George McHale

avidfilmbuff said:

To me, Mac is a symbol of all the fears that existed during the Cold War. A fear that even your closest friends or neighbors were on the side of the Soviets.

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To make it more interesting, Mac is British, and in the 1950s, Britain's socialist Labour party dominated the nation.

In the 1950s, for Americans who had British friends, this fear would've been especially worse for them.

At the premier I thought Indy and mac had a fall back plan probably due to the dialogue before.

I thought Mac turned on Indy only to convince the Reds to put their guards down and then...

Bang
Bang

"Blow their blinking brains out!"

It also might have been because of how offbeat and what a hard scene it might be to tackle so little into the movie they where!

Nonetheless I think Mac is probably in my top ten on screen characters!

Mac was an interesting character, although the constant friend/traitor aspect was a bit strange but they handled it well without making it tedious. I'm glad he's in the new Army of the Dead novel and hopefully he'll make a few more appearances in games or books because I'd like to know more about his past with Indy.

Mac was pretty bland, but Ray Winstone brought life to the character. Winstone is a great actor, and always does a fantastic job.

Here's a bit both shedding some light and raising some questions about just how much of the character of Mac was Ray Winstone and how much of it was originally intended, from a profile on Winstone for his new film 44-Inch Chest (also starring John Hurt, along with Joanne Whalley, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane, and Ian McShane).

The Times Online said:

In fact Wintone’s stock is so high that when he was offered a minor role in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull he was able to demand a larger presence in the film. “I said to Steven [Spielberg]: ‘I don’t want to come over there for four months and do nothing. If I’m going to do it, I want to be in it!’ ”

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Oh, and he also has a semi-hilarious aside near the end of the article, apparently from the point in the interview in which random things are being said. On Harrison Ford: "He's the governor!"

In many ways I suppose you could compare the character to that of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.

You can always trust him to do what's right by him.

Mac brought out that part of Indy that's always loyal to old friends, even if they've turned into complete jerks.

Team Indy said:

Well, that's just common knowledge. All he cares about is money, and nothing else. He reminds me of Willie Scott in this aspect.

Hey, what if Willie Scott and Mac got together? They'd be the perfect couple.

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Did you read my mind? I was thinking that too!
Both of them care only about money and themselves, and love shiny objects. The only problem I can see in this would be that Mac and Willie would probably care too much about themselves to actually be a couple.

Mac's Motivation for working with the Soviets

Unlike most of the villains of the Indy (movie) series, Mac's motivation for working with the Russians seems to be unclear.

I mean for example--Belloq was probably contracted to work for the Nazis given his reputation (and if you take the novels into account had an obligation to the Nazis after working for them previously in 1933). He and Indy had a history of being rivals and Indy despised Belloq for his treacherous and parasite-like nature--reaping the benefits of his and others' work and leaving the real workers to die while he claimed the fruits of their labor. As Belloq said in the film, the Nazis weren't his friends--he looked them essentially as tools to further his own personal goal. He didn't intend to share the Ark with Hitler, at least, not until he was finished with it. He might not have been on the trail for the Ark until the Nazis contracted him; we can't and don't know. It might've been an interest of his..but we're never told for sure, and the tone of the film suggests Belloq is under their employ, but acting as ''project leader'' because of his knowledge.

Elsa was a Nazi probably because she was Austrian and maybe felt buddying up with the national government, and also using everyone--Henry, Sr., Donovan, Indy, the Nazis in general--was the best way to achieve her 'prize' of the Grail. Donovan had the same motivations as Belloq, and made it clear he had no intention of letting Hitler take the Grail--He was using the Nazis as tools to get what he wants (though why the Nazis worked with Donovan, who didn't seem to be an adventurer like Indy or ''obtainer of rare antiquities" like Belloq but instead simply a rich hoarder, is unclear).

Mac on the other hand, being a friend of Indy and going on plenty of adventures with him, had no reason to work with the Nazis and betray Indy, potentially to his death. If he worked with Indy for nearly 20 years (The Ultimate Guide has their first meeting as 1939), and they had seen a number of weird things (for example the Zombis in the Army of the Dead novel) why didn't he just propose he and Indy search for Akator? I mean from knowing Indy for so long I'm sure he was aware how capable Indy was as an adventurer. I understand why the Soviets wanted the Skull but not so much why Mac felt he needed to work with them to get it.

I don't see why he felt he needed the Russians or needed to betray and try to get Indy killed to get to Akator. Sure, like Elsa, he was playing everyone, but still...If one of your closest friends, long time friends is a world famous adventurer/''grave robber'' who you've personally been on adventures with, why would not just convince him to go on ''one last adventure'' for Akator? It makes a lot more sense to me anyway. If you bring Russians into the picture, they're not going to let him keep all the 'gold' at Akator, which seems to be what he was after; If it was just him and Indy searching for it, it'd be much more likely both would come home with a nice amount of treasure/cash.

I thought Mac's motivation was quite clearly money. In fact "a gigantic pile of money".

