Andor: The Dark Side of Star Wars

by

Tony Gilroy, an American screenwriter renowned for his gripping Bourne film series, made it clear before agreeing to develop a Star Wars television program that he had no interest in the Skywalker family saga. He shared this sentiment with TopMob magazine.

I told Disney, ‘With all those films centered on one particular group, you’re overlooking the vast array of creatures in the galaxy who have no idea about Jedi or the Force. Let’s step out of the spotlight and venture into the creative process behind the scenes instead. That’s where I’d rather focus my attention.’

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I’d say that George Lucas’s Star Wars is essentially a space-bound saga for kids, filled with tales of moral contrasts between light and dark, good and evil. However, Andor stands in a league of its own. Unlike the usual Star Wars narrative, you won’t find Skywalkers or their iconic lightsabers here. There are no adorable Ewoks nor Baby Yodas either. In truth, this series – hailed as the most critically acclaimed Star Wars story of the last decade – seems almost unrecognizable compared to traditional Star Wars stories.

Rather than a light-hearted family adventure, it’s a suspenseful space opera reminiscent of John le Carré, unfolding at the peak of the Galactic Empire’s reign, presented in a dramatic, sophisticated manner akin to premium TV shows. It doesn’t exactly evoke the feel of Disney.

Gilroy remarks, “In the initial episode, we depict a cop getting shot in the face – right outside a house of ill repute! Andor is unlike any other Star Wars experience – it’s Star Wars tailored for mature audiences.

I, as a dedicated fan, can tell you that when asked about the show, people might mention various aspects of it. They could talk about the Rebel Alliance’s gritty struggle for freedom, or the Empire’s suffocating grip on the galaxy. However, at its core, it centers around Cassian Andor, brilliantly portrayed by Diego Luna, who was introduced in the 2016 Star Wars spin-off film, Rogue One.

The movie depicted the tale where the experienced agent, Andor, selflessly gave up his life to obtain the blueprints for the destructive weapon known as the Death Star; this planet-obliterating device was first presented in the 1977 original Star Wars film (later destroyed by Luke Skywalker).

Andor moves the timeline backward another five years, chronicling the transformation of a “skeptical and self-centered” thief into a legendary revolutionary figure. Luna remarks, “Much needs to occur for him to become that man.

In 2022, Andor didn’t come with much excitement or noise. Instead, it was a spin-off from another spin-off, a prequel to a prequel, and an origin story for a character who wasn’t particularly popular. However, as viewers discovered, what made it unique compared to other Disney Star Wars productions was that, as director Gilroy put it, “it strives diligently to treat this subject matter with more gravity than anyone has before.

George Lucas’s original Star Wars movies had a certain gravity, no doubt. Interestingly, the Rebels in the first Star Wars film from 1977 were inspired by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. The prequel trilogy, set between 1999 and 2005, portrays the decline of democracy.

Nevertheless, Gilroy showed a keen curiosity about the intricacies of the storyline, pondering over the practicality of the grandiose ideas portrayed in Star Wars. For instance, he wondered about the source of funds for the Rebel Alliance to procure their weaponry and spaceships.

In the initial part of season one, Andor gets enlisted by an enigmatic figure, Luthen Rael (portrayed by Stellan Skarsgard), who is a seasoned rebel spy master, for an audacious plan to rob a heavily guarded Imperial strongroom.

Similar to many events in Andor, the heist was influenced by authentic revolutionary history, most notably, the 1907 bank robbery carried out by Joseph Stalin in Georgia. The money obtained from this robbery significantly contributed to the funding of the Russian Revolution.

Gilroy describes himself as self-taught in history, particularly focusing on events at the dinner table, and he finds parallels between historical periods, such as the French Revolution and Haitian Revolution, and Andor, stating that it’s like a catalog of recurring cruelty and oppression spanning multiple millennia.

For the 12-episode sequel of Andor (spanning four years), Gilroy delves further into the emotional aspects of rebellion, examining what transforms the previously self-centered Andor into someone willing to lay down his life for the cause. “In Rogue One,” Luna notes, “he has a moment where he says he wouldn’t be able to look at himself if he didn’t give everything.” This realization, Luna continues, comes only after Andor experiences significant amounts of darkness.

