Origins of Star Wars Saga.

[Dave]

I've a few more to add from AoTC:

Star Wars Element: Yoda kicks ass.

Uncanny Resemblance To 'Crouching Tiger' and countless other martial arts films.

Star Wars Element: The cars flying in space and Anakin falling through the Traffic Lanes.

Uncanny Resemblance To "The Fifth Element".

Star Wars Element: The growing of the clones in pods.

Uncanny Resemblance To "Matrix".

 

[Tabitha]

Star Wars Element: The Kaminoan cloners

Uncanny resemblance to: Giraffes

*snort* sorry

 

[pkgrl]

Actually, re: that last one, my friend Mary pointed this out to me:

Star Wars Element: The Kaminoan cloners

Uncanny resemblance to: Close Encounters' "gray" aliens (only taller)

 

[Dave]

They also look at little like Spielberg's future Androids at the end of 'Artificial Intelligence: AI'.

 

[Dave]

I found something more on Joseph Campbell's 'Epic Hero' ideas while reading 'SFX' magazine #95. George Miller, the 'Mad Max' director, is also a student of Campbell's ideas, just like George Lucas. He says that people all over the world identified with the 'Max' character, Scandinavians said it was like Norse Legends, Japanese said it was like Samurai tales; as if it was part of some 'collective unconcious'. He goes on to say:

The epic hero, according to Campbell, is part of one world that is fairly static and right for change. Then, often reluctantly, he gets called into some sort of adventure, usually declines it, but inevitably gets caught up in it. And as a result of that adventure he faces very dark things and undergoes a number of trials. He then shatters his world, and out of the ashes come the birth of a new world order.

I can actually see something in this now; both Max Rockatansky and Luke Skywalker follow this myth fairly closely. In Campbell's original ideas, the journey or quest also teaches something about the human condition. 'Spider-man', 'Spy Kids', 'Forrest Gump', 'Groundhog Day', 'Field of Dreams', 'Ferris Beuller's Day Off', 'The Searchers', 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Huckleberry Finn', even 'The Lion King' are also examples of the reluctant Hero's Journey.

 

[pkgrl]

Good one....

And the obvious one to add to that list would be Frodo Baggins. Poor little hobbit.

 

[Dave]

I just found this interesting site: The Hero's journey in Star Wars which covers what we have said, but has some different examples.

 

[Dave]

Bumping thread for the benefit of Trekie, but also wondering if anything at all in 'Star Wars' was actually an original idea by George Lucas?

Many people think that the Mos Eisley Spaceport bar scene was one of the heights of Epsode IV, and I also thought it was cool the first time I saw it. Many think George Lucas invented the inter-species gathering place but even that is a hoary old SF tradition.