The Heart of Indiana Jones

So, I’m sure everyone has now heard the whisperings of a possible Indiana Jones 5.  I’m not here to talk about that so much.  I’m here to talk about the trilogy and what made it so great.  'Raiders of the Lost Ark' is, and forever will be, one of the greatest adventure films of all time.  The reason is not because of the big rolling boulder or the snakes.  The reason is because of heart.  That’s right, heart.  Indiana Jones is a character that has a ton of heart.   A GREAT example of this is early in the film when he is packing to go see Marion.  There is a look on Indy’s face after he throws the whip in his trunk… a look of pure pain and raw emotion.  (Go back and watch the scene. You will see what I’m talking about.) We get a little back-story in that scene.  A further example of this is when Indy actually sees Marion for the first time after Abner’s death when we get the silhouette of Indy in the doorway.  If you listen extremely closely to Indy say, “Hello Marion”, it is not the normal happy Indy greeting.  There is sadness in the tone of his voice and we find out why later when they speak about Indy leaving and Marion being in love.  In that scene Indy’s silhouette only moves and loosens after Marion says, “Indiana Jones, I always knew someday you’d come walking back through my door.”  Then, in a later scene, when Indy sees the explosion in the streets of Cairo and he thinks Marion is dead, the look on Ford’s face shows every emotion Indy feels in that moment… the regret (because he loves her) and the sadness and guilt (because of what happened when he left, before Abner died).  In a scene soon after, he goes out drinking and is sitting by himself with the monkey Marion loved and Indy hated.  He looks at the monkey and the look on his face shows how much he misses Marion.  The character is so well rounded and full of heart and emotion.  If we want to take this a step further, we could even say that the fact that his first concern before an expedition is that the artifacts go to a museum also gives more insight into the depth of his character and his heart.  Indy’s last concern is money.  That’s what makes him Indy.  He is human with a huge heart, caring about both people and artifacts for all the right reasons.

Now, that’s just 'Raiders'.  What about 'Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom'?  Let’s go there; shall we?  Let’s talk about the expressions of care Indy has for that village and the loss of their children.  The scene I would point to as the defining one in 'Temple' is one not many people talk about.   It’s the scene when the one boy escapes and returns to the village, falling into Indy’s arms.  Indy knows in that moment that he must help these people and it’s about so much more than just fortune and glory.  Another truly pivotal scene is the brainwash/sacrifice scene.  In that scene, Indy slaps Short Round (after being brainwashed).  Short Round stands up and says, “I love you, Indy.  Wake up.  You’re my best friend Indy.  Wake up.”  Then, Short Round pokes him with a torch.  Indy snaps out of it and tells him, “I’m alright kid”.  The emotion could have ended there as we revert back to the action and a fist fight ensues. However, after the fight the film takes an emotional beat to once again show Indy’s character. He goes up to Short Round, places his baseball cap on Short Round’s head, grabs him, hugging him tight….basically saying, “I love you too.”  In those looks and in those scenes, we get the defining moments of not just the film but of the character and of the man, Indiana Jones.

In the last film in the trilogy, 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade', which is also my personal favorite, a defining  scene is when Indy breaks into the German held castle to save his father.  After his dad hits him over the head with a vase, Indy takes joy in telling him about Sir Richard’s Tomb.  His father says “Junior, you did it” to which Indy replies with a smile on his face, “No, Dad, you did…”  Indiana Jones shows true love for his father in that scene with a very small, subtle line.  A different scene not too much further into the film would be when Indy refuses to kill Elsa, choosing to ignore his father’s advice and drop his gun.  He doesn’t want to believe she is a Nazi but she in fact is or is working with them (just as bad).  This is a man who wants to see the best in people even when his own father is telling him he is wrong.  If I am being honest though, we don’t see the key Indy “look” in 'Crusade' until the very end of the film.  The scene where we get that look is when Indy is holding his father’s head in his hands after he has been shot.  In that scene, with that look, we the audience know that Indy will make the walk and try to get the Grail.  Even though it’s not something Indy truly believes in whole heartedly, he will do it. He will do it for his father and so he does.

In the latest film, 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (a film I will only acknowledge existing for the purpose of this article), we never get that look.  We get the over the top great serial action.  We get Indy’s hat never falling off even when he’s been hit so many times he should be dead. However, the bread and butter of the films… that beautiful look that holds all the heart, is gone.  
So when I hear the rumblings of a 5^th film, I am a little bit saddened to be honest because I know what I love about the trilogy and what was captured so well in the trilogy, is most likely gone because even though Spielberg, Lucas, Ford and even Allen came back for the 4th, the heart was still left behind.

-          George McCann