Author Topic: What was Star Wars based upon? (Read 365 times)

streakeagle · « **on:** January 18, 2002, 08:23:39 AM »

Just thought this needed its own thread since it started hogging another. Having listened to George Lucas explain it, the story is largely a mix of traditional myths and legends with the style of action designed to be like old adventure films and serials with the spaceship action designed to be like dogfights from WWII films.

Personally, I think the strongest similarity is to the legends of King Arthur.

Luke (like Arthur) is hidden away as a child by a wizard and later mentored by him. Of course he didn't have to pull the sword out of the stone, but a light saber is close enough to Excalibur. He even has a thing with his sister (Morgan Le Fay is Arthurs half-sister). Of course Darth Vader gets the uniquie distinction of being his father (Uther Pendragon) and the enemy (traditionally Mordred was Arthur's bastard child or nephew, possibly by his half-sister depending on the version). Han Solo isn't exactly the Lancelot type, but he does end up with the girl. Of course the Jedi are called knights! I don't see how anyone could come to the conclusion that Star Wars was not strongly influencec by Arthurian legends.

Superfly · « **Reply #1 on:** January 18, 2002, 08:27:58 AM »

It's inspired by some old black and white Japanese movie about samurai. I can't remember the name of it though; maybe Seven Samurai. I'll see if I can find it. I've heard some of the scenes in SW are almost identical to some the scenes in the samurai movie.

GRUNHERZ · « **Reply #2 on:** January 18, 2002, 08:59:07 AM »

The Magnificent Seven was based on Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, in fact it was almost a scene by scene remake.

Star Wars is not based on Seven Samurai.

Star Wars is based on ancient and some belive genetically encoded human ideals/traits. It deals with Carl Jung's idea of Archetypes. For example a key archetype is the young man of secret noble birth/special abilty coming of age and going on a quest. How many stories in human cultures have this character. Another archetype is the wise old mentor. Another is the man/beast. Some others deal with a pwerful evil force and the heros struggle against it. There is also an evil mentor archetype. And there are several others in every culture in human history that have been incorporated almost identically in their stories and religions and mythologies.

Stat Wars has all of them so does LOTR.

Read some stuff by Robert A. Johnson, he writes about archetpes.

Dinger · « **Reply #3 on:** January 18, 2002, 12:04:39 PM »

The Hidden Fortress

and Joe Campbell (I think)

Superfly · « **Reply #4 on:** January 18, 2002, 12:57:45 PM »

Yup, Hidden Fortress! Oh course, it's based on other things as well like Buck Rogers serials, Eastern Philosophy, WWII, and most importantly N'Sync.

Sandman · « **Reply #5 on:** January 18, 2002, 01:02:46 PM »

Ah... one cannot understimate the influence that NSYNC will have on our culture twenty years from now.

Daff · « **Reply #6 on:** January 18, 2002, 01:03:14 PM »

Star Wars IV leans very heavily on 'Hidden Fortress' by Akira Kurusawa. C3PO and R2D2 are copied pretty much directly from two of the characters from there and C3PO pretty much walks the same way as one of them. (In this case, 2 stupid farmers, that are always bickering)and you also have the Princess wanted by the local warlord.
IMO, a better film than 'Seven Samurai'. (The spear fight is especially good

)

Daff

Superfly · « **Reply #7 on:** January 18, 2002, 01:06:14 PM »

For more info, go here.