@@Toshiro_Mifune things like, only releasing star wars in shitty transfers with horrible magenta tint & refusing to let people see the original film they saw in theaters. its like, how many billion dollars do you have to make before you feel like you owe your fans something?
@@dasaten well, i'd say inspired but have it your way. it's also a shame that no one acknowledges the fact that the mandalorian is based on lonewolf & cub.
It justs goes to show that most of my favorite movies have been derived from Kurosawa. The Dollars Trilogy. The Magnificent Seven. Star Wars. Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress.
Almost all of Kurosawa's films are genuine masterpieces, pretty amazing. Hidden Fortress, Seven Samurai, Ikiru, Throne Of Blood and Ran are my favourites.
Goodness me, Kurosawa's ouvre is almost impossible to match/replicate. So far ahead of his time, almost all of his films (at least till the early 60s) inspired not only remakes but defined entire genres.. A truly un matched master of cinema.
I remember when I first got into Kurosawa through Yojimbo that it was basically him responding the his Japanese critics by making an actual "Western in Japan" movie. Many Western tropes are indeed present and one may not look out for them if they're not aware of this history because the film is enjoyable as is and Mifune's Sanjuro offers this mix of laid-back yet crafty ronin performance that makes him very charismatic. I have to admit that I often refer to Akira Kurosawa as my favorite filmmaker and Toshiro Mifune as my favorite actor.
EPIC! Another reason why Lucas is considered the G.O.A.T. after watching this interview you can see how humble he is in giving credit to what inspired him and what gave Star Wars its signature look.
THX 1138, American Graffiti and the Star Wars Trilogy deserve to be part of the Criterion Collection. I’d even throw the Prequels in just for their push towards Digital Cinema.
He's right about the patterns you see when you get into studying stories. I've been wondering if I'm not ruining my enjoyment of movies and book by studying the tropes. :/ Still, I enjoy reading the patterns, including the ones in Star Wars. The rhyming is real.
Kurosawa was just the best, bare none. I don't even like black and white movies but Kurosawa make you forget that you're watching a black and white movie.
I love to hear Lucas talk about the respect and admiration of Kurosawa. Seven Samurai is a perfect film. Macbeth was always my favorite Shakespeare story but Throne of Blood is one of my favorite adaptations of it.
when I watched ''The Hidden Fortress'' in 90s, I thought about star wars immediately. in this years the internet was very quiet and empty and this issue did not appear in newspapers and magazines. The funny thing is people still don't know that a lot of copying just happened already in cinema and manga anime history like this. There is no reason to blame Lucas.😬
hollywood really wants to hide the fact that american producers copy from Japanese creations and wants to claim that american producers are the original. hollywood wants to spread to the world that they are the original while Japanese copy them. hollywood is total shit and so does USA
@@erenyeagerist7681 a couple of years ago I would've took that to heart even though I believe and know you are entitled to your opinion. I always heard the sayings and rumors about Hollywood. Just heard a first one from Marilyn Monroe about only in Hollywood they offer u a 1,000 for a picture and autograph but want u to sell your soul for pennies... I know for me though that movies can inspire and make u feel despair in a way I have never experienced with family and friends or people. In a much much more meaningful way that shakes all our human emotions , feelings ,thoughts. Than school or life ever has. And I'm Grateful For That. Peace From The Carolinas!!!
Imagine the Japanese audience response when they saw the Star Wars for the first time in 1977. "Why! Haven't we seen this somewhere??" At the time Japanese had no idea who was George Lucas and what or who influenced him.
I've had several Japanese friends (ages 40 to 60 now) who had heard Kurosawa's name, but hadn't ever seen any of his movies. He's not particularly famous in Japan, oddly enough.
Yojimbo is my favourite...the atmosphere of that film was replicated in Leone's films and star wars and even tarentino used it in kill Bill but it was Kurosawa and his camera man who created this atmosphere of wide shots weather and sound
Top 10 Akira Kurosawa Films: 1. Seven Samurai 2. High and Low 3. Ran 4. Ikiru 5. Rashomon 6. Yojimbo 7. Red Beard 8. Throne of Blood 9. Kagemusha 10. The Hidden Fortress
I am a general believer in the 32 plot theory, but I think it's all about the execution of a particular story. You can have the most generic story out there, like Deadpool or John Wick and have that story told in a fresh way with a unique perspective (like Deadpool and John Wick).
