Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016): The Texture of Rebellion
2016 • Gareth Edwards • 2.39:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Set immediately prior to the events of the original 1977 film, A New Hope, and directly after the series Andor, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), directed by Gareth Edwards, explains how the Rebel Alliance obtained the plans for the Death Star.
Rather than a space opera, it is a gritty war film influenced by the cinema of the Vietnam War and WWII combat films. In fact, cinematographer Greig Fraser used naturalistic lighting and lens flares reminiscent of 1970s cinematography to visually connect the film to the era of the original trilogy.
Gareth Edwards made a name for himself thanks to his work on visual effects. This has always been a notable feature of his films, and Rogue One is no exception. However, the CGI recreation of Grand Moff Tarkin (originally portrayed by Peter Cushing) and the digitally de-aged Princess Leia (portrayed by Carrie Fisher) somewhat obscures this, sparking an industry debate over the ethics of digital resurrection. It’s a debate that’s hard to avoid in a franchise that relies so heavily on nostalgia.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: A disparate group of rebels undertakes a nearly impossible mission to steal the Death Star plans, transforming an act of desperation into a defining moment of sacrifice that reshapes the course of the galactic rebellion.
- Actors: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Henry, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen.
- Director: Gareth Edwards
- Year: 2016
- Cinematographer: Greig Fraser
- Origin: American Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
- Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
