How Rian Johnson Got Me to Care About "Star Wars"

Rian Johnson

For majority of my life, Star Wars has been this inexplicable force. It isn't that the films are necessarily bad, but the height to which each were raised is ludicrous. These weren't films on par with Gone with the Wind or Citizen Kane. It has its share of dated techniques, but the stories never grabbed me. The characters (and sci-fi in general) were too ridiculous and the love for Han Solo makes less sense than the current Not All Men campaign. Why do people dedicate their lives to these things? Even as a cinephile, I don't make fan art, costumes, and belabored jokes about how the director made a bad movie and pass it off as a personal attack. To me, Star Wars culture has embodied stunted growth in a disgusting way and that has turned me off more than the actual films, which even then aren't my cup of tea. However, with news of Episode VII coming out and the cast including favorites like Adam Driver and John Boyega, how can I stay mad? I could, but today's news was the tipping point.

Despite my disinterest in sci-fi, I don't have an aversion to seeing it if there is a good story. As it stands, I love monster movies and Godzilla was a joyful theater experience this year. However, I am picky when I get to choose what I see, so sci-fi gets the backseat a lot. However, if a director takes the chair that I feel is competent and exciting, I will go see it. Among the more current examples includes Duncan Jones, Neil Blomkamp, and thanks to Looper: Rian Johnson. It seems like somebody has heard my short list and picked him to write and direct Star Wars VIII. 

General audiences are asking themselves today "Who is Rian Johnson?" For many, he is a relatively unknown director whose brief filmography has been beloved by a small echelon. Even then, his neo-noir Brick helped to launch Joseph Gordon-Levitt's film career and with Looper, he solidified him as a distinct and promising voice. While time travel stories have been overused, there is a technical skill to Looper that isn't apparent. The make-up job between Levitt and co-star Bruce Willis is uncanny and at times unnerving. His love of outdated technology, such as blunderbusses, makes cameos in the film and the universe is effectively established in between intriguing camera angles. The man is an ambitious filmmaker that continues to push the medium into strange places.

The truth is that when it was announced last year that J.J. Abrams was taking Star Wars VII, I didn't care. Sure, he did a good job rebooting Star Trek, but I felt he would've been more opportune to make solid fake-Spielbergian films like Super 8. Star Trek Into Darkness only reflected Abrams' ability to not escape the trappings of the familiar. He set himself up to make Star Wars VII into a disappointing continuation. I could care less what he is doing, even if the cast is way better than I would hope. Of course, it doesn't have Frank Oz, so much like the new movies by The Muppets, they have signed their death warrant.

It was all looking set-up for me to avoid seeing these films when suddenly the news dropped of Johnson's involvement. Having enjoyed Looper, I immediately found myself torn. Do I respect my credos of not seeing these films, or support the filmmaker I respect? If nothing else, he has set himself up for an interesting career. I do fear that he will dive into a career of studio films now, but it has yet to be seen. For instance, David Fincher directed Alien3 before making his own highly acclaimed brand of films. Maybe this is a detour for Johnson.

Nonetheless, I have grown excited as a result because even within established universes, Johnson delivers the goods. Setting aside his already solid filmography, let us turn to his TV work. For those that likely know, Breaking Bad ended its run at the top of its game. Mixing heavy drama with visual ecstasy, it was an addictive show with many of the best TV directors producing some of the most innovative and exciting work out there. Comparatively, Johnson's involvement on only three episodes is minuscule to that of Michelle McLaren or Michael Slovis, though he did more than David Slade. However, it is more important to focus on the three episodes that he did end up doing: "Fly," "52," and "Ozymandias."

While "52" had a lot of important plot beats, it is the least memorable of his stint, save for a scene involving a pool. Instead, I shall focus on the others. "Fly" is ostensibly a bottle episode. Taking place within one setting, it was Johnson's debut with the show. He turned the meth lab into a playground of character reveals and comedic moments with stride. It is a divisive episode in some ways, but it reflected the growth of the characters that the series needed at that moment. Personally, it was very good and was only setting up for his 1-2 punch in season five.

With it being the third-to-last episode, it is impossible to reference without major spoilers. However, in "Ozymandias," things go drastically bad and push the series into the stratosphere. Those doubting the series' ability to stick the landing need to not watch much further. Some would even argue that it was a perfect finale. It has gone down as one of, if not, the best episodes of the series as well as TV in general. To date, it remains the only episode in IMDb history to score the perfect 10/10 score. If that isn't a major achievement, what is?

So what made it special? For starters, Vince Gilligan and his writers were able to make an ending that fit. It almost seemed too easy to simply call Johnson in to shoot it. In an episode that featured flashbacks and visual references to "Pilot" and dung beetles, he had a lot to prove. The opening scene alone is a phenomenal moment that reflects Johnson's ability to capture high-strung drama and wring it for all of its calculated potential. With an excellent soundtrack and striking visual cues, he didn't just make TV, he made art. Of course, the whole series was unprecedented lightning in a bottle. Johnson just happened to be a special ingredient.

So how does this raise my hopes for Star Wars VIII? It is very clear by now that I admire Johnson's ability to capture a unique visual style as well as grounded characters. He is a nerd, but one who makes films that have a soul. Much like I cared about Ant Man because of Edgar Wright, I now care about Star Wars VIII because of Johnson. His filmography is small, but he has proven himself. Even his interviews on the /Filmcast are phenomenally candid and fun. As a skeptic who has not cared about Star Wars in years, this is a big deal to suddenly break loose and have investment. Even if I will be watching it more for Johnson's contribution, the fact that I will be wanting to watch it at all is a glorious miracle.