May the Ejioforce be with you

Do or do not make history by putting Chiwetel Ejiofor in Star Wars Episode VII. There is no try.

Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor may have the most dyslexic name in the industry, but he’s still on the path to stardom…maybe literally. After wowing us in 12 Years a Slave, the thespian’s next move could be in J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII, says the media.

Why is this amazing news? A quick look at York’s film classes suggests that leading one of the biggest franchises ever made with a black actor might be more significant than any of us realize.
As a film student, I see the opportunity for one of the best black representations in movie history. While 12 Years a Slave may hold a 96 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I took issue with it. There’s no denying the inherently horrific nature of its subject matter, but come on Steve McQueen. Do you really think Solomon Northup wanted his biopic to summarize his life as whipping and raping and more whipping?

Worse still, the film’s antagonist slave owner—who is rightfully construed as the most evil film character ever—was played by Michael Fassbender.

I’ve always thought the best way to progress with the filmic depictions of minorities is to be nonchalant. This doesn’t mean ignoring an appalling past. We need our 12 Years a Slave, Roots, and Amistads. But the argument that black people rarely get casual starring roles—roles that could have been written for anyone, but went to a black person simply because they had the chops—is a strong one.
George Lucas’ Star Wars series was a pioneer in making ‘black’ a non-event, thanks to Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian. Don’t nitpick that he was a traitor in cahoots with Darth Vader (the horrible villain played by black actor James Earl Jones).

Lando had a cool mustache, ended up saving the universe, and wore a fucking cape (why a cape, Lando?) He was pretty progressive as far as 80s roles go.

But the Star Wars series made the leap to hyper-backspace when it introduced jive-talking Jar Jar Binks two decades later. The series needs more redemption than Anakin Skywalker at this point, and Ejiofor is the answer. There are hundreds of reasons this fine actor should pilot the new Abrams trilogy, and they all hinge solely on what a great lead he would be, and the boost in credibility his appearance would provide the saga.
A surefire Oscar nominee coming off of one of the most acclaimed, talked about films of the decade? Sure beats Hayden Christensen. The fact this his race doesn’t matter in all of this is kind of what makes it matter. The fourth-biggest film series of all time, starring a black person? Hollywood is beyond ready. It’s behind.

Look at York. The school is wonderfully multicultural and intercultural. Now look at our film program. The vast majority of students are white males, including myself. In North America, Hollywood cinema is kind of the grandparent of all cinema. Ask some pretentious indie filmmaker who lives in a tent on the coast of Lake Erie why they’re making movies, and they’ll say Star Wars, or at least one of its billion-dollar blockbuster brothers.
As a result, as long as these mega-movies, like Star Wars, The Avengers, Harry Potter, and company are being led by white heroes, that will be a status quo for the industry. I hope Ejiofor gets the part, whatever part it may be. And I hope that after this article, it’s never mentioned again that his character is black.
For the sake of its general quality, Star Wars VII needs a great, up-and-coming actor in its leading role, and (hypocritical as this may be) race needs to stop being part of such discussion.
If you don’t recognize that Ejiofor fits the bill, well… I find your lack of faith disturbing.

Dustin Dyer
Features Editor

May the Ejioforce be with you

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