Deadlock
New member
During a recent discussion regarding the various merits of each Indy film, the person I was talking to said, ?I can?t decide which is better, Raiders or Last Crusade. I think Raiders is a better movie, but I think I still like Last Crusade more.? I told to her that some people dismissed Last Crusade as a carbon copy of Raiders, and others bashed it for the seemingly farcical treatment of the Jones saga. As the conversation continued, we delved deeper into the ?Jones Formula? (another topic for another day) and the relationship between Raiders and Last Crusade.
Once we?d gotten past the obvious elements (Nazis in the desert, Judeo-Christian artifact, etc.), I came to the conclusion that the philosophical element of Last Crusade was profoundly different than that in Raiders (also another topic for another day).
After mulling it over, here?s what I came up with as the fundamental question in Last Crusade: Is what you believe true?
Just listening to the dialogue throughout the film, the question of belief is presented in those very terms. And if you widen the net to include lines with a few synonyms for ?belief? (?trust? and ?faith?), there are even more references.
?Do you believe, Marcus??
?At my age, I?m prepared to take a few things on faith.?
?I believe in the Grail, not the swastika.?
?It?s time to ask yourself what you believe.?
?You must believe, boy. You must... believe.?
?Elsa never really believed in the Grail.?
?Trust me.? (amusing, becuase this time it's said by Jones Sr.)
Besides the most obvious manifestation (the Grail itself) Last Crusade is full of moments requiring choice based upon belief. At several junctures, there are two options presented. The character in that moment is given the choice to believe one of them to be true and to act upon this belief. Each of these moments requires a ?leap of faith,? some explicit and some implicit. (The obvious culmination of this theme comes when Indy steps out into the chasm and in the choice of Grails.) Following that leap of faith, we see this in a moment of truth that makes the answer clear.
One example of an implicit decision is found in both Joneses trusting Donovan. Both father and son are somewhat surprised that their employer is really a bad guy. This revelation immediately follows a much more explicit decision and surprising moment of truth, as Elsa reveals her true allegiances. In this scene, Indy is presented with two options: believe his father or the pretty girl. To me, this scene foreshadows the later Grail choice scene. In both scenes, there is a seemingly life and death consequences, and a bystander offering advice. In one case, the bystander offers the truth, and in the second a lie. One of the most visual moments of choice is at the crossroads scene following the motorcycle chase. Here, Indy is given the choice of following the ?easy? road or the ?hard road." Perhaps, he remembered the recent mistake of ignoring his father?s advice regarding Elsa. In this scene, the consequences of Indy?s choice aren?t immediate or as readily apparent as others. However, because he chose the way he did, he was prepared to face ?the final challenge.? Had he taken the easy road? Who can say what would have happened to our intrepid hero? One of more implicit choices and moments of revelation happen aboard the Zeppelin. Here we are presented with two conflicting accounts of Indy?s childhood. I believe that this was a moment of truth for Jones Sr. (eventually culminated in the post-tank-crash reunion). Finally, Elsa echoes Donovan?s mistake by choosing incorrectly when presented with the choice of following the knight?s warning or not. Once again, another profound moment as Indy nearly repeats her mistake, but is called back and saved by listening to his father.
Though I won?t outline my ideas on the philosophy of Raiders, I will say that Last Crusade is much more ?black and white? than Raiders is. That point notwithstanding, in Last Crusade we see Indiana Jones not as a white knight who has all the right answers but very much as the ?grey? character struggling through each decision. Taking this viewpoint and applying it to real life could make any number of different aims. (And to those not of a religious persuasion, I doubt that some of the more obvious extrapolations would be very palatable.) Regardless, I think that is important to note that Last Crusade is a strong challenge to a relativistic world. The choice we make have consequences. Be careful who you trust and listen to. There is true and false, right and wrong. (Just ask Walter Donovan?
)
Once we?d gotten past the obvious elements (Nazis in the desert, Judeo-Christian artifact, etc.), I came to the conclusion that the philosophical element of Last Crusade was profoundly different than that in Raiders (also another topic for another day).
After mulling it over, here?s what I came up with as the fundamental question in Last Crusade: Is what you believe true?
Just listening to the dialogue throughout the film, the question of belief is presented in those very terms. And if you widen the net to include lines with a few synonyms for ?belief? (?trust? and ?faith?), there are even more references.
?Do you believe, Marcus??
?At my age, I?m prepared to take a few things on faith.?
?I believe in the Grail, not the swastika.?
?It?s time to ask yourself what you believe.?
?You must believe, boy. You must... believe.?
?Elsa never really believed in the Grail.?
?Trust me.? (amusing, becuase this time it's said by Jones Sr.)
Besides the most obvious manifestation (the Grail itself) Last Crusade is full of moments requiring choice based upon belief. At several junctures, there are two options presented. The character in that moment is given the choice to believe one of them to be true and to act upon this belief. Each of these moments requires a ?leap of faith,? some explicit and some implicit. (The obvious culmination of this theme comes when Indy steps out into the chasm and in the choice of Grails.) Following that leap of faith, we see this in a moment of truth that makes the answer clear.
One example of an implicit decision is found in both Joneses trusting Donovan. Both father and son are somewhat surprised that their employer is really a bad guy. This revelation immediately follows a much more explicit decision and surprising moment of truth, as Elsa reveals her true allegiances. In this scene, Indy is presented with two options: believe his father or the pretty girl. To me, this scene foreshadows the later Grail choice scene. In both scenes, there is a seemingly life and death consequences, and a bystander offering advice. In one case, the bystander offers the truth, and in the second a lie. One of the most visual moments of choice is at the crossroads scene following the motorcycle chase. Here, Indy is given the choice of following the ?easy? road or the ?hard road." Perhaps, he remembered the recent mistake of ignoring his father?s advice regarding Elsa. In this scene, the consequences of Indy?s choice aren?t immediate or as readily apparent as others. However, because he chose the way he did, he was prepared to face ?the final challenge.? Had he taken the easy road? Who can say what would have happened to our intrepid hero? One of more implicit choices and moments of revelation happen aboard the Zeppelin. Here we are presented with two conflicting accounts of Indy?s childhood. I believe that this was a moment of truth for Jones Sr. (eventually culminated in the post-tank-crash reunion). Finally, Elsa echoes Donovan?s mistake by choosing incorrectly when presented with the choice of following the knight?s warning or not. Once again, another profound moment as Indy nearly repeats her mistake, but is called back and saved by listening to his father.
Though I won?t outline my ideas on the philosophy of Raiders, I will say that Last Crusade is much more ?black and white? than Raiders is. That point notwithstanding, in Last Crusade we see Indiana Jones not as a white knight who has all the right answers but very much as the ?grey? character struggling through each decision. Taking this viewpoint and applying it to real life could make any number of different aims. (And to those not of a religious persuasion, I doubt that some of the more obvious extrapolations would be very palatable.) Regardless, I think that is important to note that Last Crusade is a strong challenge to a relativistic world. The choice we make have consequences. Be careful who you trust and listen to. There is true and false, right and wrong. (Just ask Walter Donovan?
)
Last edited:
You have expressed the reason why I love Last Crusade so much. 
