2) Chirrut Inwe (Donnie Yen)
Chirrut Inwe is a blind warrior who has a deep, abiding belief in The Force, without being a Jedi himself. He believes in the connection of all things, and of the need for balance. He can regularly be heard repeating his mantra – almost in prayer – “I am The Force, The Force is with me,” and in doing so, draws strength and courage from his faith in the face of almost insurmountable odds.
In a group of rogues who are mired in darkness and pain, Chirrut Inwe is something of a breath of fresh air. The solid personal foundation provided to him by his belief in The Force allows him to view their situation from a more objective point of view – the result of which is that he becomes the voice of reason, rather than of wisdom.
It’s Chirrut that reaches out to Jyn as she walks past, demonstrating his remarkable abilities of perception by commenting on the necklace she wears – even though he’s blind and it’s hidden from view. It’s also Chirrut that intervenes in defence of Jyn and Cassian when the area of Jedha in which they stand comes under attack from both Imperial forces and fighters allied to Saw Gerrera.
It is Chirrut, too, in the final act, who first steps into the breach in an act of unprecedented courage and faith, as the team individually work to accomplish their respective parts of the mission to derail the Death Star project. The nature of his faith – unwavering, even in the face of evil – is a source of inspiration for the rest of the group, regardless of whether they share his beliefs or not. This draws an important point about the fact that the faith a person has is far less important than the fact that they have faith at all.
Published: Dec 17, 2016 01:10 pm