Much has been made about the influence of Joseph Campbell's ideas about archetypal myth of the hero (particularly in "The Hero with a Thousand Faces") on how George Lucas shaped the characters and plot. But another influence on Lucas was Akira Kurosawa, particularly his film, "The Hidden Fortress". In that movie, the story is told from the point of view of the two lowliest characters, the peasants, Tahei and Matakashi, who are swept up in events beyond their control. (And they are forever squabbling about everything.) In an interview in January,2001 for Criterion Collection's release of "The Hidden Fortress", Lucas says he adapted that point of view to "Star Wars", telling the story from the point of view of two lowly androids, R2D2 and C3PO. And the point of view of the two lowliest characters, the androids, went on to become a framing device, a common thread for the entire 6 episodes of the original saga. ("The Hidden Fortress" is also about a princess who needs to be rescued, transported through enemy lines. In the Criterion interview, Lucas said that the parallel to Princess Leia in "Star Wars" was coincidental.)

Thanks for that, pgronk, especially timely considering the Classic 70s Movie of the day is Star Wars. Have you read the earliest version's of Lucas' SW script? It focuses a LOT on the robots and that POV continues on into Ep. IV. Yes, indeed, they do go on their own pilgrimage along with Luke, Han and the others.

I don't know if it's true of all writers, but I do think many have this inner drive to complete a pilgrimage, be an itinerant, travel somewhere, whether it be physically or mentally. I think the very nature of story is travel -- to go from one place to another and learn something in between. I've found with the way my mind works I always need to be traveling. I need to constantly consume information. I need to be working, reading, writing, exercising, driving, hiking, whatever it may be. When I stop my mind start to unravel and I begin to obsess over things because I'm no longer focused on something; it's no longer moving. I've traveled over 3,000 miles in the last two and a half weeks, through Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. Today I went on an eight-mile hike in the Weminuche Wilderness in southern Colorado, down from the top of a 10,000-foot mountain to a river, absorbing all the fall colors along the way. I plan to do something similar tomorrow. Moving, moving, moving, always moving. It's good for you. It's what writers do: think, think, think, all the time. Now if I could just gets started on that screenplay...