Another day, another Star Wars story, but this certainly is a fun one. Rian Johnson, the director of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII, has revealed a list of films that he forced his cast to watch before the production began. These are the movies that are influencing the next Star Wars movie, in one way or another, and it’s a fascinating look at his creative process.
So if you can’t wait for another Star Wars movie, you can watch these six classic films and see where this franchise comes from. Here’s the list, courtesy of IGN:
GUNGA DIN (1939)
RKO Radio Pictures
Cary Grant, Victor McClagen and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. star in this rousing adventure, about a trio of lovable British soldiers who face off against a murderous cult in India. The politics are nowhere near “correct,” especially by today’s standards, but the filmmaking itself really is spectacular. The adventurous spirit of Gunga Din was also an inspiration for the Indiana Jones franchise, the second installment of which – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – pit Harrison Ford against the same enemies.
SAHARA (1943)
Columbia Pictures
Humphrey Bogart stars in this suspenseful World War II classic, about a tank commander who has to defend a well in the Libyan desert against an army of Nazis. Making matters worse, the well is already dry. The odds are overwhelmingly against our heroes in Zoltan Korda’s spectacular thriller, which features great performances and clever writing.
TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH (1949)
20th Century Fox
Another classic World War II film, Twelve O’Clock High stars the great Gregory Peck as a Brigadier General assigned to boost the morale of an undisciplined Air Force outlet. The action is great but the real draw here is the interpersonal dynamics between these fighter and bomber pilots as they deal with the tragedies of losing their friends, and the demoralization that comes from losing their battles.
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
Columbia Pictures
One of the best movies ever made – period – stars Sir Alec Guiness (from Star Wars, as if you didn’t know) as a British officer who wages a battle of wills against his captors in a Japanese P.O.W. camp. But what begins as an inspiring story about standing up for one’s principles eventually transforms into a grotesque drama about losing perspective, and doing a horrifically wrong thing for the right reasons. Complex writing, dynamic filmmaking, and brilliant performances abound in The Bridge on the River Kwai.
LETTER NEVER SENT (1960)
The Criterion Collection
The best thing about lists like this is that they give all of us a reason to seek out films we haven’t seen before. I haven’t seen the last two movies on Rian Johnson’s agenda, and now I have a mission to seek them out.
Fortunately, we do have one writer at Crave who has seen and absolutely loves Letter Never Sent, a Russian drama directed by Mikhail Kalatozov about a group of geologists on a mission to find diamonds in Siberia, who then become trapped by a forest fire. Speaking about the film in our weekly column The Best Movie Ever, film critic Brian Formo declared Letter Never Sent “the best man vs. nature movie ever” and had the following to say about the production:
“Letter Never Sent is one of the most beautiful films ever made. The camera spins to expose their isolation from every corner. It zooms through myriad tree branches to show the immense threatening tinder as the flames grow. Images are briefly overlaid to tenderly show the diamond hunters losing their individualism as they come to share one eye, one viewpoint. And they look out for each other. For Russia.”
THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI (1964)
The Criterion Collection
The other film on Rian Johnson’s list that I personally need to seek out is Three Outlaw Samurai, which spun out of a popular television series and tells the story of… well, three outlaw samurai. On their latest job they have to assassinate a group of peasants who have kidnapped the daughter of a politician. It is one of the most famous films in the samurai genre, and is often considered one of the most influential as well.
And it’s a fitting basis for Star Wars, on principle at least. George Lucas was dramatically influenced by this genre when producing the original trilogy. Akira Kurosawa’s film The Hidden Fortress is etched into the DNA of the whole Star Wars series. Lucas even wanted Yojimbo and Seven Samurai star to play Obi-Wan Kenobi (but the legendary Japanese actor turned the part down).
I look forward to tracking down the films on Rian Johnson’s list that I haven’t seen, and I strongly encourage you to do the same. In part because it might help give you a tangential preview of Star Wars: Episode VIII, but mostly because it’s a great excuse to explore the history of cinema.
Top Photo: Disney / LucasFilm
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved, Rapid Reviews and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