In a simpler, more conversational style: Not only do bad guys have the darkness, but even heroes sometimes find themselves in dark situations. In the latest series of Andor, Ben Mendelsohn’s character Orson Krennic, who oversees the Death Star project, shows this complexity when he sarcastically says to a dissenter, “You call my rebel a terrorist.” This line captures one of Andor’s thought-provoking themes – the gray areas in resistance movements and the harsh measures needed to bring down a regime.

According to Irish actress Genevieve O’Reilly, who plays Senator Mon Mothma again, the bravery it takes to stand up against an empire is what people possess. She also points out that history determines who we label as heroes and who remains unrecognized.

As a movie critic, I found myself captivated by the character of Mothma in the series Andor, who navigates the glamorous high society of the galaxy. However, it’s Luthen Rael, a man of ruthless pragmatism, who lays the groundwork for the Rebellion through unconventional means such as bombings and assassinations. In the initial episodes, he grumbles, “I must use my enemy’s tools to vanquish them.” He sacrifices his life to create a dawn I’ll never witness myself.

According to Gilroy, there are many differing views among those who rebel. The question is, what happens if one resorts to violence? What happens if one does not? What guidelines should govern resistance actions? To portray an authentic depiction of this subject matter, you must be prepared to tackle all its facets, including the various shades of opinion it encompasses.

Major entertainment companies that earn billions from family-oriented content usually aren’t fond of radical revolutionaries. However, Gilroy claims that Disney has always been supportive of Andor’s methods. “I don’t have a box of tricks for violence and sex like Game of Thrones,” he states, “but I’ve never encountered any ideological resistance.

In simpler terms, a request was made to modify just one sentence in Maarva’s speech from series one, which was played by Fiona Shaw. Originally, she shouted “Fk the Empire!”, but the modified version is “Fight the Empire!” as the speech climaxes.

“I can understand why,” says Gilroy drily.

The depiction of the Empire in the series exhibits intricate detail. One captivating character within this narrative is Dedra Meero, a stern-looking official from the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), which can be likened to the Empire’s secret police or Gestapo.

George Lucas initially drew inspiration for the Empire’s appearance from Nazi Germany, giving rise to the stormtroopers. However, in contrast to the traditional portrayal of the Empire as a caricatured embodiment of evil in Star Wars, Andor presents it as something more mundane: a sprawling totalitarian system characterized by petty power struggles and smothering bureaucracy. As Gough puts it, “The ISB is like Veep or The Thick of It,” filled with people arguing amongst themselves and everyone getting frustrated.

In season two, the monotonous nature of evil is depicted through a significant storyline where Dedra Meero attends what appears to be an ordinary meeting discussing the best strategy to sway public opinion against Ghorman, a planet the Empire aims to exploit for resources. However, Meero perceives this as a potential stepping stone for her career ambitions.

According to Gilroy, he sees the Empire as a system inhabited by individuals rather than an independent entity. He uses the characters and plot of his movie, Michael Clayton, featuring George Clooney, to illustrate this perspective. While there may be sincere devotees within this structure, many people are primarily concerned with climbing up the ladder. What intrigues Gilroy is the behavior of those who abandon their deeply held beliefs in order to survive within it.

In a similar vein, certain real-world analogies become strikingly similar. Going beyond the comparison with Nazi Germany, in 2018, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, revealed to James Cameron that the ‘gigantic, technologically advanced Empire’ was intended to mirror the imperial power of 1970s America – notably its conduct during the Vietnam War.

Andor, considered one of the most politically charged Star Wars productions yet, is debuting at a time remarkably similar to its storyline. In 2022, Fiona Shaw referred to Andor as a “rebellious” response to the increasing authoritarianism in a “Trump-like era”. However, unlike Shaw, Tony Gilroy and many of the cast members prefer to keep the show separate from contemporary events.

Diego Luna remarks thoughtfully, “When the initial season premiered, it struck a chord with me. You see, humans have a tendency to fall into repetition. We often require reminders of our duties as individuals and as part of society. This message remains timely.

Gilroy, during the interview, mentioned that we initiated the show several years back. He’s adamant about Andor not being solely interpreted as a reflection of contemporary politics. “We don’t base our writing on daily news,” he explained, “It’s not merely caution or skepticism. The series carries its own message, and that message is rooted in the galaxy. Regrettably, any resemblance to real-world events is a recurring pattern that has been present throughout history.

He asserts that each era seems unique to us,” he states emphatically. “Simply imagine stepping into a historical text, flipping through its pages.

Read More

2025-04-22 17:39