'Rogue One' Brought The Rebellion To Life

It's been a long, maddening, and saddening week in American history following the election of Donald Trump as president. Many Americans have chosen to exercise their right to free speech and their right to peacefully protest the decision; today, the writers of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story have joined other voices of protest. Using Twitter as their platform, writers Gary Whitta and Chris Weitz have spoken out against Trump's election by subtly reminding us of what the Empire, the main anatagonist of Rogue One, stood for.

Weitz tweeted: "Please note that the Empire is a white supremacist (human) organization." He went on to tweet a picture of the Rebel insignia all in black —a sign of mourning or strength, depending on your view — with a safety pin through it. Weitz's tweets remind us that there is hope to be found wherever darkness lives. Even a monolithic, albeit fictional, terror like the Empire (embodying true evil and destruction) can be chipped away and brought down by revolutionary forces. By bringing the context of Rogue One into the real world, he reminds us that the prescience of the Star Wars story can be used as a channel for hope and strength in our own very real dark days.

Weitz's use of the safety pin through the Rebel logo is also key. The safety pin has become a sign of solidarity in recent months. Those who are donning the safety pin, in real life or online, are using it to signify their stand against injustice and intolerance against oppression. For Weitz and Whitta, who wrote a story dedicated to the rebellion of a small group against a tyrannical state feels, their stand against injustice in the real world feels like the right kind of solidarity many Americans are looking for in the aftermath of the election. It's a fitting utilization of Rogue One's themes in real life, but it is also, crucially, a pointed statement against Trump himself.

Whitta crucially reminded his followers that the Rebellion is an incredibly diverse group of people, too. While the Empire is a wholly white and male institution, the Rebellion is deeply diverse and yes, it's led by women. In the Rogue One trailer, protagonist and Rebellion leader Jyn Erso can be heard telling her comrades that rebellions are built on hope. Indeed, it's Jyn's brand of hope that we need right now. Extending beyond the boundaries of Star Wars fandom or even those who love the movies, Rogue One's propensity for optimism and desire to fight against tyranny feels especially heartening this week. To see the writers of the film that purports these ideas make a real life statement so boldly in favor of the people? That's just perfect.

Image: Walt Disney Studios