Questions I have always had about the Indy Flicks
- Thread starter thegreatgalling
- Start date
Hmm, makes sense. I think I got the impression that the idol is still worshiped from the scene when Belloq lifts it and the natives bow. I also never thought they knew he was going to steal it.
Too Much Garlic
Master Member
In the behind the scenes John Rhys-Davies remarked that he couldn't have heard the name Belloq, if he was to make this mistake. Can't recall if an answer was given as to why he'd say it like that.
Belloq wasn't allowed to keep the idol either. He tells Indy that later.
Indy was a grave robber in a time when it was "okay" to steal from graves and other countries if it was donated to museums - just look at all the Egyptian artifacts that were donated to Natural History Museums around the world from grave exploration(robbing) back in the day.
But... if one thing is supernatural... then... if you see something you cannot explain, then surely that's supernatural too.
Belloq wasn't allowed to keep the idol either. He tells Indy that later.
Indy was a grave robber in a time when it was "okay" to steal from graves and other countries if it was donated to museums - just look at all the Egyptian artifacts that were donated to Natural History Museums around the world from grave exploration(robbing) back in the day.
Well... Crystal skull COULD have played with that and made it all alien technology used by natives to worship their own gods... but... alas... they didn't.
But... if one thing is supernatural... then... if you see something you cannot explain, then surely that's supernatural too.
Raiders
1. The gun fires (check out all that smoke and steam) but it's amongst a bunch of quick shots that are like 5 frames long. I don't think it's even on screen when it fires. And, as has been said, muzzle flash is far more common in movies than in real life.
2. Agree that the name is Satipo, and Ford mispronounces. That's all. The earlier subtitle was simply a mistake.
One practice in Hollywood is that after a movie is finished, they hand someone the shooting script, and the audio of the entire film, and they alter the script to match the movie. These are what usually end up in those script books you find in book and video stores. A lot of misheard stuff gets typed in this way. For example, in ROTJ, during the Sarlaac battle, Chewie is holding his leg and Han says, "Chewie, you're hit? Where?". The POST-production script says "Chewie, your head? Where?" :wacko Ford kinda does pronounce it that way, like he had a cold.
3. Bellosh is indeed just the local mispronunciation.
4. The natives evidently still worship the god the idol represents, but I saw no indication that they still visit the temple.
5. "You sound like my mother" is just an old phrase, a way of good-naturedly telling someone they're fretting over nothing.
As for the bag of sand, the problem is that it's too HEAVY, not too light! And yes, pre-Columbian artifacts of that size were never solid gold. Gold leaf over wood was common, and Indy would of course know this.
Last Crusade
(1, 2, 3, 2, 4? :wacko
lol)
>1. Is this to show he is amazingly popular among students? Is it to show that his adventures keep him from being a thorough professor?
Both. A little over the top, but yeah, that is the intent.
>2. Why doesn't Indy wait for the Nazis to take off in their boat further and simply "sneak" out of the box with the motorcycle, instead of dramatically pulling away while they are still on shore, giving them more time to catch up?
Dramatic license so the Nazis can oh-so-hilariously fall in the water. Not the strongest staging. But hey, if they were in that box with the motor running, they were gonna die of CO poisoning if they didn't get out of there pronto.
>5. "I know it was the crazy woman's idea to take the grail and not yours, so we cool?"
Yes.
>1. I know I am asking for it, but can anyone give me a decent fan >explanation for what happens in the end of Crystal Skull with the >thirteen heads slamming into each other and turning into a living, >organic being?
Well, the thirteen heads slam together and turn into a living, organic being. What's to explain? Why do the Sankara stones glow? Why does the Ark tidy up dead bodies? These things happened because they happened.
1. The gun fires (check out all that smoke and steam) but it's amongst a bunch of quick shots that are like 5 frames long. I don't think it's even on screen when it fires. And, as has been said, muzzle flash is far more common in movies than in real life.
2. Agree that the name is Satipo, and Ford mispronounces. That's all. The earlier subtitle was simply a mistake.
One practice in Hollywood is that after a movie is finished, they hand someone the shooting script, and the audio of the entire film, and they alter the script to match the movie. These are what usually end up in those script books you find in book and video stores. A lot of misheard stuff gets typed in this way. For example, in ROTJ, during the Sarlaac battle, Chewie is holding his leg and Han says, "Chewie, you're hit? Where?". The POST-production script says "Chewie, your head? Where?" :wacko Ford kinda does pronounce it that way, like he had a cold.
