Best Villain Moment

In all of the Indy Movies there is at least one scene where we the audience gets to see how truly evil and vile the villain actually is. For me these are some of the best scenes in the movies as I'm one who loves to hate the villain.

My favourite villain moment is when Donovan shoots Henry then tells Elsa to 'get back' when she tries to help. This is followed by Donovan's 'villain speech'.

What do all of you think?

I love Toht's appearance at the Raven. Pure evil leading up to the moment when he's about to burn Marion with the poker. It's only natural that his justice should come at the end with a complete facial melt!

This:


And this:

I'm with Montana Smith. That moment solidified him as evil, and made it clear exactly how evil from the very start. Ronny Lacey's finest (and creepiest) moment.

By comparison, I found Donavan's "slow reveal" to take some of the punch out of that moment when he shoots Henry. Although, you feel it right where you should. Still, it feels less like a measure of evil, more like the display of total lack of concern for anyone else. Some would call that evil, but it lacks the passion of Toht's evil.

Oh I agree with that. But I see it as two different types of evil. Toht was sadistic and cruel while Donovan was objective and ruthless. Toht enforced people while Donovan used people. I think it?s a good thing that the series didn?t use Toht as an archetype for all the villains. Character traits are far more effective when they differ from others.

Raiders: Toht's first appearance the the Raven
Temple: Mola Ram ripping the poor sap's heart out
Crusade: "Because you didn't take my advice."
Crystal: Um ... not sure. Let me get back to you on that.

They're all good moments, but I'm a big fan of the manipulative, puppet-master villains, I'm going to go with the reveal of Donovan's allegiance in Last Crusade. Before I knew everything there is to know about the movie, it was a real, "Oh, fuuuuuuuu ..." and a great villain moment.

Well, after a long abscence from the board, I suppose I'll put my two cents in...
Raiders: Dietrich motioning for the truck driver to speed up so as to crush Indy between the two vehicals. There's never much love for Dietrich out there, but I think that moment is pure cruelty
Temple: Mola Ram pulling his own man off the bridge as he climbs up
Crusade: Vogel had tons of these during the Tank Chase! The shovel, garroting Indy with the chain, trying to crush Indy against a wall...
Skull: I'd say...Irina's tossing the monkey of the cliff. Sadly, that's the most evil I can think of from that film

AnythingGoes said:

Skull: I'd say...Irina's tossing the monkey of the cliff. Sadly, that's the most evil I can think of from that film

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that's more evil than irina messing with ox's mind by forcing him to look in the skull?

AnythingGoes said:

Raiders: Dietrich motioning for the truck driver to speed up so as to crush Indy between the two vehicals. There's never much love for Dietrich out there, but I think that moment is pure cruelty

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Yeah, Colonel D. should get his props for being a Superior Bastard.

Dietrich is pretty evil in the Bantu Wind scene:



"What about Jones?!"

Wolf Kahler always reminded me a bit of Anton Diffring, the actor who played so many evil German officers.



And also Michael Schumacher, who should have gone into acting and stepped into Diffring's jackboots.



Though, Dietrich seems like an officer so duty bound to his mission that he's lost sight of ethical concerns. In the same way that Belloq was obsessed with success, so that nothing could stand in his way.

Toht, on the other hand just enjoyed being sadistic.



Even at the end he laughs sadistically as the Ark reveals it contains only sand. To me he represents the kind of evil thug who joined the Nazi Party, not out of ideology, but because it gave them an opportunity to enact their darkest desires...

I was talking to a friend about this thread - a friend who is not really an "Indy Fan" but considers them good enough movies. However, he really likes Temple of Doom, and it's the only one he's attracted to. He told me his favorite villain moment, and it struck me as such a subtle and unusual choice, I had to post it.

Chatar Lal - in the Palace, at dinner; The Maharaja breaks into the conversation about the Thugee, says his piece, then looks to Chatar Lal. A brief, silent exchange occurs there, and a nod that may be more than what it seems. My friend sees this as the best example of evil in that movie. Lal (or those he represents) has so much power over the Maharaja, that he can be controlled in the immediate without saying or doing anything to him. Such is the grip on the slaves' will, and such is the nature of the evil that runs through the whole movie.

I never really thought about that moment in such terms, but I found his read interesting.

