A long time ago, in a California desert far, far away, a group of filmmakers, artists, and special effects pioneers made one of the greatest movies of all time: Star Wars, released in 1977 (and since retitled Star Wars: A New Hope). A game-changing blockbuster, A New Hope launched the epic and expansive Star Wars franchise. But as cool as the many action figures and video games and extended universe novels may be, at its core Star Wars is primarily a series of moving pictures with words and sounds. The inspiration for the many Star Wars movies and shows isn't necessarily other science fiction stories, but other movies from other master storytellers.
From Japanese samurai flicks to gritty war movies, the visual language and tonal atmosphere of Star Wars is rooted in decades upon decades of film history. Here are 32 movies that inspired Star Wars creator George Lucas, as well as his many successors.
