Friday, January 10, 2014

Indiana Jones and the Unforgivable Sin

I once heard someone say that if you commit the unforgivable sin, you'll never feel sorry about doing it. And Christians should never, ever say they'll never forgive someone who's injured them.

But...

I was watching the Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark. I loved the movie at the time. There's a gag in the movie that I particularly loved. Indiana Jones confronts this big guy in flowing robes carrying a huge Scimitar. The big guy brandishes the scimitar and you expect to see a big fight.

i've heard that Harrison Ford was sick that day of filming so instead of doing the elaborate fight scene they had blocked out, they had him just pull out his gun and shoot him. Never bring a scimitar to a gun fight, eh? The scene is funny and it works.

It also set up a similar scene in the second movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Indiana Jones is getting chased and now he sees TWO big guys in flowing robes each of whom are carrying huge Scimitars. He sees them and you get a reaction shot of Indiana Jones thinking, "Oh, not this again." And then he reaches for his gun just like he did in Raiders.

I got a big laugh and thought that was a great scene. When I would think back on Raiders and Temple, I'd get a little chuckle.

Then someone pointed out something.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a PREQUEL. It happens BEFORE Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Therefore, Indiana Jones can't remember confronting the One Scimitar Guy when he encounters the Two Scimitar Guys, because the One Scimitar Guy hasn't happened yet. He has no reason to give that "not again" look when he goes for his gun!

When I realized this, I felt used and utterly betrayed. I was no longer capable of suspending disbelief. From this point forward the entire Indiana Jones franchise was dead to me.


Update: I almost forgot. Joanne Renaud has her own reasons to find fault with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I find them compelling.

1 comment:

  1. some lucky bastid sits down at a keyboard (well, back then maybe a word processor) and bangs these stories out. they ain't The Bible. I know what you mean but it's 'show - biz' not 'show-truth'..Like on STAR TREK they don't give a good explanation explaining HOW human beans manage to mate and produce fertile offspring with every quivering lump a meat in the galaxy. Whoa! What's up with us? ..Unless maybe there's an even earlier Indiana Jones adventure where that pattern initially occurs and we ain't seen it yet?..Could resonate on into infinity...lol ... And what kind a glue keeps that hat on? Thanks for highlighting this heretofore little known conundrum.---Billy

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