Happy Life Day! Let’s think about death.
a great cast and I find the way it tells its story, the depth of visual details and its willingness to go to ugly places, to be extremely compelling. It’s a Star Wars story that really emphasises the war, and tries to, within the confines it’s allowed by its corporate overlords, tell a story that honours the ugliness and sacrifice of that sort of conflict.
Fortunately for me, I’m not the only one who likes it, and some people have talked for much longer than I’m willing to about their love for it. Like this video essay by YouTuber Ladyknightthebrave, which is an earnest, in-depth look at the film, from its troubled production all the way through to its glaring failures and the successes it earns despite those failures. In it, she explains why she considers Rogue One a “flawed masterpiece,” worthy of criticism but just as worthy of praise.
I really like this essay, for the way it talks about the film’s weaknesses honestly but, even more than that, for the way it nails how moving the film can be when it’s taken seriously on its own merits. Along the way, the author makes brief asides into pretty important concepts like artistic subjectivity and what, exactly, a headcanon is. It’s a smart, emotive piece of work, and if you have the time to kill pondering Star Wars this Life Day, I’d recommend it.
You could always watch the Star Wars Holiday Special, but, let’s be real, you don’t actually want to do that.Â