“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was, to the surprise of basically no one, a huge success. The movie crushed box-office records and cruised comfortably to $2 billion worldwide, becoming the third highest-grossing movie of all time. But not only did audiences love it, critics adored it too. It was a return to the excitement and adventure of the original franchise: a well-crafted film with carefully drawn characters and plenty of heart. The question now is if the plethora of forthcoming sequels and spinoffs can keep up the momentum.
To do so, it wouldn’t hurt if the next films kept up the craftsmanship and attention to detail that director J.J. Abrams brought to the proceedings. ‘The Force Awakens,’ like so many blockbusters these days, is loaded with easter eggs, familiar characters, and plenty of homage (maybe the film’s biggest weakness). But what separates Abrams’ film from so many others of this size is that this artistry extends into every aspect. Abrams certainly pays his dues to the ‘Star Wars’ universe, but he also builds a compelling and propulsive film that, while not quite high art, certainly has more of a brain than most tent poles.
To help break down some of this attention to detail is a new two-minute video essay, “The Isolation Of Rey.” The video, by Kasper Møller Jensen, takes a look at how Abrams used framing and other key visual cues to subtly reinforce Rey’s isolation and alienation from other characters. It’s interesting stuff, and it helps to highlight just how much thought went into the biggest blockbuster of last year, and how much ought to go into every one.
Check out “The Isolation Of Rey” below and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.