High and Low

Steyn On-line ^ | November 7, 2020 | Kathy Shaidle

[Twotone]

George Lucas has one of those faces I just want to punch. (His hair bugs me, too.)

Would I feel the same way if he weren't the father of the ever-metastasizing Star Wars franchise, with its rickety mythology, shallow philosophy and, from what I hear, ever-diminishing creative returns?

I tamp down this irrational hostility by remembering the two good things that came out of Star Wars: Harrison Ford, and Lucas' repeated acknowledgement that his film was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's samurai saga, The Hidden Fortress (1958).

Of course, many directors have "borrowed" from the Japanese master: The Seven Samurai was remade as The Magnificent Seven, and Yojimbo became A Fistful of Dollars (and then a lawsuit.) But given the intense nature of fandom, Lucas' imprimatur has doubtless led who knows how many movie geeks to explore Kurosawa's astonishing catalog.

And maybe, if and when they matured, they took a chance on one of his "modern dress" films, like High and Low.

[avenir]

I love HIGH AND LOW.