The more Disney cranks out Star Wars content, the more I appreciate the prior work of George Lucas. The Mandalorian is the only modern Star Wars content that feels like George's film vision.
I think rebels turned out pretty well...i especially loved the final fight between obi wan and maul on tatooine...that scene was dripping with Kurosawa and samurai
Kurosawa rank: 1. Seven Samurai 2. Rachamon 3. Yojimbo 4. Ikiru 5. Thorne of Blood 6. Ran 7. Scandal 8. Drunken Angel 9. High and Low 10. I live in fear
The more I hear him talk, the more I understand why some in Hollywood don’t like him. He’s too smart and knowledgeable about Cinema than they are and they can’t stand it.
He's really as anti-Hollywood as you can get. I mean he fought for and won his independence against their petty games and system. Check out the documentary Empire of Dreams.
@@zoetropeguardian I have it with the DVD set. Saw it quite a few times. It breaks my heart that he sold out but even more so that he thought he could trust the people he sold to.
@@ForceMaximus84 Please don't think he sold out as that's not the case. Kathleen Kennedy and him go way back. A family member of hers is actually the one who pulled him out of the car after his infamous car accident. She and him were also close because of Steven Spielberg and working together on the first four Indiana Jones movies together. He also goes way back with Bob Iger as he was president of ABC when George was making Young Indiana Jones. Bob didn't understand it but he was very supportive. He also had a great working relationship with Disney through Star Tours, Star Wars Weekends, Captain EO, and the Indiana Jones ride. To me it feels like he was putting his trust in people that would protect his best interests as they did in the past. Unfortunately they broke that promise. He also wanted to do other things with his life. He wanted to do more work with philanthropy like donating to NYU to start up the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts, more educational causes through his education foundation he's had since the 90's, starting a museum for art and teaching art's literacy, paying for restorations of films like most recently Accattone by Pier Paolo Pasolini, and most of all so he could raise his at the time newborn daughter like when he took a step back after Return of the Jedi to raise his first three kids. George has stayed a class act and stand up man. He just sadly put his trust in the wrong people. I know it's sad not having Star Wars anymore as it hurts for me too but think of all the good he continues to do. Watch Young Indy if you haven't already too. It will bring you back to everything you've missed. It did for me and has helped the letting go process.
HE borrowed very little from the plot of Hidden Fortress, aside from the idea of following the story from the perspective the lowliest people. But the rest? A princess, a dangerous journey, a bag of gold, war? That's hardly unique to HF and HF has no Han Solo character, no Luke Character, and the titular Fortress was just a hiding place for the princess before she could be escorted to safety. The characters are all different as well (I don't recall C-3P0 or R2D2 trying to rape Princess Leia for example, or them attempting to sell Obi Wan to the Empire for a reward, but maybe that was in the extended editions). Now if you want to say Lucas stole Kurosawa's style and editing, yeah, totally, but he took from a lot more than Hidden fortress. He plucked from Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Hidden Fortress, and so many more. But he also took from Buck Rodgers shorts, Hitchcock, and other film makers.To me, there's a lot of things to say Lucas is guilty of borrowing from, and there's plenty of evidence to point out his ideas were half assed at best and only refined by the work of other people (His Ex-wife made huge editing changes to A New Hope, and Kirschner took Lucas's foggy vision and made a master piece with Empire Strikes Back). Not to mention all the Actors did their best to make script changes to the original trilogy because they saw ways to make it better. Look to the few movies where George Lucas had absolute control and refused to allow others to innovate: Crystal Skull and Phantom Menace leap to mind and realize those were his worst movies and he had full power over them.
@@AkodoAkira1 George borrowed from a lot of sources when creating Star Wars. It's pure cinema like that of Arthur Lipsett more than anything. Marcia Lucas was only on the edit of A New Hope for a few months. George was there too but the entire time. He also had final say in all decisions. Her biggest contribution was the end battle. Irvin Kershner was a hired director as was Richard Marquard. They followed George's guidelines in how the films were to be shot with more exceptions here and there on Empire. George was still there though and had a hand in the visual effects scenes and edit. He also wrote the majority of film himself before Lawrence Kasdan even got involved. Kasdan mostly just polished it. It's George's movie through and through. Both Steven Spielberg and George were in agreement on Crystal Skull. Fun fact, George wanted Indy to have a daughter instead of a son but Spielberg vetoed it. So it's not fair to say it's all because of George the film turned out the way it did. For the record I subjectively have Crystal Skull as my second best Indy film. Objectively it is flawed but it's fun. It's only behind Temple of Doom in my rankings. And... The Phantom Menace is the Star Wars film I love most.
