When the Force was with us!

If there is one thing that the Japanese take very seriously, it’s their love for all things Star Wars. One of the most loved and worshipped film franchises of all times, is also somewhere deeply influenced by Japanese history and culture. The movie’s creator and director, George Lucas, was clearly taken in by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and one can easily see aspects of the latter’s epic Samurai drama Hidden Fortress in Star Wars IV: A New Hope, the first instalment of the franchise. The six movies that followed, too had heavy traces of the country’s mark on them. 

So it wasn’t a surprise when we found ourselves in the midst of some heavy-duty fan frenzy at the red carpet premiere of the eighth film in the franchise — Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi — in Tokyo, Japan. The Roppongi Hills arena had been cordened off and everywhere you looked, there were fans dressed as Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Darth Vader or the Stormtroopers — someone even had a little stuffed toy Yoda hanging around her neck!

Fan-fare! 

It’s not everyday that you see a filmmaker so enthusiastic about promoting his film as he is about directing it, but the ever-smiling Rian Johnson was an exception as he clicked pictures of the fans and the media with his personal camera. Producer Kathleen Kennedy greeted the fans with ‘May the Force be with you’. But the loudest cheers were reserved for the stars of the night — Mark Hamill, who reprises his role as Luke Skywalker, a character he has been associated with for 40 years and Adam Driver, who became a sensation after playing Kylo Ren, the dark warrior in the seventh instalment in the franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

Mark shared an interesting connection with Japan, revealing that he had spent two years studying in a high school here. “The only reason I couldn’t stay back was because my Japanese wasn’t good enough to get me acting jobs,” he quipped. Adam, the more sombre one of the two, too, had his share of one-liners. “It’s hard to be intimidating on sets when a shoelace can take you out,” he laughed, pointing at the love-hate relationship he shares with his mask. The droids — R2 D2, BB-8 and C-3PO — got their share of love from the audience as well. As the evening turned to night and the event came to an end for the fans, the light sabers everyone was carrying glowed bright red. A select group of media got a sneak peek at some exclusive footage of the movie, and we came out of the theatre, our appetites whetted for film. With so much build-up around Star Wars: The Last Jedi, director Rian remarked with a laugh, “There IS an actual movie after this guys!”

Specially for Japan

The next day, we were up and early to attend a press conference at The Ritz Carlton. All the guys from the night before, including the droids, made their way to the stage and unveiled the short animation Ukiyo-e by Japanese artiste Segawa37, leading Mark to comment, “It’s spectacular to see the traditional Japanese interpretation of these characters.” Kathleen, too, was impressed and said, “I think the exhibits, paintings and the inspiration that artistes seem to derive from Star Wars are extraordinary. That’s what’s special about the relationship between Japan and the movies.”  

As somebody who made his debut with the first instalment of the franchise that released in 1977, Mark has certainly been around to see the impact of technology in the making of the movies. “I was able to really observe all the departments — the wardrobes, the creatures, the weapons... It’s astonishing how many talented people it takes to make a film of this size,” he said.

Remembering Carrie 

The event could not end without the cast and crew speaking about Carrie Fisher, the stunning actress who became an international sensation after playing the iconic Princess Leia in the first three films of the series and had reprised her role in the seventh movie. The actress had finished filming for the eighth instalment before she passed away last year, following a heart attack.  

Mark, who played her sibling onscreen, remarked that it was hard for him to think of her in the past tense, as she was so alive in his mind. “I met her when she was 17 and there is a lot of history between us. It was impossible not to have fun when you were around Carrie. She was non-stop fun. She could be exasperating and drive me crazy too! We were pretend brother and sister in the movies but we began to relate to each other like siblings. Siblings fight and have disagreements but they love each other. The whole world loved Carrie and we will never stop missing her,” he added. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi releases on December 15.