Today we will explore one of the biggest influences on George Lucas’ Star Wars, Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films. We are going to look at the various aspects that made Kurosawa’s work so beloved. We will analyse various visual and storytelling elements that showcase Kurosawa’s influence on Star Wars before finally looking at why George Lucas was attracted to Kurosawa as a storyteller.
Kurosawa’s Samurai Cinema
Akira Kurosawa is well-known for his Samurai jidaigeki (costume drama) films like Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress and Yojimbo. Most of these films are revered for their fantastic action choreography and cinematography that showcases the state of the environment and the weather as much as the narrative.
They are also noted for being heavily influenced by Western films, with John Ford’s films being a huge reference point. Particularly, for their focus on individuals standing up against a huge threat. But they also used the important figure of the samurai to comment on issues facing both Japanese and worldwide audiences. Whether it be the inability to tell the full truth is what holds humanity back (Rashomon), the failure of those in power to help others (Seven Samurai), the corrupting nature of power (Throne of Blood), the ferocity of violence etc. Kurosawa’s samurai films were about using figures from the past to highlight problems with the present.
Samurai and Jedi
Kurosawa’s influence on Star Wars is immediately obvious. Famously the plot of The Hidden Fortress deals with two peasants helping a princess during a war against a much bigger army with an older warrior’s help. Which is strikingly similar to A New Hope’s plot. The two peasants resemble both R2-D2 and C-3P0, in terms of plot function and their constant bickering, and Han Solo and Chewbacca, with their motivation revolving around greed and self-preservation. Additionally, Star Wars, like Hidden Fortress, features a dynamic between two rival warriors fighting to settle an old score. The masterless samurai of Seven Samurai and Yojimbo impacting small villages resemble Obi-Wan’s waltz through Mos Eisley. Additionally, Seven Samurai’s recruitment of a team of archetypes to fight the enemy is also something Star Wars uses. Lucas even reportedly approached actor Toshiro Mifune, Kurosawa’s most well-known collaborator to play Obi-Wan and later Darth Vader.
Stylistically Star Wars also incorporates wipe transitions. There are also landscape shots that demonstrate the character’s apparent insignificance next to the immensity of the environment. These were frequently featured in Kurosawa’s samurai stories. Some writers have also noted how the editing and cinematography during the fight between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader bears similarities to a duel in Hidden Fortress.
Then of course there is a lot of thematic overlap too. Both Kurosawa’s early samurai work and Star Wars use figures of cultural and mythological significance and settings outside of the present to comment on current issues. Star Wars comments on imperialism with the technologically superior Empire fighting against the rag-tag rebel forces. Lucas expressly linked to American interference in Vietnam but also commented on how this repeats throughout history. And they also focus on individuals making a difference by fighting oppressive forces for the oppressed and for future generations.
George Lucas’ Star Wars
It’s easy to see why George Lucas was so attracted to Kurosawa’s samurai tales for inspiration. Lucas’s films frequently dealt with figures of the past commenting on the issues affecting the present and future. Whether it be the hopeful Buck Rodgers serial sharply contrasting the stifling authoritarianism of THX-1138 or American Graffiti, the coming-of-age lament for the generation who by the time of the film’s release were being sent to die for American imperialism in Vietnam. So when looking for inspiration for his sci-fi fantasy that used many mythological and cultural touchstones to comment on imperialism it’s easy to see why Lucas drew inspiration from Akira Kurosawa. He was seen by many as the key samurai filmmaker and he dealt with similar thematic elements that critiqued power. But Lucas turned Kurosawa’s at times pessimistic outlook into one of refreshing optimism.
