First three series Andor provided an experience unlike anything else in star Wars Universe. The series not only added more depth Diego LunaX Rogue One main character, but was also praised for a gritty, down-to-earth spy thriller set within a galaxy far, far away. This approach to the material continues the trend that was present in star Wars a lineup of streaming shows where the creators often wear their influences on their sleeves. But this trend also goes back to the origin of the series itself.
A little background: George Lucasover the years, revealed the influence that shaped star Wars. Joseph CampbellX The Hero with a Thousand Faces was a major touchstone, as was the Vietnam War; Lucas even used the series as a kind of allegory to express his feelings about said war. But the two biggest ones were Flash Gordon and works Akira Kurosawa. Lucas actually tried to buy the rights to Flash Gordonand when that didn’t work, he wrote the first draft star Wars. final version Star Wars: A New Hope also has a plot similar to that of Kurosawa. hidden fortressreplacing the titular fortress with a planet-killing Death Star.
The Mandalorian and other Star Wars stories also borrow from different genres
This mixture of influences has continued with various star Wars shows in particular The Mandalorian. Both John Favreau as well as Dave Filoni openly talked about how westerns and samurai films influenced the adventures of Dean Djarin (Pedro Pascal), and this influence is present throughout the series. Whenever Djarin walks, his armor makes a soft tinkling sound, like the spurs on a marksman’s boot. And like the mysterious Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) in Kurosawa Yojimbo or The Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood) in Fistful of dollars, Djarin is a man of few words, with a strong code that governs his entire life. Even Ludwig Göranssonthe score pays tribute Enrico Morriconetaking on a hypnotic tone.
In the same vein Obi-Wan Kenobi brings a new twist to the fantasy genre. Ewan McGregorThe Jedi Master is a cross between a wizard and a knight, and he goes on a journey to save the princess: especially Princess Leia (Vivienne Lyra Blair). But the fantasy elements include a lot of hidden layers that make the series compelling. Obi-Wan suffers from guilt over the fall of the Jedi Order and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who unbeknownst to him is now the Sith Lord Darth Vader (James Earl Jones/ Christensen). As for Vader himself, he is a terrifying force, defeating his opponents and killing those who stand in his way. We saw similar scenes at the beginning Lord of the rings, Brotherhood of the ring where the Dark Lord Sauron easily mowed down hordes of opponents.
Finally, Star Wars: Visions completes Kurosawa’s circle of influence in his first episode “Duel”. The entire episode was filmed in black and white and focused on the enigmatic Ronin (Brian Tee) that visits a small planet. But when a Sith banditLucy Liu) and her minions attack, Ronin is drawn into the battle against them. The short film draws inspiration from Yojimbo, even modeling Ronin after a young Mifune. Ironically, Mifune was Lucas’ first choice for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, so it’s no surprise that visions will refer to his most popular collaboration with Kurosawa.
Andor is taken from spy movies and action movies
This brings us to Andor, and how the series leans towards the spy genre. Luten Rael approaches Cassian Andor (Stellan Skarsgard) after he obtained the Imperial Star Trek. But instead of buying the device from Cassian right away, Rael wants to know how he got it. After Cassian says it’s easy for him to “enter the house of the Empire” because they will never suspect it, Rael recruits him into the growing Rebel Alliance. Said rebels are, in fact, a motley group of rebels who are planning a dangerous mission… you might even call it impossible.
Lots of spying and tricks in Andor looks like a showrunner Tony Gilroywork on Jason Bourne trilogy. In this series there was a titled provocateur (Matt Damon), trying to unravel his dark past, as well as working to expose the CIA’s Treadstone program. Like Cassian, Bourne starts out as a man trying to make his way in the world, who ends up taking on a mission that is bigger than himself. Gilroy even bundles flashbacks into the first three episodes, which reveal more about Cassian’s life on the planet Cenaree - similar to Bourne reminiscing about his past as a CIA assassin. Given the stellar reception Andor received, more than likely in the future star Wars projects will lean towards specific genres to keep the space saga fresh.
Source: Collider