Lucas began wrote his infamous 13-page treatment called The Star Wars on April 17, 1973, which had thematic parallels with Kurosawa's 1958 film The Hidden Fortress.
Lucas used plot device of Hidden Fortress in Star Wars: A new Hope and he did it again Star Wars: Phantom Menace. The problem about Star Wars: the force awakens is that it's not Hidden Forces it's just a copy of A new Hope. It's copying a homage instead of the original source.
Actually, TFA is truer to the Hidden Fortress than ANH. That's because ANH's plot is too complicated, with 2 MacGuffins, princess Leia and the golden disk, whereas TFA has only one, the golden disk. In The Hidden Fortress, the MacGuffin was the gold pieces. Ergo, both TFA and THF had simple plots.
@@Filmsmith129 Can you explain why? I mean, TFA practically eliminated the damsel-in-distress subplot that really caused ANH to drag and slow down the film. That's why I would skip ANH and go straight to Empire. Then again, Fortress I would say is still better than ANH or TFA though. Culturally appropriated imagery be damned...
@@CosmoShidan That bugged you? I don't see how that would have "slowed down" the film. It doesn't eliminate that film's superb pacing, nor does it make TFA feel any less like an impatient retread of Star Wars. The plot of that movie is in no way "too complicated" by having one more clear goal for Luke and Han set up at the start of the film. And finally, the "subplot" is a subversion of the damsel-in-distress trope, rather than just another example; Leia is immediately shown to be far more than a passive character the second they encounter her, with wit and personality galore. Honestly, I don't think that's the reason you always skipped to Empire. I think the reason is because Empire does more interesting things with the characters. It's a more complex movie, and far more character-driven than Star Wars. TFA is just a retread of the plot of Star Wars with a boring, invincible hero who they give new powers with every new obstacle, and who soundly beats and humiliates the Darth Vader analogue in the first movie, leaving that character unable to be taken seriously as her rival for the rest of the series. Finally, if you're actually saying that movies are best when they closely resemble completely different movies, then, at the risk of sounding pretentious, it sounds to me like you have absolutely no idea how art works.
@@Filmsmith129 If Leia is suppose to be a subversion of the damsel-in-disress subplot, why does she need to have Luke and Han rescue her? If it's a subversion, she would be coming up with a plan to break out of the death star's prison complex. But then that would be the great escape in space, and it would make for a better movie, and then we could add where Leia sabotage the death star's engines, rendering its weapons and shields inoperable while avoiding capture. Oh wait, that's what TFA did! See, this is what I mean that ANH feels like it has a jarring storyline and could have been streamlined. Hence, that is how I would skip the first movie in the OT and would just go to empire. The pacing in Empire is much more streamlined than the pacing in ANH. While there are two subplots going on, they don't clash with one another, as the theme of the movie is about escape. If you take away Rey's strength and independence, then she's Princess Leia. Rey has far more agency than Leia ever did. Also, TFA is far from a retread of ANH, as I said above, it's subverting tropes. Lastly, I charge both movies with cultural appropriation insofar as both films make concepts such as the force seem exotic and mysterious, as they make names based off of Japanese culture appear too be the other as opposed to self. That is to reinforce racist stereotypes of Asian cultures.
@@zoetropeguardianThat one's tough to call for me. While I thought he was a lousy director when he went back to it, Vice's "Icons Unearthed" show suggested that his ex-wife had a lot to do with his early success to begin with. So maybe he was always lousy. Dunno.
