George Lucas took the structural DNA of The Hidden Fortress — an epic war told from the perspective of two bickering underlings — and made C-3PO and R2-D2 its direct descendants. Lucas acknowledged this in a 2001 Criterion Collection interview. He didn't hide the influence; he canonized it. Kurosawa showed Lucas that great stories don't need great heroes, they need great storytelling. The Hidden Fortress is available on Criterion Channel.
Films That Influenced Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