Hadn't he built up debts that the Cold War gave him opportunity to clear?

Either way, he was banking on coming home with a lot of money.

Montana Smith said:

I thought Mac's motivation was quite clearly money. In fact "a gigantic pile of money".

Hadn't he built up debts that the Cold War gave him opportunity to clear?

Either way, he was banking on coming home with a lot of money.

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I recognize that..But I don't see why he needed the Russians to get that ''gigantic pile of money.'' One of his closest friends was an adventurer who knew a lot more about this kind of stuff than the Soviets, he could've just as easily proposed he and Indy search for Akator rather than work for the Russians.

And if he worked with just himself and Indy, he'd have come home with a lot more money in theory. I mean did he really think the Soviets weren't going to keep a bulk of the wealth to themselves? Surely he also knew Indy, by nature, isn't a selfish guy. To put it simply, there's a lot more money to be made when you're dividing loot amongst two guys than if you're dividing it amongst yourself and an army's worth of people. Let's say the Soviet's mission was a success...Wouldn't the Kremlin want much of the treasure and artifacts at Akator for both glamour (and propaganda purposes in that they captured Akator and the capitalist Americans couldn't), as well as additional wealth to feed the "Motherland"?

It just seems unlike Belloq, Donovan, or Elsa, whose motivations for working with the Nazis were clearly outlined and logical (Belloq and Elsa both capable archaeologists using the Nazis to meet their own ends; Donovan a rich industrialist using the Nazis to increase his own wealth and attain the Grail), Mac's treachery in working with the Russians isn't really as logical. Belloq and Indy were always rivals, never friends, so it's not like Belloq could say "Let's search for the Ark, Jones", whereas Mac could.

For example, his final betrayal--Leaving markers for the Soviets to follow them into the Temple (and perhaps leaving earlier homing markers earlier). Why? If he was already at Akator, with the theoretical ''gigantic pile of money'' and city of Gold awaiting him right there, why the need for the Soviets at this point? Why the final betrayal?

As has been said....I think Mac's motivation was pretty clear: money.

Evidently he had more faith in the Russian army succeeding than in Indy.

You're assuming he was banking on the Russians finding a lost city filled with treasure that he would then get a cut off.

However, he was ALREADY BEING PAID for his assistance by the Russians from the get go.

Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen were collecting a paycheck. As was Mac.

You don't betray your country and your friends on spec.

Raiders112390 said:

For example, his final betrayal--Leaving markers for the Soviets to follow them into the Temple (and perhaps leaving earlier homing markers earlier). Why? If he was already at Akator, with the theoretical ''gigantic pile of money'' and city of Gold awaiting him right there, why the need for the Soviets at this point? Why the final betrayal?

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Winstone actually has a very interesting take on this:

Ray Winstone said:

"When he's with the Russians, he thinks he's working for the good guys. And when he's with the good guys, he thinks he's working for the Russians. He's been a double agent so long, he's no longer sure which side he's really on...but he knows Indy's his mate."

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I like this account. But to deal with the rest of what you said...

The Soviets quite clearly came to him, knowing they needed Indy's expertise and knowing that Mac could help make that happen. My suspicion is that this is his first job for the Reds, precisely because of his personal connection. And he was easily bought, but once he knew a bit more about the mission, knew what a reward he could possibly come by once actually at Akator, he knew what he wanted. Who he double-crossed along the way - and how many times he did so - isn't foremost on his mind.

The real reason is that the Lucas and Spielberg wanted to highlight the idea of Cold War betrayal for money, which was a motivator for those who needed the money, while those who didn't need the money merely betrayed their country on ideological grounds.

Mac needed the money.

Montana Smith said:

The real reason is that the Lucas and Spielberg wanted to highlight the idea of Cold War betrayal for money, which was a motivator for those who needed the money, while those who didn't need the money merely betrayed their country on ideological grounds.

Mac needed the money.

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I saw it twofold:

One, Indy being betrayed by friends in the name of greed is a popular theme among the entire series. "You chose the wrong friends. This time, it will cost you."

Two, the whole betrayal/not knowing who to trust thing is a staple of 1950's cinema because of the McCarthy Era - the Red Scare. This came from the whole thing about blacklisting and "naming names" - who was a Communist, who wasn't? There was fear about Russian spies. So clearly it was a time of paranoia............as Dean Stanforth tells Indy, "You have reason to question your friends these days."

I think Mac's betrayal is a piece of bitter irony in the Soviet's favor. By paying Mac in cash to betray Indy it exposes the fatal flaw of capitalism as opposed to socialism-greed! It?s as if the Russian's are saying "we can by each and every one of you if we wanted to and you can't do of the likes to us!" I think, for me anyway, that this is another social undertone to Crystal Skull that is brilliant!

Anyway, back on the subject I think Mac, like Belloq, was payed by the Russians. In this case to forcefully get Indy's help to find Akator. I don't think Mac had even considered Akator before KotCS. And even if he had: get paid to find it with the Russians or don't get paid to find it with Indy, who does have a track record of not getting the artifact in the end!