Dambusters taking out the Death Star

[David Hingtgen]

It's well-known that the M. Falcon vs TIE scene was taken from WW2 films of bombers, but this is new---but fits just as well.

[Sumdumgai]

Wow, that was pretty amusing to watch. Nice find!

[Warmaker]

I recall reading something along these lines in 2005.

But it all still falls in with the overall feel for WWII combat associated with Star Wars.

Strategic Bombers, Torpedo Bombers, etc. needed to fly straight and level when making their attacks. I recall Torpedo Bombers were highly vulnerable during these runs. Fighters would mercilessly pounce them, AA guns would put alot of fire on them, since a successful Torpedo attack was devastating. Best case I can recall were the US Navy's Devastators in Midway that suffered horrendous casualties but opened up the Japanese fleet to the subsequent (and lucky arrival) of the Dauntless Dive Bombers.

It fits right in with the Death Star Trench Run with the attacking X & Y-Wings forced to fly straight and level as the targetting system did it's thing, and the wingmen covered the attacker.

(I also think it's the only time we see starfighters/bombers in Star Wars do any sort of "strike" in space with heavy ordnance against a massive station or warship)

[F-ZeroOne]

I broke a rib laughing at the introduction. I have a slight suspicion that, for a lot of British people of my generation, that is pretty much how World War II looks like in our heads...

Edited October 2, 2007 by F-ZeroOne

[bsu legato]

but this is new

To whom? Hey, I hear there's some Flash Gordon inspired stuff in there too. And maybe a little Kurosawa too. Can anyone confirm?

[Black Valkyrie]

Wow, that was something. Did you know that SW-TESB Cloud city was actually for Flash Gordon.

bsu legato yes all true, you just have to find for this kind of info on the net.

[VF5SS]

Remember seeing a clip of the end of the Dambusters movie and instantly recognizing the deadly negative scratches as the predecessor to the rotorscoped Turbolasers from the Trench Run. Oh silly Lucas. Dambusters is acutally a pretty movie for something that was made in 1954. Although, it's kind of funny that according to this movie British people had such a stiff upper lip you'd think they were chipper Vulcans.

[F-ZeroOne]

I think it was something they put in the tea back then - you know, sugar, hot water, maintain composure whilst defeating Axis... I took the tour at Bletchley Park a couple of years ago and someone asked the guide why no-one ever spoke about what they did there for so long. And he just replied "Well, you just didn't, back then... " This was a place that every history of World War II written since the 70s has had to take account of, yet no-one of the several thousand who worked there let on about it until then.

Its worth pointing out, though, that the Dambusters mission was a RAF mission - which meant that it was an international mission. Off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure at least one Canadian and one New Zealander was involved, at least...

[lord_breetai]

To whom? Hey, I hear there's some Flash Gordon inspired stuff in there too. And maybe a little Kurosawa too. Can anyone confirm?

Uhh... How about a lot of Kurosawa as in a huge chunk of the movie's plot is lifted directly from the Hidden Fortress, as well as the characters of R2D2 and C-3PO? And you don't have to take my word for it watch the DVD introduction to the Hidden Fortress BY Gorge Lucas and marvel as he explains himself everything that he took from that movie.

There's also a lot of references to Hidden Fortess in Star Wars itself.

"Or given you clairevoyance enough to find the Rebel's Hidden Fort..." *Vader starts chocking him*

the main thing that was taken from Hidden fortress is the two characters and the Jedi/Samurai helping a Princess to Escape behind enemy lines.

[Hurin]

To whom? Hey, I hear there's some Flash Gordon inspired stuff in there too. And maybe a little Kurosawa too. Can anyone confirm?

I don't think he's claiming nobody was aware of the Dam Buster influences. But even those familiar with the influences might still get a kick out of the clip.

Wrong side of the bed?

[Hurin]

Uhh... How about a lot of Kurosawa as in a huge chunk of the movie's plot is lifted directly from the Hidden Fortress, as well as the characters of R2D2 and C-3PO? And you don't have to take my word for it watch the DVD introduction to the Hidden Fortress BY Gorge Lucas and marvel as he explains himself everything that he took from that movie.

There's also a lot of references to Hidden Fortess in Star Wars itself.

"Or given you clairevoyance enough to find the Rebel's Hidden Fort..." *Vader starts chocking him*

the main thing that was taken from Hidden fortress is the two characters and the Jedi/Samurai helping a Princess to Escape behind enemy lines.

He (bsu) was being facetious (sarcastic).

[David Hingtgen]

I'd not seen that clip before, so it was new to me. As opposed to the other "Lucas got this from that movie" stuff which has been seen a thousand other times.

[bsu legato]

bsu legato yes all true, you just have to find for this kind of info on the net.

Once upon a time there was a cool site devoted to the "origins" of SW, but it seems to be long gone now. If somebody could find it on some web archive, it would be recommended reading.

Edit: And there's actually far more Hidden Fortress in Phantom Menace. While ANH still retains some Fortressesque elements from its earlier drafts, TPM reuses the more overt elements that were dropped. The earlier They Who Step on the Tigers Tail is also an influence, since it was sort of a "Hidden Fortress ver 1.0b."

Edited October 2, 2007 by bsu legato

[Mr March]

That's a great little fan film. I especially liked the "retard" thing

I'd not seen that clip before, so it was new to me. As opposed to the other "Lucas got this from that movie" stuff which has been seen a thousand other times.

It's tragic. And yet Quentin Tarantino gets off for all he steals. Every time I see one of his films, it's a trivia contest to see if I can remember what scenes, concepts and outright shots were taken directly from 70s cinema. It's amazing what film critic opinion will do for a director

Edited October 2, 2007 by Mr March

[lord_breetai]

Edit: And there's actually far more Hidden Fortress in Phantom Menace. While ANH still retains some Fortressesque elements from its earlier drafts, TPM reuses the more overt elements that were dropped. The earlier They Who Step on the Tigers Tail is also an influence, since it was sort of a "Hidden Fortress ver 1.0b."

This is true... I guess I didn't think about it cause I didn't see Hidden Frotress till after I saw Phantom and I only watched Phantom once (opening day, though not first showing). But it's very much the case, because it has the Older Jedi escorting the princess across enemy lines trying to lay low, and at the end she gets back to get allies to help her retake her province/world (though this is the end of the movie in hidden fortress)... hmm I'll have to rewatch both Episode IV, episode 1 and Hidden Fortress now.

[F-ZeroOne]

Little factoid about the Dambusters movie (because, uh, there is more than one movie in that clip, huh? ) - at the time the film was made, the Bouncing Bomb was still classified. The bombs in the movie are ball-shaped, as the producers didn't know any different, and although that shape was used in some development versions the actual bombs used in the raid were drum-shaped.

More Dambusters fun, relying on the movie bomb described above:

(though if the German sentry had tried that for real, he'd have been flat - the bouncing bomb weighed about 4,000libs...! )