Seen ‘Revenge of the Sith’? Now see these

KNIGHTS AND BROTHERHOODS

“The Name Of The Rose”
The film: There aren’t a lot of knights in this medieval monastery murder mystery, but the Jedi clearly draw at least a little inspiration from the concept of the medieval brotherhoods showcased in “Name Of The Rose.” While Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 1986 film doesn’t have nearly the fascinating depth of the original Umberto Eco novel, it’s nevertheless a lot of creepy fun, with a cast full of memorably weird characters.
“Star Wars” factor: The Jedi’s ranks are full of strange, alien beings; the monks that Sean Connery and Christian Slater meet are awfully strange and alien themselves.

“Excalibur”
The film: John Boorman’s 1981 retelling of the King Arthur legend follows his rise to the throne of England and troubled relationships with his mentor, the wizard Merlin, and his wife, the unfaithful Guinevere. At its best, the film lyrically captures the spirit of the quintessential myth of kingly nobility, and even though it sometimes comes across as an all-too-serious version of “Monty Python And The Holy Grail,” it’s still the best Arthurian movie yet made.
“Star Wars” factor: Luke Skywalker rises from humble beginnings, gets a sword from a mystical figure, and goes on to become a great and noble warrior. So does Arthur.

GO, STOPPARD, GO

“Brazil”
The film: One of the more interesting recent pieces of “Star Wars” news was the report that in order to improve “Return Of The Sith’s” dialogue, George Lucas hired world-renowned author Tom Stoppard as a ghostwriter. Though best known as a playwright, Stoppard also has an impressive resume as a film writer, including “Shakespeare In Love” and a collaboration on Terry Gilliam’s best film, the Kafkaesque black comedy “Brazil.”
“Star Wars” Factor: Evil empire filled with stormtroopers, meet evil empire filled with bureaucrats.

“Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead”
The film: Stoppard himself directed the film adaptation of his most well-known play, a witty amalgamation of “Hamlet” and “Waiting For Godot.” Shakespeare’s play gets reimagined from the perspective of its two least important characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who march through the storyline hopelessly befuddled as to what’s going on or what their purpose might be.
“Star Wars” factor: Well, other than that Stoppard wrote it, not a lot, really, although the hapless droid C-3PO is often just as confused as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. But, hey, it’s a good movie.

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