Broadcast this evening on Arte, the famous “New York 1997” by John Carpenter, and in particular the character of Snake Plissken played by Kurt Russell, strongly inspired the Metal Gear games. (In collaboration with Olivier Pallaruelo)
We are at the beginning of the 80s. John Carpenter’s new feature film, New York 1997 (broadcast tonight on Arte) has just landed in theaters and is about to meet the fate it deserves: that of a real classic sci-fi.
We follow the adventures of Snake Plissken, a former multi-decorated soldier and now outlaw, sent as an inmate on the island of Manhattan which has been transformed into a gigantic open-air prison. When the President of the United States also finds himself trapped in this ultra-violent New York, the government calls on Snake to rescue him.
Among the film’s first viewers is a 28-year-old Japanese cinephile. The show he has just attended seems to have inspired him considerably, so much so that several years later, when the time came for him to sign his own works, he decided to pay Carpenter’s film a vibrant tribute. Her name ? Hideo Kojima.
Our interview with Hideo Kojima
In 1987, he created a first cult game that would become one of the most famous video game franchises: Metal Gear, which will launch the stealth genre.
AVCO Embassy Pictures / Konami
–
In love with Carpenter’s filmography and especially his film New York 1997, Kojima – who maliciously writes that “his body is 70% filmed” – will slip several tributes to the anti-hero created by Big John.
The character of Solid Snake, as well as Naked Snake (main character of Metal Gear Solid 3 and genetic father of Solid Snake) are inspired by Snake Plissken. In the opus Metal Gear Solid 2, Snake uses the pseudonym ofIroquois Pliskin in the disguise of a Navy SEALS soldier. Another resemblance in Metal Gear Solid 3, or Naked Snake (the future Big Boss) wears a blindfold on the right eye, symmetrically to Plissken who has one on the left eye: the two characters are one-eyed.
Konami
–
For the record, also know that in 2012, after having sued the Europacorp film Lock Out for having plagiarized New York 1997, Canal + (which held part of the rights at the time), had tried to attack the franchise Metal Gear Solid for the same reasons.
An initiative that John Carpenter himself had refused to support, as he had entrusted it to the microphone of Hollywood Reporter :
“They also wanted to go after the Metal Gear Solid video game, which is kind of a copy of New York 1997, too, but I told them not to do that. I know the creator of those games, and so on. he’s a nice guy, nice to me anyway. “
(Re) discover all the details hidden in “New York 1997” …
–
