Movie Parallels: "Gone With The Wind" vs. "Star Wars Episode V"

Other readers and fans have noted and pointed out this fact, but I'd like to reinstate just how similar the two romantic segments between the protagonists from the novel, "Gone With The Wind" (Margaret Mitchell, 1936), and the movie, "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" (Irvin Kershner, 1980), are, respectively. All in all, GWTW and Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler's relationship seem to have been a great inspiration for George Lucas to create the iconic sexual tension and bantering between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in the Star Wars film series.

First, the sequence from "Gone With The Wind" (the novel):

(Rhett is caressing Scarlett's hand) "Don't pull away! I won't hurt you!"
"Hurt me? I'm not afraid of you, Rhett Butler, or any man in shoe leather!" she cried, furious that her voice shook as well as her hands.
"An admirable sentiment, but do lower your voice. Mrs. Wilkes might hear you. And pray compose yourself." He sounded as though delighted at her flurry.
"Scarlett, you do like me, don't you?"
That was more like what she was expecting.
"Well, sometimes." she answered cautiously. "When you aren't acting like a varmint."
He laughed again and held the palm of her hand against his hard cheek.
"I think you like me because I am a varmint. You've known so few dyed-in-the-wool varmints in your sheltered life that my very difference holds a quaint charm for you."
This was not what she had anticipated and she tried again without success to pull her hand free.
"That's not true! I like nice men--men you can depend on to always be gentlemanly."




And then notice the similar dialogue used in "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back":

HAN: Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right.
LEIA: Occasionally maybe...when you aren't acting like a scoundrel.
HAN: Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that. *massages hand*
LEIA: Stop that.
HAN: Stop what?
LEIA: Stop that! My hands are dirty.
HAN: My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?
LEIA: Afraid?
HAN: You're trembling.
LEIA: I'm not trembling.
HAN: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
LEIA: I happen to like nice men.
HAN: I'm a nice man.
LEIA: No, you're not. You're... *kiss!* 



Comments

  1. I finally found someone talking about this! I have always thought about it!

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