Star Wars ’77

Original 1977 Print

This weekend we are going to show Star Wars, the original 1977 print. We were going to screen this last weekend, but we were rain delayed.

Next weekend, we’re planning on screening Sanjuro, an Akira Kurosawa joint that was an influence on George’s vision of Star Wars. The sharp-eyed film viewer might even spot a shot that’s a straight copy into Star Wars.

Sanjuro

Sanjuro is considered one of Kurosawa’s samurai films. He did a couple of films about a nameless, homeless samurai (ronin), who wanders the countryside doing good deeds. Most people are familiar with Yojimbo, which has been remade several times in the west (Django, The Warrior and the Sorceress, Omega Doom, Last Man Standing, Fistful of Dollars). Personally, I consider Sanjuro a much better film.

Where Yojimbo glorifies the violence of the samurai film, Sanjuro is a reminder that the ronin character isn’t really a hero, that’s he’s a violent weapon and the best weapons are kept sheathed.

Hope you can see the movie with us!