I Don't Get The Knife Gag?!

indytim · May 31, 2008

After Indy and Mutt have kicked Dovchenko out in the back of the truck we then see Mutt shake his knife from his boot. Using his feet he then flips it up onto Indy's shoulder, who promptly loses it behind himself. Indy looks flumaxed, there's a ripping sound, Mutt curses, and then Indy frees himself

Is this a joke because if so I don't get it!? It's like a play on the Indy/Henry Jones Snr/Lighter gag from Last Crusade but the implication here is he's lost the knife but then immediately cuts himself free. Am I missing something?

A_True_Believer · May 31, 2008

It's supposed to imply that when Indy opened the switchblade behind his back he accidently cut a hole in his pants.

indytim · May 31, 2008

A_True_Believer said:
It's supposed to imply that when Indy opened the switchblade behind his back he accidently cut a hole in his pants.

Really! It's a joke lost on me then

Agent Spalko · May 31, 2008

A_True_Believer said:
It's supposed to imply that when Indy opened the switchblade behind his back he accidently cut a hole in his pants.

How do we know it was his pants?

There's no payoff. Not only is it a a failure as a gag but it's sitcom slapstick.

Benraianajones · May 31, 2008

Having seen the film 3 times, I heard people laugh on 2 of those occasions. It could have been done better that bit really, or just skipped, and he cut things with no problem.

BlackSleep · May 31, 2008

yeah i was wondering the same thing. it initially sounds like indy (unknowingly, due to a lack of familiarity with the gadget) had the switchblade pointed the wrong way when it snapped open, and it stuck him or his pants...thus the response...but it's like they forgot to complete the gag. no sighs of relief after they realize it didn't cut him, or "just kidding" smirk from indy, or anything. it was lost on me too.

Indyologist · May 31, 2008

I didn't get it either. I thought they were implying that Indy cut himself with it somehow. Why they put that in was a mystery to me.

Uki · May 31, 2008

Is it in the novelization? Maybe some clarity will come of it then.

Salacious · May 31, 2008

A_True_Believer said:
It's supposed to imply that when Indy opened the switchblade behind his back he accidently cut a hole in his pants.

I got the joke. It was just really really poorly executed, which is rare in an Indy film.

I also didnt like the grave robber joke when Indy opened the mummy and was holding that knife...the back and forth banter btwn him and Mutt as he puts it back. It seemed kinda natural...but just off for an Indy movie joke. I didnt laugh...and I dont think anyone in the theatre did as well.

Raiders90 · May 31, 2008

Salacious said:
I got the joke. It was just really really poorly executed, which is rare in an Indy film.

I also didnt like the grave robber joke when Indy opened the mummy and was holding that knife...the back and forth banter btwn him and Mutt as he puts it back. It seemed kinda natural...but just off for an Indy movie joke. I didnt laugh...and I dont think anyone in the theatre did as well.

Well in my theatre, a few chuckled at that. And a lot of people laughed when Indy put the corpse on Mutt nonchalantly and Mutt got grossed out.

James · May 31, 2008

It's a pretty obvious reference to him accidentally cutting his pants. I've seen it twice and the audience understood it both times and laughed.

It's an old gag, and the payoff is the sound of the fabric tearing. You typically don't show the torn pants.

A more modern example of this type of gag was in a Friends episode a few years back. The characters were throwing a surprise party for one of the 'friends', and everyone turned off the lights and knelt down behind the furniture to hide. As Ross' dad (Elliott Gould) crouched down, the familiar "tearing" sound was heard on the soundtrack. In the darkness, you simply heard his dad say, "Oh, crap."

sandiegojones · May 31, 2008

Jesus H!!! This has been addressed before and people still don't get it. I think people had beer goggles on when they went to the theater!

