Similarities and allusions to The Godfather.

It seems to me that Lucas likes to make allusions to the signature work of his best pal.

In Return of the Jedi, Jabba's death scene resembles that of Luca Brasi.

In Attack of the Clones, after thinking he has blown up Obi-Wan, Jango Fett says "Well, we won't be seeing him again," a line said by Clemenza in 'The Godfather' after Paulie Gatto is killed.

Anakin's fall to the dark side resembles that of Michael's.

Slimy!

 

The only one with any merit is Jango's line, and that's superficial at best.

The Order 66 montage is probably the only thing Godfather-inspired in the prequels.

 

I'm sure if you look hard enough you could find lines that remind you of anything else
on tv/movies, but doesn't mean they were deliberately added b/c of it.

 

Well, Lucas is a close friend of Coppola, and has worked with him numerous times, so...

I think that there could be quite a few similarities--the downfall of Michael and Anakin are fairly similar, but I'd need to re-watch The Godfather trilogy to get details.

 

I think it's a valid comparison

Indeed, the scene in which the Emporer announces the Empire whilst Anakin chops down his rivals (the Separatists) was definitely inspired by the Godfather.

 

**Godfather Part II Spoilers**







I've also thought that the scene in which Anakin chokes Padme very much resembled the scene in The Godfather Part II where Michael strikes Kay after she tells him she had an abortion. Both show his complete loss to the dark side when he attackshis wife when she talks about leaving his with their children. It's also a dispute about the child in her womb. Just watch both scenes again, it really does mirror it.





***Spoilers end***

Slimy!

 

By some of your logic, Lucas was directly inspired by everybody. The scene where Anakin turns around and has Sith eyes is directly influenced by Darren Aronofsky, it's a spin on the heroin effect from Requiem for a Dream.

 

That would be cool, actually. Badass flick.

 

Take another look at the scenes where Palpatine is crowning himself Emperor with inter-cutting to Anakin taking out the Separatists.

Then look at the scenes at the end of The Godfather, where Connie's baby is baptised and Michael renounces the devil to become Godfather, with inter-cutting to the other mafia families being wiped out.


Lucas himself has actually stated that his ROTS scenes are an homage to his friend's from The Godfather.


-JR

 

Believe it or not, that was a little brainfart on my part. I meant the declaration scene, it's undoubtedly an homage.

 

I take you at your word, Sir.


-JR

 

I forget where I read that Jabba's death scene was actually supposed to resemble Luca Brasi's, but it seems logical.

Slimy!

 

I doubt it. Coppola doesn't have the monopoly on the choking-from-behind death.

 

And let's not forget the fact that Obi-Wan took the Lightsaber in ROTS. Which looks a little like a Canolli. Far fetched? Yes. But still Obi-Wan took the Canoli, sort of.
And Lucas borrowed so many visual images it's almost pathetic.
ET
Frankenstein
Godfather
And many more I am sure.

 

SW is known for making nods to other films, but I do not think Godfather is one of them. The comparisons are too vague and general I think to be intentional. Take Hidden Fortress and compare it to ANH and you can get an idea of his more deliberate nods.

 

Hidden Fortress is where it takes one of it's major plot points, in the characters of C-3P0 and R2-D2. But there are little references to the Godfatehr throughout the saga.

Slimy!

 

Thematically there's plenty in common. The reluctant son called to "duty", crossing the threshold, reconciliation with the father at the end etc etc.

 

Aside from all the obvious connections, there is, believe it or not, a stylistic similarity in the approach to DIALOGUE.

What are the two most memorable lines from "The Godfather"?

"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."
"It's not personal, it's strictly business."

And how about these:

"I find your lack of faith disturbing."
"When my new apprentice, Darth Vader, arrives, he will ... take care of you."

The essence of double entendre and insidious villainy. Let us also not forget the fatherly connections between villains in each set of films.

 

The scene where Michael is sitting in the Church for the Baptism ceremony while he has other family heads and associates murdered, is paid homage in RotS, when Sidious gives the speech in the Senate and Vader wipes out the Sepratists. That is a fact, I read a Lucas quote on that, I can't recall source/time period, though, perhaps Zombie would know...

 

That's cool. Where did you find this quote?