– Spoiler Review –
Lucasfilm teams up with D’ART Shtajio for Star Wars: Visions Vol. 2’s “The Pit,” a rousing, heartfelt examination of the dangers of ignorance and hope’s ever eternal flame, which will stick with you long after its over. Stay after the credits and check my review out below afterwards!
“The Pit” in Star Wars: Visions Vol. 2 might be set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away but like other shorts before it, especially “In the Stars” & “The Spy Dancer,” it hits very close to home due to its message and real-world parallels. Prisoners of the Empire are tasked with digging with little pickaxes for kyber, and while they endlessly toil away, digging deeper and deeper, a shiny city grows nearby. Are they aware of the pit and the plight of those within? Do they know and just not care? Or are they unaware or never bothered asking? And is it the Empire suppressing knowledge of the pit, but if so, how much of it is on them for not trying to inquire what’s brought them wealth and prosperity? The story of “The Pit” asks these questions not to be nihilistic about the world, but to offer an uplifting message in the end on how we can avoid, in our lives and our world, having to ask such questions of ourselves. In the world of “The Pit,” the locals turn an obliviously blind eye to what’s outside their city, which only worsens when the Empire abandons the prisoners after they’ve dug as far as they can go, with no way out. One hopeful, young individual, Crux (Daveed Diggs), vows to climb out and get help, because he can’t imagine they wouldn’t help when they find out the truth and see them in the pit. Ignorance can breed indifference, intentionally or not, and refusing to listen can only grow the guilt of one’s actions. With the caustic political environment and how it affected the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not hard to see how ignorance and lack of listening led to so much unnecessary pain and suffering across the world. Even more prescient, “The Pit” is a stark reminder of America’s, and the world’s, past with slavery, as well as the populations that thrived from the forced, illegal, and terrible labor. When Crux makes the dangerous climb out of the Pit, he makes his way to the city, his voice nearly drowned out by the amount of beings living there, and when he manages to get their attention, the Empire intervenes, stunning him and carrying him back out to the pit, throwing him to his death, and it’s hard not to find or draw a line back to real-world parallels. It’s vital then to know this story comes from the voice of Lucasfilm’s LeAndre Thomas and they teamed his tale up with a Black-owned studio in Japan, D’ART Shtajio, to bring it to vivid life, as their voices amplify what is so clearly tied to the Black experience and history. I’m glad Lucasfilm was so supportive of Thomas’ idea and wanting to ensure his message was retained, because his vision was clear, concise, and pointed, while D’ART Shtajio obviously took a lot of care of making the visuals highlight the strength of said vision and concept.
After Crux’s fall, the spirits of those in the pit is nearly broken, but young Livy (Jordyn Curet) remembers what he told her before he climbed out to get the city’s help: people have an inner light and sometimes you just have to remind them to follow it. His words become hers and she begins to shout, “Follow the Light,” telling her mother, Eureka (Anika Noni Rose), the city needs to know they’re there. She agrees and the crowd begins to chant “Follow the Light,” (which LeAndre got to contribute his voice to), a sound building and building until the city can’t ignore it. Crux’s death got me started emotionally, especially thanks to Daniel Lopatin’s synth-heavy score, but the growing chant of the people, desperate to be seen, heard, and helped, brought me tears, especially as the people in the city, holding their light to come see and hear who is chanting, march on the pit. The stormtrooper commander (Steve Blum) and his stormtroopers (Matthew Wood) try to hold them back, stop them from seeing the truth again, but they surge through and the commander abandons the planet. The people stare down at those trapped, understanding what the random stranger they saw enter the city was trying to do and what these people’s plight means to their city…and then they disappear from the rim. Confusion follows…but thankfully so too do ships, flying down to rescue the people! If people would follow the light inside, care about others, a lot of good could be done in the world, a lot of pain and suffering could be avoided. As the prisoners are flown away to safety, Livy takes out the kyber Crux gave her, holding it in her hand, and it begins to glow, turning blue!! It was a cute ending, showing the strength and power of her belief in such a vibrant and exciting way, as well as maybe revealing the Force is inside her because of her good actions alone.
Here are a few other things:
- I never miss a Filmmaker Focus video and the one for “The Pit” helps uncover all the love and care Lucasfilm put into helping LeAndre have his vision brought to life, even going up to Kathleen Kennedy herself! Don’t miss out!
- And if I hadn’t watch the BTS video, I wouldn’t have known about the after-credits sequence, where we get to see the wonderful artwork one of the prisoners spray painted on a rock! I finished the short, confused on why we never saw what he was painting, so I was glad only minutes later to learn about it when I watched the Filmmaker Focus.
- Lopatin’s score can be heard in its entirety on Spotify!
- Since it was with Lucasfilm, I like how Steve Blum (Zeb on Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian) and Matthew Wood (General Grievous, Battle Droids, Stormtroopers, and all-around supervising sound editor) had roles in it!
Lucasfilm and D’ART Shtajio’s “The Pit” is Star Wars: Visions Vol. 2’s most politically charged entry, offering up an emotionally, uplifting story on how we can do better to one another just by following the light.
+ Uplifting message
+ Pointed look at real-world parallels
+ Emotional story which relies on minimalism
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
STAR WARS VISIONS REVIEWS
Vol. 2: “Sith” | “Screecher’s Reach” | “In the Stars” | “I Am Your Mother” | “Journey to the Dark Head” | “The Spy Dancer” | “The Bandits of Golak”
Vol. 1: “The Duel” | “Tatooine Rhapsody” | “The Twins” | “The Village Bride” | “The Ninth Jedi” | “TO-B1” | “The Elder” | “Lop & Ochō” | “Akakiri”
Related Material: Art of Star Wars: Visions Vol. 1 (book) | Star Wars: Visions #1 (comic) | Ronin: A Visions Novel (novel)