3. Bellosh is indeed just the local mispronunciation.
4. The natives evidently still worship the god the idol represents, but I saw no indication that they still visit the temple.
5. "You sound like my mother" is just an old phrase, a way of good-naturedly telling someone they're fretting over nothing.
As for the bag of sand, the problem is that it's too HEAVY, not too light! And yes, pre-Columbian artifacts of that size were never solid gold. Gold leaf over wood was common, and Indy would of course know this.
Last Crusade
(1, 2, 3, 2, 4? :wacko
lol)>1. Is this to show he is amazingly popular among students? Is it to show that his adventures keep him from being a thorough professor?
Both. A little over the top, but yeah, that is the intent.
>2. Why doesn't Indy wait for the Nazis to take off in their boat further and simply "sneak" out of the box with the motorcycle, instead of dramatically pulling away while they are still on shore, giving them more time to catch up?
Dramatic license so the Nazis can oh-so-hilariously fall in the water. Not the strongest staging. But hey, if they were in that box with the motor running, they were gonna die of CO poisoning if they didn't get out of there pronto.
>5. "I know it was the crazy woman's idea to take the grail and not yours, so we cool?"
Yes.
>1. I know I am asking for it, but can anyone give me a decent fan >explanation for what happens in the end of Crystal Skull with the >thirteen heads slamming into each other and turning into a living, >organic being?
Well, the thirteen heads slam together and turn into a living, organic being. What's to explain? Why do the Sankara stones glow? Why does the Ark tidy up dead bodies? These things happened because they happened.
The Indiana Jones movies (at least the first Three) are perfect examples of "suspension of disbelief" for the sake of the story and the character.
90% of what Indy does is impossible, yet we still believe it can happen. We forgive obvious mistakes and story faults because of this.
Lucas on the other hand forced us to suspend our disbelief by putting his characters in Star Wars completely out of our universe. He took away our ability and right to question ANYTHING they could do, or their technology. We had to accept everything he showed us on screen. It's simple, but it's also genius.
I remember when I first watched Raiders and for a split second, I didn't believe they had light sensitivity technology in the temple that could fire poison darts, but I didn't have long to think about it because Indy was already in another perilous situation that was real enough for me to move on.
Most story faults and continuity problems in the Indy movies are for the sake of the story.
90% of what Indy does is impossible, yet we still believe it can happen. We forgive obvious mistakes and story faults because of this.
Lucas on the other hand forced us to suspend our disbelief by putting his characters in Star Wars completely out of our universe. He took away our ability and right to question ANYTHING they could do, or their technology. We had to accept everything he showed us on screen. It's simple, but it's also genius.
I remember when I first watched Raiders and for a split second, I didn't believe they had light sensitivity technology in the temple that could fire poison darts, but I didn't have long to think about it because Indy was already in another perilous situation that was real enough for me to move on.
Most story faults and continuity problems in the Indy movies are for the sake of the story.
TheMechanic
Sr Member
In the book, screenplay etc. the character's name is "Satipo" and Ford indeed mispronounces it as "Sa-Pee-toe".
As far as Indy opening his eyes in the flammable water in 'Crusade', petroleum sits on top of water. The water just under the surface is fine. Just like an oil slick, the flammable stuff floats on top. Oil & water don't mix.
'Crystal Skull', I don't understand the entire ending.
As far as Indy opening his eyes in the flammable water in 'Crusade', petroleum sits on top of water. The water just under the surface is fine. Just like an oil slick, the flammable stuff floats on top. Oil & water don't mix.
'Crystal Skull', I don't understand the entire ending.
All great points and answers.
Angelus Lupus
Sr Member
That one at least is a genuine error that got cleaned up on the DVD release. No reflection anymore. As for everything else, dramatic licence, yup. Although I'm kinda disappointed with Crystal Skull, either the skulls should have been mystical/supernatural like The Ark, The Grail, or the Sankara Stones... or they could have hinted that previous supernatural things were also alien.
Did you notice in Crystal Skull they drop the skull in the water. When they pic it up you can see water sloshing around inside it. It is about 1/3 full. It's a Crystal skull aquarium.
