May the Fourth Be With You”: The Impact of World War II on “Star Wars”
“Coincidentally, much of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” series can be read in contemporary context,” wrote C.S. Lewis’s brother Major Warren Lewis in possibly the first review of the novel in 1949″In this metaphorical landscape, England embodies Rohan’s spirit, France echoes the ethos of Gondor, Germany takes on the essence of Mordor, and Stalin symbolizes the shadow of Sauron.”
While Tolkien later made it clear that his “story was a parable of any historical events, particularly the recent war against Nazism…for all those resistances, Lewis was clearly onto something”In his 2020 scholarly work, ‘Forging Britannia: Exploring the Social and Military Realities of World War II,’ esteemed historian Alan Allport meticulously examines the tumultuous year of 1949, offering profound insights into the trials and metamorphoses faced by Britain during the war.”
“Allport argued that rather than just weaving a mythical fictional world, Tolkien’s readers were seeing connections between Middle Earth events and those of their own world.”
However, Tolkien wasn’t the first or last person inspired by the destructive bloodshed of World War II.
Today, as fans celebrate May the Fourth (with you), it’s not far-fetched to know that “Star Wars” galaxy is filled with World War II-based metaphors – and its fan base might rival Tolkien’s, if not surpass it.
“Star Wars” creator George Lucas studied more than 25 hours of dogfights and jittery New Zealand imagery during World War II while researching the films – even using footage as placeholders before adding special effects.
“From traversing galaxies alongside a Wookiee to braving the treacherous ‘Bridges at Toko-Ri’ in a heartbeat, the experience whisked me away on a cinematic journey, prompting a thought-provoking query: ‘George, what kind of adventure awaits next?'”of adventure is this?'” screenwriter and Lucas’ friend Willard Huyck said in a 1997 interview.
Though ultimately edited to fit, the aerial tactics established during World War II are still visible.
According to National World War II Museum and Memorial curator Corey Graff, in one shot, “a plane is shown taking off from its structure and being seen falling from the viewpoint.A spectacular picture of a rebel ship assaulting the Death Star was cut from the footage. At one time, fictional spacecrafts would maneuver ‘like elaborate roll-aerons,’ mimicking the maneuvers of 1940s aircraft.”
Entire books are dedicated to such analogies, but we’ve summarized some of our favorite books for some Fourth of May enjoyment.
The cockpit of the Millennium Falcon came from the Boeing B-29 Fortress.
After studying hours of World War II footage, Lucas was particularly drawn to the cockpit of the B-29 – the famous bomber used to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The result? Han Solo’s beloved Millennium Falcon’s cockpit looks as if it were directly lifted from Boeing’s blueprint, complete with the B-29’s signature greenhouse-style cockpit. And, just like the Superfortress, the Falcon has defensive guns – useful when battling the Death Star.
Similarities with Nazi Germany’s Empire.
From stormtroopers to Imperial officers’ uniforms and even Darth Vader’s helmet, which echoes the helmets worn by pilots during World War II under the command of the Luftwaffe’s Hermann Göring, parallels between Nazi Germany and the Galactic Empire are not subtle at all.
Hitler’s rise, from German chancellor to Nazi dictator, is reflected in Darth Sidious or Sheev Palpatine’s chancellorship to becoming the ultimate face of the Galactic Empire as Emperor.
The depiction of spacecraft in Star Wars was influenced by World War II aviators.
Once again, Lucas turned towards World War II aviation for inspiration in giving his spacecrafts unique sounds. According to sound editor Ben Burtt, just as studios today can create film sound effects, sounds couldn’t be easily synthesized then. To avoid this, Lucas sent sound designer Ben Burtt to Reno Air Races in Nevada, where he was permitted to record the overhead racing noise of the P-51 Mustang.
Recalling later, Burtt said, “I said, ‘I want to record some planes,’ and they said ‘What?’ and then they went off and got it for me.’ Nowadays, you couldn’t do that. I was standing on the tarmac, and the planes were passing 15 feet above my head. They were so fast I could barely see them; they were just a blur, but I could smell the gas and the exhaust … Almost all the spaceships came”Amongst the archives of Mojave recordings, one distinct entry features the soaring presence of the Falcon.”
Death Star Trench Run was inspired by the British Dambusters Raid.
Lucas drew inspiration from the 1955 film “The Dam Busters,” which depicted the daring British raids on German strategic river dams in 1943. The dams were heavily defended against aerial attack, a recurring theme in “Star Wars.”
Graff wrote in Smithsonian Magazine in 2020, “The Death Star run is entirely about facing insurmountable odds. It’s a clear homage to the epic aerial battles seen in the 1950s and 1960s films.”
Rebels had to endure significant losses, and like in 1943, the Death Star’s print was also on the brink of failure. “For one crucial moment when the [D] Millennium Falcon comes ‘up sun’ with the Star,’ a move as old as aviation itself,” Graff concluded.
Military times:https://www.militarytimes.com/