![]() ![]() This is likely a callback to George Lucas' original inspirations for the franchise. Nevertheless, it's certainly interesting that two separate Star Wars projects released many years apart would derive stories from the same source. These close homages (a nicer way of saying rip-offs) prove how influential Seven Samurai has been to cinema, and there are plenty of similar examples outside of Star Wars. Unlike The Mandalorian, there are actually seven "samurai" characters in this Clone Wars episode, rather than just Djarin and Cara Dune, and the tension between the Jedi and bounty hunters better reflect the dynamic between the rogue samurai in Kurosawa's original film. As with Seven Samurai and The Mandalorian's "The Sanctuary", the professional fighters train the locals to defend their crops and help repel a band of pirates demanding tribute. This story sees the Jedi trio of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano work alongside a group of 4 bounty hunters to protect a farming village on the planet of Felucia. ![]() Season 2 of The Clone Wars featured the appropriately titled "Bounty Hunters" and in many ways this offering comes even closer to Seven Samurai. While the parallels between The Mandalorian's "The Sanctuary" episode and Seven Samurai are not subtle, Star Wars: The Clone Wars aired an even more directly influenced episode years prior. ![]() The samurai teach their hosts the basics of fighting, learn the consequences of their violent lifestyles and become personally embroiled in the battle. The Japanese film sees the titular septet of warriors come together with the mission of protecting a peasant farming village from invaders during the harvest. ![]() While the episode is a clear homage to The Magnificent Seven, that itself is a western remake of Akira Kurosawa's heralded 1954 effort Seven Samurai. Related: Why Clone Wars Isn’t Divisive (But The Star Wars Prequels Are) They train the modest farmers in combat and make a final successful stand alongside the villains. Although Mando initially takes the job of protecting the village purely for the money, he and Dune both become invested in the peoples' plight. There, the iconic pair meet a former rebel named Cara Dune and take up residence in a simple rural village currently under threat from Klatoonian raiders. Each of these contributes to a sense that this is "one story that is the result of many.By far the most overt of The Mandalorian's western references comes in episode 4, "The Sanctuary." This effort sees Din Djarin take Baby Yoda to the backwater planet of Sorgan in an attempt to lie low from the Empire and Din's disgruntled bounty hunter colleagues. The story takes place over the course of a year, and this passage of time is reflected in various ways: the changing of seasons, the regrowth of Kambei's hair, the arcs and resolutions of various side plots. "It's only through writing scripts that you learn the specifics about the structure of film and what cinema is"-Akira Kurosawa The film's first hour is devoted to the gathering of the Samurai and developing their characters, and even after that, the film still "takes its time to ensure that the audience knows what's at stake." In his review of the film, Roger Ebert wondered whether or not this scene " create the long action-movie tradition of opening sequences in which the hero wades into a dangerous situation unrelated to the later plot." The introduction of each of the characters is handled in a unique and novel way: when Kambei, the leader, is introduced, he is shown shaving his head to disguise himself as a priest in order to enter a house and rescue a hostage. ![]()
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