Too Much Garlic
Master Member
So... that means that when the skulls turned into one alien... he had water in his brain. Man... no wonder he was so pissy.
rollerboi
Sr Member
The wave goodbye by the knight.. I always interpreted this to have greater meaning, with a nod to the Masonic mysteries, raising the hand to the square, and giving a certain sign/token (Due Guard of a Fellow Craft).
The duty of the knight, possibly acting in the role of the Worshipful Master, could be to "observe the approach of cowans and eavesdroppers, and suffer none to pass or re-pass except such as are duly qualified and have permission from the Worshipful Master."
The duty of the knight, possibly acting in the role of the Worshipful Master, could be to "observe the approach of cowans and eavesdroppers, and suffer none to pass or re-pass except such as are duly qualified and have permission from the Worshipful Master."
Here's my question.
WHERE THE HECK did Indy get the idea to not look at the Ark when it started doing weird things? The bible he used to show the government men didn't give any hints. Even Indy doesn't know what's coming out of the Ark.
"Lighting, fire....power of god...or something"
Even the pendant when it's being translated only says "This is a warning not to disturb the Ark of the Covenant." Well, not only does it not mention anything about seeing it, but Indy disturbs it by taking it out of it's resting place!
I mean, this is one of the biggest gripes I have towards a film that's fundamentally perfect. This climatic solution just comes out of nowhere, has no set-up and no explanation. I can't shake the feeling that I was just ripped off because Indy sounds like he knows what he's talking about. How?
WHERE THE HECK did Indy get the idea to not look at the Ark when it started doing weird things? The bible he used to show the government men didn't give any hints. Even Indy doesn't know what's coming out of the Ark.
"Lighting, fire....power of god...or something"
Even the pendant when it's being translated only says "This is a warning not to disturb the Ark of the Covenant." Well, not only does it not mention anything about seeing it, but Indy disturbs it by taking it out of it's resting place!
I mean, this is one of the biggest gripes I have towards a film that's fundamentally perfect. This climatic solution just comes out of nowhere, has no set-up and no explanation. I can't shake the feeling that I was just ripped off because Indy sounds like he knows what he's talking about. How?
Creative license based on Old Testament rules of handling the Ark. According to Levitical rule, only the High Priest could approach the Ark, and then only in the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple, one day each year (before the First Temple was built, the Ark resided in a tabernacle, or "portable" tent-like temple).
The Ark was the seat/throne of God, and the High Priest had to purify himself in ritual, approach the Ark (hidden behind a large and VERY thick curtain/veil at the back of the temple) and sprinkle the middle "seat" part between the cherubum's wings with blood to ask forgiveness for the sins of the Jewish people. NO ONE ELSE WAS ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE ARK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, or they would be immediately killed.
When the ark was moved, it was by members of the Levitical Priesthood using long poles through ringlets on its sides, so they didn't actually touch it. In one instance it was placed on a cart and pulled by animals; when the cart started to tip over, a man who reached up to "steady" the Ark died instantly.
In Raiders, Belloch was wearing the High Priest's garb when he had the Ark opened. The gold jeweled breastplate he wore was a replica of the Jewish High Priest's Ephod. The 12 different colored stones represent the 12 tribes of Israel.
Indy new that the Ark's history had death associated with anyone not treating it as Holy. Although he thought it was all bunk, when Indy first saw the Ark start to manifest supernatural force, the ONLY thing he knew to do and could do (being tied up) was TO NOT LOOK, hoping to be spared God's wrath.
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Too Much Garlic
Master Member
It more a historical setup and relies on the viewer knowing just a little bit about religious relics and artifacts and the worship of Gods and deities. It is common that only the anointed can suffer looking at God or something of God without perishing in horrible flame.
At least that's what I got out of it. Only the dishonest will look at the marvels of God.
Too Much Garlic
Master Member
He does... which is why he wears the robe and recites the ritual, hoping he'll fool God... but he's also arrogant and curious to see what the ark contains, as like Indy... he may doubt it a little. And sometimes... you just can't help but keep watching... even though you know it'll kill you.
Solo4114
Master Member
The Indy films are prime examples of having a good, cracking story that keeps the audience engaged, and which allows the audience to forgive physical impossibilities, continuity issues, anachronisms (IE: MP-38/40s in 1935...), etc. all in the name of good entertainment.
When the film lacks a good story, acting, direction, etc., that's when this stuff really gets into MST3K territory.
When the film lacks a good story, acting, direction, etc., that's when this stuff really gets into MST3K territory.
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