Chewbacca Jones said:

I was talking to a friend about this thread - a friend who is not really an "Indy Fan" but considers them good enough movies. However, he really likes Temple of Doom, and it's the only one he's attracted to. He told me his favorite villain moment, and it struck me as such a subtle and unusual choice, I had to post it.

Chatar Lal - in the Palace, at dinner; The Maharaja breaks into the conversation about the Thugee, says his piece, then looks to Chatar Lal. A brief, silent exchange occurs there, and a nod that may be more than what it seems. My friend sees this as the best example of evil in that movie. Lal (or those he represents) has so much power over the Maharaja, that he can be controlled in the immediate without saying or doing anything to him. Such is the grip on the slaves' will, and such is the nature of the evil that runs through the whole movie.

I never really thought about that moment in such terms, but I found his read interesting.

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That's such a fascinating choice. I'd love to hear more of what your friend thinks about the movies.

Mola Ram calling Indy's bluff on the bridge.
Drop them Dr. Jones. They will be found...you won't!

After thinking about it, the above post is my favorite moment. Mola Ram is a smart dude for remembering that detail.

I have to say that there are many moments that I love personally,

Raiders: For me, it's Belloqs talk with Indy in the Cairo bar. Just when Indy asks about "What about your boss? Der Furher? I thought he was waiting to take possession?" And Belloq looks around. His evil is one that he's willing to screw with Hitler to get what he wants. No matter the cost he wants the artifact for himself. And it's only solidified at the end when he explains to Deitrich about opening the ark in Berlin. His smirk as he walks away says it all for me.
Temple- I will have to agree with the above statement of Lal nodding to the maharajah. Just the whole way he conducts himself at that table. You see him plotting Indy's death as he asks Lal all these questions. It's just an amazing preview of who he is.
Crusade- Donovans look at Henry when he says that he figured Donovan would sell his soul and that speech. He just smirks and shrugs it off as if to say, "yeah, so what about it?" That to me is evil. That he doesn't even care that he did that. No concience whatsoever.
Skull- It's tough as Spalko doesn't really do anything to cement her evil status. The only real thing is that she hesitates in putting the bag over the skulls head when Indy is staring into it. she wants him to keep looking, even if it turns him crazy like Ox. That's the only hint of her real evil. To me anyway.

The SS-Standartenführer slapping Sean Connery with his glove and dry-humping Harrison Ford on his tank.

Von Stalhein said:

The SS-Standartenführer slapping Sean Connery with his glove and dry-humping Harrison Ford on his tank.

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In terms of villainous acts, it wasn't quite in the league of Deliverance. (Squeal like a piggy!)

Montana Smith said:

In terms of villainous acts, it wasn't quite in the league of Deliverance. (Squeal like a piggy!)

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Do you mean the film Deliverance?
What about the scene in which he impatiently asks for permission to kill the Joneses and subsequently punches them in the face with his leather-gloved fist or the one in which he screams the order to squish Jones between the rockface and his tank to his driver in an effeminate high-pitched voice.

IndyMac said:

Crusade- Donovans look at Henry when he says that he figured Donovan would sell his soul and that speech. He just smirks and shrugs it off as if to say, "yeah, so what about it?" That to me is evil. That he doesn't even care that he did that. No concience whatsoever.

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Maybe he just finds it funny that Henry believes in the concept of a "soul". Then again, if he was looking for the grail he probably was a theist and believed in it himself.

Von Stalhein said:

Do you mean the film Deliverance?

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Specifically the scene with Ned Beatty being forced to "squeal like a piggy" - as a comparison to Vogel's dry humping of Indy on the tank.

Von Stalhein said:

What about the scene in which he impatiently asks for permission to kill the Joneses and subsequently punches them in the face with his leather-gloved fist or the one in which he screams the order to squish Jones between the rockface and his tank to his driver in an effeminate high-pitched voice.

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I don't think these acts are in the same league of evil as Toht's interrogation of Marion in the Raven. Just like Toht, Vogel was one of the more stereotypical characters, as a swaggering, sadistic SS officer. The difference between their actions was that Indy entered the dragon's lair and faced an expected battle; whereas Toht entered the Raven and proceeded to torture the helpless Marion.

There just seems to be something more villainous about Toht than Vogel, in the actions we se them uindertake.