@@asrexproductions Vice is 16% owned by Disney. They wouldn't have an agenda. Not at all. This is the same company that threw out his story treatments for VII-IX. It you want an actual factual account on the making of the original trilogy I recommend Jonathan Rinzler's Making Of Star Wars books as they're directly tied in with the archives and material kept from the very beginning. It's straight from the time of when things were made versus a bias to suit an agenda. Marcia Lucas was only on the making of A New Hope from August 1976 to Thanksgiving or Christmas 1976. Her biggest contribution was the end battle. George however was there too and gave final approval. He also wrote the script when she was away working on other films. George also designed the X-Wing and TIE Fighter. He also guided the visual effects team since they fell behind and didn't give him a single satisfactory shot. He also refused to cut mention of the Force despite Brian de Palma asking him to do so. So while he helped George with the opening crawl he also had that suggestion. On The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi both Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquard were hired like television directors. He was constantly on set for both and did work with the visual effects and editing on both. He also in the case of Empire wrote the majority of himself before Lawrence Kasdan even got involved. Kasdan's biggest contribution was mostly polishing it. He would later admit he hates Han and Leia's relationship and that was all George. I could go on and on. You can't trust Vice. There's a clear agenda in that documentary when the exact opposite is true more often than not in what it spills out as though it's fact. It's always everyone else did things and not George but that's the exact opposite of the facts.
@@asrexproductions Edited my comment above for clarification regarding Disney. I also was thinking I'd recommend the books Howard Kazanjian: A Producer's Life, The Making of The Phantom Menace, and The Making of Revenge of the Sith. They're a great reference to compare to the Original Trilogy books.
And the other films that inspired him, Canyon Cinema, NFB, history, religion, politics, and all of the other influences on Star Wars as The Hidden Fortress only tips the iceberg.
That’s not really true Silva the white lion is just a coincidence and outside of some visual similarities they have nothing in common Lion king was inspired by Shakespeare
Well, they did make more than one film together since George paid for quite a few of Kurosawa's films when he wasn't getting funding anymore because no studio would support him. So he's certainly an equal and one of the greats in his own right but that requires knowing things about film and his contributions to the medium.
hogwash.....its too close to star wars. he COPIED kurosawa. he just doesnt wanna admit that the brilliance of star wars wasnt HIS idea. he doesnt give credit to kurosawa as he should.
+Zarathustra Owens star war is a franchise that copy other films. The new Star War movie EVEN ripped off its previous star war movie. lol AND his BAD ASS DARTH VADER is inspired by Hakaider.
The fun of Star Wars is being able to trace all of its influences from Flash Gordon to Sergio Leone films. Many people discover Kurosawa films because of Star Wars.
Kurasawa's films although influenced by western films have distinct Japanese essence in them. They depict the reality of humanity in a much more direct and "naked" ways. All the emotions are equally emphasized. Compared to that, Star Wars trilogy are very family friendly and "easy to the heart".
He's never denied the influence of The Hidden Fortress on Star Wars. He's clearly referencing that when he mentions it isn't actually his favorite Kurosawa film. What's more revealing here is that he isn't able really to express what it is that he likes about Kurosawa in clear terms. He's incapable of the kind of analysis that Scorcese offers, for example.
Star Wars has always taken influence from other films, that doesn't at all mean it's ripping them off. The scene where Han shoots Greedo in ep4 is right out if a Fistful of Dollars (or one of the Man with No Name movies). The Walker attack in ep5 is based on the tripods from the novel War of the Worlds. The podrace in ep1 is inspired by the chariot race in Ben Hurr. The arena in ep2 is inspired by the arena in Gladiator. The opening of ep7 when Stormtroopers are rushing out of the dropships into battle is right out of Saving Private Ryan's Ohama beach scene. The plot of The Force Awakens pays heavy tribute to A New Hope the same way A New Hope does to The Hidden Fortress. It's how it melds all sorts of familiar elements together into something unique that makes Star Wars original.
@@rupertsmith5815 And that stories like Rashomon were written by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and that there were samurai films before Kurosawa. No story is completely original.
There's more influences on the film than just The Hidden Fortress. Notably Canyon Cinema, NFB, and other mainstream films like The Wizard of Oz and The Dam Busters.
@@gavinhenderson7250 Not just movies. He took elements from world culture, history and religion to make something unique. And he did try out other ideas as a producer and writer, but not as much as a director. I think his experience on the original Star Wars soured his ambitions to direct films, or at least studio films, and he only helmed the Prequels because no one he asked wanted to direct them. I do agree that he should’ve taken more risks, but stuff like Willow, and Radioland Murders didn’t do that well upon release, so he likely returned to Star Wars partly out of obligation.
