STRIKE A POSE

Above: Darth Vader dueling Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi, circa 1983

Above: Madonna fencing in Die Another Day

Hmm, Madonna played a fencing instructor, and the fencing scenes involving Darth Vader were some of the most famous ones from the Star Wars films. Coincidence?

Above left: android C3PO.

(And yes, I know about Metropolis)

Note: One Madonna fan insists that this look came from a book entitled Memoirs of a Geisha, as Madonna claimed that book was the source of her inspiration for the Japanese look of this music video.

I do not dispute that fact, but I believe that Madonna has a habit of sometimes mixing the styles that she rips-off (e.g., dressing like Jean Harlow but posing like Marlene Dietrich, looking like Norma Jean [Marilyn Monroe in her pre-Hollywood era] but adding Debbie Harry punk touches, such as adding punk-rock jewlery to sweaters).

The manner of lipstick application on Portman's character is particularly unusual, hence, I find Madonna's very close lipstick style and timing to be suspicious (both the Star Wars film and the Madonna video were made in 1999, with publicity photos of Portman as Queen Amidala in Asian garb being released before the film was).