Rebel MoonZack Snyder’s latest impressive work, was born as a personal project by the director who intends to leave his mark also in the universe of Star Wars. In the director’s intentions this was initially conceived and proposed as a spin-off of the mythical saga set in the Galaxy far, far away. In particular, it would have been heavily inspired by The Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa, also proposing a more approach dark and mature compared to the other products in the franchise.
As we know, Disney’s subsequent acquisition of LucasFilm led to the project being put aside. Zack Snyder for his part, however, decided to proceed with the development of the film by setting it in a new one original universe totally disconnected from the guidelines of Lucasfilm and Disney; A factor that would have left him free to express all his creative flair (you decide if it’s a good thing or a bad thing).
Throughout his career, Zack Snyder has never hesitated to include a wide range of references, quotes and homages in his works, some of which are so blatant as to push the public to accuse him of “plagiarism”. But how did it go with Rebel Moon? With the arrival on Netflix of Part 2 we were able to dissect the two chapters that make up the sci-fi diptych, and if on the one hand it was inevitable not to feel the atmosphere there Star Wars, on the other it seems that the director has let himself go with quotations. You can find out the more references present in Rebel Moon to follow below:
1. Star Wars
As a work created specifically as a chapter of Star Wars, the references to George Lucas’ saga present in Rebel Moon – some involuntary, others a little less – overflow for almost the entire duration of the films. When Kora and Gunnar head to a seedy bar in the port city of Providence (“You will never find a worse den of scum and evil than this place.” Cit.) to look for a passage into orbit, they find the availability of Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a disillusioned and apparently cynical space smuggler. Just like a certain scoundrel we know driving the Millennium Falcon. Not to mention the glowing swords wielded by Nemesis, a clever reinterpretation of the iconic lightsabers of the Jedi Knights. To these we also add some narrative folds. Like Palpatine, the tyrant Balisarius was also a senator. He is also the corrupting force that led Kora astray in her youth, just as Palpatine himself tried to do with Luke in Return of the Jedi. We also find the rebellion against the Imperium led by the two Bloodaxe brothers (a brother and a sister, coincidence?), who start a fight in constant numerical inferiority using guerrilla tactics. If you have spotted any others, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
2. Matrix
In Rebel Moon we see the main antagonist, Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein), fight for the Mother World looking for new resources and planets to plunder. When he ends up horribly injured in combat, he is placed in a bag full of healing gel and once the healing process is complete we see him being expelled still naked and connected to a myriad of cables. A sequence that immediately brings to mind the iconic scene of Matrix where we see Neo wake up for the first time in the real world emerging from the cocoon where until then he had been exploited by machines as a battery.
3. Vikings
In Part 1 we get to know the small agricultural community on the moon Veldt that allowed Kora to start a new life far from the horrors of war. At first glance it is impossible not to notice the decidedly “Nordic” influences of the village, which are quite evident both in the buildings and in the aesthetics of its inhabitants. Vibes in style Vikings they become more acute as we are shown the rural culture that marks the rhythms of life of the inhabitants of Veldt. In fact, these are clearly polytheists and do not hesitate to make offerings to the gods to encourage the harvest or celebrate various rituals linked to the change of seasons.
4. Destiny
Destinythe famous sci-fi themed FPS video game saga developed by Bungie, has established itself as one of the most popular imaginary worlds in the industry for a decade now, and judging by some sequences of Daughter of Fire And The Scarmaker, it seems that their influence has also crept into Zack Snyder’s double blockbuster. In particular Destiny it seems to reveal itself both in the war sequences and in the aesthetics of some characters which seem to refer to the various classes present in the video game. Last but not least, the influence of the video game also emerges in other scattered elements such as some self-propelled armored vehicles which are very reminiscent of the vehicles known as Walkers seen in Destiny.
5. Star Blazers
The massive Dreadnought-class starship, the King’s Gaze, is the headquarters from which its cruel commander, Admiral Atticus Noble, directs operations to hunt down the rebel Bloodaxe brothers. The appearance of the ship differs from the large space cruisers that we have seen on screens in recent years, and more clearly recalls the appearance of a typical battleship in space style. So raise your hand if, at the sight of the King’s Gaze, you didn’t immediately think of the legendary battleship Yamato, the iconic spaceship from the Star Blazers anime series, which marked the history of Japanese animation, paving the way for series like Mobile Suit Gundam And Neon Genesis Evangelion.
6. Dungeons & Dragons
Another property from which Snyder took inspiration for some elements is Dungeons & Dragons. The director has always shown a certain tendency to seek the fusion between sci-fi and fantasy, which is shown in the film with the character of Tarak (Staz Nair) and in his commitment to gaining freedom by taming a griffin. Tarak is a young barbarian warrior who immediately shows that he is endowed with a natural calm combined with a reflective attitude, which makes him capable of calming the beast simply by transmitting tranquility and communicating with it. The ability to communicate emotionally with animals is a spellcasting ability typical of the various D&D character classes. Furthermore for the entire duration of the two Rebel Moon we see characters such as rangers, monks, clerics, warriors and many others. Is Zack Snyder a regular gamer?
7. The Seven Samurai
With Star Wars, The Seven Samurai it is the work that most inspired Zack Snyder in the conception of Rebel Moon. The legendary 1954 film directed by Akira Kurosawa focuses on the events of seven Ronin, masterless samurai, who come together to protect a city oppressed by the raids of a band of marauders. As in Kurosawa’s work, also the characters of Rebel Moon they are reluctant heroes. Each of them has their own personal motivations that push them to act, either for revenge, for redemption, or for the need to join a cause greater than themselves.
If you haven’t yet seen the two films of the newborn franchise created by Zack Snyder, we remind you that Rebel Moon – Part 1: Daughter of Fire And Rebel Moon – Part 2: The Scarer are currently available to stream on Netflix.
What do you think? If you have identified other possible references to other works than those mentioned above, write them in the comments!
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