Annotated 'Star Wars' Mashes Original Film With Its References

Part of the reason Star Wars still resonates with audiences today, much like it did in 1977, is that it is simultaneously familiar and new. George Lucas created something wholly original while being inspired by a great many things that came before his work. From Akira Kurosawa, Flash Gordon, and Stanley Kubrick to Fritz Lang, the list of things Lucas channelled is long and distinguished.

That's where this video comes in. Michael Heilemann, an interface director at Squarespace, edited clips and images into the original 1977 Star Wars to show Lucas' influences. Check out the annotated Star Wars below.

Thanks to Vimeo (via First Showing) for the video. Head to Heilemann's link to see the film broken into shorter clips.

As a bonus, here's another video specifically about Kurosawa's influence on Star Wars, which goes beyond the obvious Hidden Fortress one. Thanks to CineFix.