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Topic:
Kurosawa's influence on SW
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Obi-Ewan
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
1/24/06 4:34pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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23, 24 or 29 I think. Can't seem to find my copy at the moment. But it mentions that he considers casting Mifune.
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zombie
Registered:
Aug '99
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Date Posted:
1/24/06 5:27pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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Its also in one of the first issue of Bantha Track, issue one or two, where it also mentions that Lucas briefly considerd filming SW in japan. On the THX1138 dvd Lucas also states that he was going to film THX in japan with japanese actors but couldnt afford it.
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severian28
Registered:
Apr '04
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Date Posted:
1/25/06 6:34pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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The amazing point of this very good thread thats largely being missed is the historical conexion of contemporaries John Ford and Akira Kurasawa, how they influenced each other, how they both influenced Leone ( he used Kurasawas more pragmatic approach to making films, used Fords' visual stylings of the American West, but ultimately parodies Fords' films with his " spaghetti western " because of their Anglical bias ) and how Lucas basically infused the styles of all three directors, drew some serious plotting points in the case of Kurasawa and Leone, and set the story in a galaxy far, far away. Robert Rodriguez Mariachi trilogy is also an homage to the historical conexion of Ford, Kurasawa, and Leone, but not nearly as good as the SW Saga. For the record I believe that Leone is the most brilliant of all the filmmakers Ive mentioned and HIS influence on SW is at least as blatant as Kurasawas. Anakin on the swoop bike set against the setting Tatooine suns is 100% Leone inspired stuff and I think is one of the best shots in modern cinema.
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zombie
Registered:
Aug '99
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Date Posted:
1/25/06 9:12pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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I dunno, i find more of John Ford than Leone in SW, aside from perhaps the Cantina and Han's gunning down of Greedo of course and the occasionaly humour that is somewhat Leone-esque (like Han blasting the radio when he doesnt like the conversation). Visually Lucas draws from Kurosawa and Ford, which is interesting because, as you mentioned, Kurosawa was primarily influenced by Ford rather than anything distinctly eastern. I mean the whole Anakin's search for Shmi in AOTC is literally a transformation of The Searchers, right down to copying the exact same shots. Anything with a sunset in it seems very much in the Ford romanticism rather than the harshness of Leone's compositions, with their sun-bleached landscapes and sweaty, hairy human faces.
I think Kurosawa was still the overriding primarily visual influence on Lucas, you can see him copying the exact same set ups as Kurosawa. For instance the way the first scene with Luke, the sandcrawlers and the droids when they first meet looks like it is straight out of Seven Samurai or something.
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severian28
Registered:
Apr '04
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Date Posted:
1/26/06 3:29pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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Truly its hard to pin down because of how similar all three of those directors are to each other. I mean the only thing that seperates Leone from Ford when it comes to westerns is that Leone doesnt paint it as the pretty picture that Ford does. In alot of ways, thematically, Leone is the anti-Ford, even though he is obviously inspired by his filmmaking.
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" Bring the sled " - Al Swearengen
" Dying all the time. Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind. Aint life unkind? " - The Rolling Stones
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Darth-Stryphe
Title: Saga Manager
Registered:
Apr '01
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Date Posted:
1/27/06 10:53am
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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Visually Lucas draws from Kurosawa and Ford, which is interesting because, as you mentioned, Kurosawa was primarily influenced by Ford rather than anything distinctly eastern.
True. Kurosawa was actually considered very western by Japanese standards, and as such, was received internationally better than he was nationally.
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gezvader28
Registered:
Mar '03
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Date Posted:
1/28/06 12:07pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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about Mifube playing Kenobi:
it's mentioned on page 189 of the john baxter biography of Lucas, but I know it was said in other places too cos I knew it long time ago .
when the part had more action and less rhetoric he considered Mifune.
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Darth-Stryphe
Title: Saga Manager
Registered:
Apr '01
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Date Posted:
1/28/06 2:18pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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That would have been awesome. Although Guinness is a fantastic actor, so in the end it worked out good.
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
2/1/06 1:44am
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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it would have been absolutely fabulous to have mifune in the saga!
not only the kurosawa nod, also it would have given the sage more racial depth IMO.
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Obi-Ewan
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
2/5/06 6:43pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
- Date Edited:
2/5/06 6:44pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Obi-Ewan
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Obi-Wan is my favorite character, and I still look at the character as a nod to Toshiro Mifune. That being said, I can't think of a better match-up than Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor. Replacing Alec Guinness was hard enough. Finding an actor today who could master Mifune's performance is almost unthinkable.
P.S. Just remembered. The Star Wars Trivial Pursuit game (Original trilogy, not saga edition) also confirms that Mifune was considered for the role.
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"I am very concerned about our national heritage, and I am very concerned that the films that I watched when I was young and the films that I watched throughout my life are preserved, so that my children can see them."
--George Lucas
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Darth-Stryphe
Title: Saga Manager
Registered:
Apr '01
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Date Posted:
2/5/06 7:06pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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Ah, I didn't know that, either. I stand corrected.
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Fettist
Registered:
Jan '06
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Date Posted:
2/8/06 3:55pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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GL has a great ego not to admit the link...
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zombie
Registered:
Aug '99
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Date Posted:
2/8/06 6:14pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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Fettist posted:
GL has a great ego not to admit the link...
he is on the Hidden Fortress dvd talking about how much Kurosawa influenced him. One of the very first issues of Bantha Tracks had a large article on the japanese influence. Its no secret. Havent you been reading these posts?
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I'll swallow your soul! --------------------------------- If you're gonna die, die with your boots on! -------------------------------- author of The Secret History of Star Wars http://secrethistoryofstarwars.com
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Darth-Stryphe
Title: Saga Manager
Registered:
Apr '01
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Date Posted:
1/11 3:46pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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I didn't realize this thread had been locked. I'm unlocking and upping it at user request.
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Arawn_Fenn
Registered:
Jul '04
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Date Posted:
1/11 3:48pm
Subject:
RE: Kurosawa's influence on SW
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zombie posted:
Fettist posted:
GL has a great ego not to admit the link...
he is on the Hidden Fortress dvd talking about how much Kurosawa influenced him. One of the very first issues of Bantha Tracks had a large article on the japanese influence. Its no secret. Havent you been reading these posts?
Also, having Motti about to say "hidden fortress" in ANH right as he's choked by Vader sort of comes across as an admission... 
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