Part C: Imaginative Resistance
There a phenomenon discussed in the philosophy of art called imaginative resistance. Put simply, imaginative resistance occurs when you find it hard or impossible to engage in a certain imaginative activity. It’s quite a rare occurrence, especially for those interested in science fiction, but I found myself faced by resistance multiple times during The Last Jedi, but never once during Infinity War.
Now before you jump to any conclusions, I’m not talking about any of the physical impossibilities that happen in The Last Jedi (or any Star Wars movie for that matter). I’m more than content imagining a world in which running out of fuel in space slows you down, or a world where laser beams arc through a vacuum, or even a world where elderly women can use magical powers to save themselves from catastrophic explosions – that belongs firmly in the bad writing camp, not the imaginative resistance one. Instead, what I have trouble with is imagining that Rose saving Finn in the film’s climax was a good thing.
Without getting too bogged down in philosophical mumbo-jumbo, just about all imaginative resistance stems from morality, or more specifically a disconnect between audience’s sense of morality and the moral doctrine endorsed by a narrative. For example, we’re perfectly happy to imagine a murderer who kills people for no apparent reason. However, we are not happy to imagine that the same murderer is also a good person without changing the story from, “He murders for no good reason,” to, “He murders to punish the wicked,” or any other similar justifying point.
Fortunately, we rarely encounter this kind of resistance while watching films, at least not blockbuster films, as the morality of those films is so deeply entrenched in classic, mythology inspired moral codes that we can’t help but agree with it. Blockbuster heroes often reflect the archetypal hero, or at least antihero, and while they have their flaws, they strive to improve themselves and, when push comes to shove, they are always willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of humanity.
Without spoiling anything, Infinity War is full of moments where the heroism of its characters is on full display. They face insurmountable odds, but instead of giving up, they face them head on. At no point are we ever told to root for someone who does not hold these values.
Moreover, although Thanos’ actions are justified by his own moral compass, they are not by ours, and he is still very much painted as the bad guy. We are never told to agree with what he does. Instead, we are given an explanation as to why he wants to wipe out half of the universe that we understand as being rational from his point of view.
The same cannot be said for The Last Jedi. While there are definite moments of heroism, there are a couple of scenes at least where imaginative resistance is felt. The most obvious of which is the aforementioned climactic scene involving Rose and Finn.
The scene sees Finn flying towards a Death-Star-Laser-Battering-Ram-Thingamabob, determined to destroy it before it can break down the walls of the rebel base, and willing to sacrifice his own life in the process. The tension builds as he draws closer, but just before he reaches the turret, Rose flies in and knocks his speeded off course and into the dirt, saving him but allowing for the destruction of the rebel’s stronghold, and presumably the deaths of many rebel soldiers.
In and of itself, this scene is fine. However, the lines that follow generate massive imaginative resistance. I can’t remember them exactly, but a cheeky Google search tells me the last part of the line is, “Don’t kill the ones we hate; it’s better to save the ones we love.” Regardless of the truth of this claim, it is clear that the movie wants us to think that Rose is the hero in this situation. But she’s not; she very clearly did something immoral and selfish. And don’t just take my word for it: the YouTube upload of that clip has over four times as many dislikes as it has likes, and nearly all the top-rated comments are all to do with how much people hate Rose as a character. Sure, there are other reasons why people dislike the character, some of which are totally unjustified, but her actions in this instance are not those of a good person. Furthermore, the movie’s attempt to frame her as one is not bought by the audience either.
In essence, both Infinity War and The Last Jedi try to do the same thing: tell a story about heroes. But of the two, it is only Infinity War that consistently promotes true heroism through heroic acts. And while The Last Jedi does contain heroic moments, it also tries to sell us selfishness in the guise of heroism.
As a final point for those who have already seen Infinity War, what did you think of that scene with Star Lord? You know, the one where he acted selfishly. He was being a colossal dick, right? But did the movie try to tell us otherwise? No, it didn’t. Now try and imagine how you’d have felt if it did…
