jedi of myth with grandeur ideas of freedom and keeping the peace. In fact, there are no Jedi in this story at all. The responsibility of saving each other from facist forces falls on the shoulders of us and our communities. Gilroy is able to faithfully work within the political framework of Star Wars because of his status as “not a big star wars guy”. He is free from any constraints to include random side characters and subplots to please fanboys.
Revenge of the Sith works even in its weakest moments because of the use of melodramatic conventions. Through the hyperbolic dialogue, sensationalized fights and extravagant CGI, the political intrigue and downfall of the righteous Anakin Skywalker becomes truly poignant.
The syntax of RotS is a beast. Hayden Christensen catches a lot of heat for his line delivery but he does what he can guys. Anakin and Padmé’s relationship teeters on the line of cringy and profound that makes sense for a melodrama inspired space opera because most melodramas are both. This is heavily supported by David Tattersalls’ cinematography.
Anakin and Padmé meet in the shadows. Anakin never finds his way out. Padmé does, but his shadow has threaded itself into her lifeline and without it she cannot live. I have never been too fond of Padmé just “losing the will to live”. There were so many opportunities for her to be an active character in Revenge of the Sith, considering the whole rise of facism and her being a senator and all. But, I will admit that her just passing away and Vader being haunted by that for the rest of his life is melodrama if i’ve ever seen it.
Characters say exactly what they mean, and the reactions to it are what drive the story. Like, Palatine’s “I am the senate” being foreshadowed by Padmé’s “What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?”, respectively. I do enjoy this dialogue but the simplicity does leave something more intense to be desired. It is not just the dialogue either. In line with melodramatic standards, what is good and what is bad is not up for discussion. There is a clear descent into evil. Timeline altering events like Order 66, the Battle on Mustafar and even the birth of the twins dictate the story and steer our emotions one way or the other.
Andor’s definition of good is not so clear. The scales are constantly shifting and the audience is urged to question who is who and if it even matters in this situation. To quote Nemik’s manifesto:
“the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege.”
Gilroy sure knows how to craft a punch to the gut with dialogue. Insignificant events tip the scale until the pressure becomes too much. It also works the other way though. Cassian evades detection for his involvement on Aldhani but gets arrested and sent to Narkina 5 because of littering. Charges have longer, harsher sentences attached as a result of the Adhani heist. Aldhani was indeed a huge incident that negatively affected the Empire, but eventually they would have found a way to make sentences last longer anyway. Good and evil are constantly influencing each other. Being a “good person” has different specifications depending on the situation, the word carries little weight.
Cassian himself could be considered bad because has has no desire to rebel against a force that is decidedly evil. Even Kino Loy, Cassian's’ floor manager on Narkina 5, gave into the demands of the prison in order to save himself. But he learned in the end that being a bootlicker for a force that doesn’t care about him would not save him. Everyone’s story is constantly evolving and that is what is so damn lovely about Andor.
Cassian’s mother, Maarva, posthumously calls her peers to action, in a true exemplar to this idea. Maarva was never on the front lines fighting the Empire, but at the end of her life she decided after seeing how easily they bulldozed their way into Ferrix, how they treated her son, that enough is enough. Even in death, there are still ways to care for the ones you love. Maarva found it inconceivable for her community to live and die in the same stagnant world, like she did.
Love is the driving force of all this, Andor and Revenge of the Sith. Motivations are indeed complex but everyone has a story to tell as to why they joined the fight. The story of lost siblings, or dead parent or an unjust ruling dealed out to them (Cassian has all three…).
Andor makes no mistake about what is evil but they do lean on some melodramatic markers here. There is a solid 5 minutes where the audience watches the Imperial Security Bureau debate the security of planets they control. Similar to the council meetings and senate sessions in the prequels. What these characters are talking about seems insubstantial but the airiness in which they discuss destroying people’s homes speaks to their inhumanity. It is imperative that we witness facist forces being intentionally cruel. Dedra Meero’s entire arc exists to that end. Yes, there are people who may seem unlikeable and selfish but are well intentioned. However, there are truly people in this world lacking love and a sense of responsibility to care about the people they share space with.
Revenge of the Sith moves with that same message to insinuate that evil can be redeemed. Valid. As the prequels set out to illustrate what contributed to Vader’s redemption in Return of the Jedi. Anakin is both the architect of his demise and a victim of his circumstances. The Jedi Council made countless mistakes in his upbringing and he was left vulnerable for manipulation by the Emperor but Anakin has always been rash, vengeful and quick to anger. While he could also be kind and impassioned, Anakin ultimately chose this path. The last part is so misunderstood by Vader apologists who view his redemption as a slate wiped clean. This is antithetical to the point of all these films.
Andor exhibits this truth better than RotS. Gilroy’s understanding of the thesis of the story sometimes eclipses the originals. Not in a way that makes them unwanted but in a way that makes it seem like an organic progression of the story. Like how a child is the better version of their parents.
Andor‘s subject matter does not necessitate a character like Vader, evil but ripe for absolution. In fact, the fluidity of the good/evil framework makes a character like that redundant. Gilroy, instead seeks to introduce a character that uses questionable, even outright dangerous, methods for the greater good.
Luthen, the designer of the rebel network is determined to create a free future at the cost of his own morality. He incites violence, betrays allies, and even goes as far as to prompt further Empire policing in hopes people will grow tired of it. Luthen does this all in spite of himself to provide “a sunrise [he] knows [he] will never see”.
Again, there are no Jedi to save us. In fact, building the rebel network would be an impossible feat for a Jedi. Jedi operate on a strict moral paradigm that does not allow for the ego and self reflection needed to cope with the creation a complex system like the rebellion. We have seen with Anakin what happens when ego goes unchecked. As well as the way the Jedi do not have it in them to be … well, rebellious. As seen by the way they way too quickly accepted the clone army and their positions as military leaders.
Star Wars has always been a journey detailing the myriad of ways we react when confronted with evil. As the spiritual successor to Revenge of the Sith, Andor builds on the necessity for action while also making space for the ways we don’t act. It leaves room for uncertainty. Why we may falter, why we get scared and why we have to try anyway.