Mutt flung the switchblade to Indy, Indy put it behind his back (while leaning up against the tarp covering the rear of the truck) and opened it. We hear a tear and Mutt says "Oh sh!t!" thinking he dropped it out of the side of the truck. Then Indy gives him a look and shows he still had it and cut his rope. No pants cut, no jacket cut.

The sound effect of Indy cutting the top of the tarp after he says "They weren't you, honey!" is the same. Sound designers would use different sounds for different fabrics had it been his pants or jacket.

James · May 31, 2008

sandiegojones said:
Mutt flung the switchblade to Indy, Indy put it behind his back (while leaning up against the tarp covering the rear of the truck) and opened it. We hear a tear and Mutt says "Oh sh!t!" thinking he dropped it out of the side of the truck.

The only problem with this theory is that there's not really any tarp visible behind Indy in this scene. It looks like a pretty solid wall behind him. (When I watched it a second time, I kept this theory in mind.)

But even if you assume Mutt thinks he's cut the tarp, it's a stretch to assume he also dropped it out the side. When you accidentally cut something, you generally don't drop the knife as well.

It's just too many assumptions for something that appears to be a pretty time-honored gag. I think the implication is that Indy cut his pants, and Mutt's reaction is more of a, "This guy's incompetent and we're screwed" type of thing.

Grizzlor · May 31, 2008

sandiegojones said:
Jesus H!!! This has been addressed before and people still don't get it. I think people had beer goggles on when they went to the theater!

Mutt flung the switchblade to Indy, Indy put it behind his back (while leaning up against the tarp covering the rear of the truck) and opened it. We hear a tear and Mutt says "Oh sh!t!" thinking he dropped it out of the side of the truck. Then Indy gives him a look and shows he still had it and cut his rope. No pants cut, no jacket cut.

The sound effect of Indy cutting the top of the tarp after he says "They weren't you, honey!" is the same. Sound designers would use different sounds for different fabrics had it been his pants or jacket.

Good explanation. Either it was this, or Mutt was simply surprised that Indy was able to open the blade and cut himself loose at all. Either way it didn't come off right.

motifone · May 31, 2008

sandiegojones said:
Jesus H!!! This has been addressed before and people still don't get it. I think people had beer goggles on when they went to the theater!

Mutt flung the switchblade to Indy, Indy put it behind his back (while leaning up against the tarp covering the rear of the truck) and opened it. We hear a tear and Mutt says "Oh sh!t!" thinking he dropped it out of the side of the truck. Then Indy gives him a look and shows he still had it and cut his rope. No pants cut, no jacket cut.

The sound effect of Indy cutting the top of the tarp after he says "They weren't you, honey!" is the same. Sound designers would use different sounds for different fabrics had it been his pants or jacket.

Relax. The fact that so many people are confused, myself included, proves it is a poorly executed joke. And your explanation is not proven, either.

DetectiveFork · May 31, 2008

I was concerned because I thought Indy stabbed himself. After seeing the movie three times, I'm still not sure what that scene was about. The idea of him slicing his pants makes the most sense, but it's still a leap to assume that. It was a poorly executed gag.

|ZiR| · May 31, 2008

When I first saw it, I thought it was pretty clear that the knife sliced into Indy's hand when he pressed the switch.

I still believe it's that.

The tarp explanation doesn't gel because, as someone else said, Indy isn't leaning up against the tarp. The pants are plausible but why would Mutt say "oh sh!t..." over that?

The_Raiders · May 31, 2008

I always think he rips his pants with it. But when he gets up you can see no tear. I reallly don't understand what happens.

James · May 31, 2008

|ZiR| said:
The pants are plausible but why would Mutt say "oh sh!t..." over that?

I think it's similar to Mutt's disappointment in the diner, when he learns that Indy is a professor.

nitzsche · May 31, 2008

The sound effect of the switchblade opening and the tearing sound are simultaneous. Indy opens the knife and it tears his pants and he looks over at Mutt a little embarrassed.

That's how I see the scene.

I Don't Get The Knife Gag?!

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