Indy rips his pants??

No Ticket

New member
I think that is a horribly done part of the movie because nobody really knows what the hell happened... and they sure didn't make it clear so it's their fault.

It's only kind of funny but then you ask yourself, why and you don't know and then it's more like... well that was lame.
 

QBComics

Active member
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Yeah it fell flat. Move on I guess...
 

Benraianajones

New member
I think the "oh ****" thing is the only part of the movie that really did not make much sense. I understand what they were aiming for, but it really makes not much sense on screen and with what is happening.
 

caats

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yuh i think if harrison had maybe done a little squirm like he was reaching for something it would have made more sense.
 

No Ticket

New member
I just figured it out! haha. It was a throwback to the TOD rope bridge cutting scene. Instead of Indy, Mutt says Oh $hit! and instead of cutting a rope bridge he cuts the ropes that are binding him... or the jacket... or the canvas in the jeep... or something.

Yeah! That's it!

How clever!!
 

indyclone25

Well-known member
has anyone read the book to see if that scene is told and how was it written ? cause i have the book and the audio book and still havent touched either ---lol
 

The Magic Rat

New member
I also have to agree with some of the earlier posts. Indy opens the knife and we audibly hear fabric ripping. Indy (probably) stabbed the tarp behind him but Mutt's initial reaction is, "Oh ****, did he seriously just stab himself because he's so old he has no idea how to use a switch blade?!" Even Indy's initial reaction is "that didn't sound good..." before he realizes that everything is fine and gets back to the escape. Makes sense kinda, right?

It's a (semi)funny joke that was just not pulled off well. If you have to think about it and it's STILL interpretive, it's definitely an error on the production side.
 

The Magic Rat

New member
indyclone25 said:
has anyone read the book to see if that scene is told and how was it written ? cause i have the book and the audio book and still havent touched either ---lol

Know what? I don't even remember reading that part. I'll go look it up now though, give me a few minutes. Perhaps that can solve this dilemma. That was a stroke of brilliance, indyclone25.
 

The Magic Rat

New member
Aaaaand here's your answer: skipped over.

Page 197 of KOTCS by James Rollins:

Indy called over to Mutt. "Still got that switchblade you stuffed in your boot back at the cemetery?"
Mutt Grinned.
Indy matched his expression. "Now, there's a good boy."



Indy leaned over Marion, the switchblade in his hands.


Sooooooo that leaves me guessing one of two things. Either Rollins thought it was a stupid gag and ditched it, or it was a last minute addition that they thought would be funny and thus was stuffed in. That would explain why it's poorly executed.;)
 

nitzsche

New member
Let's not assume it had to be his pants ripping. It could have been his jacket. The point was that "something" ripped back there.

It would have been funny to show the rip after the fact.
 

chr0n0naut

New member
The Magic Rat said:
I also have to agree with some of the earlier posts. Indy opens the knife and we audibly hear fabric ripping. Indy (probably) stabbed the tarp behind him but Mutt's initial reaction is, "Oh ****, did he seriously just stab himself because he's so old he has no idea how to use a switch blade?!" Even Indy's initial reaction is "that didn't sound good..." before he realizes that everything is fine and gets back to the escape. Makes sense kinda, right?

It's a (semi)funny joke that was just not pulled off well. If you have to think about it and it's STILL interpretive, it's definitely an error on the production side.

This is the best explanation I've heard so far. Although Mutt didn't seem to be annoyed at Indy when he said "oh ****". But still it seems to fit.

Someone else said he may have ripped his satchel but he wasn't wearing it at the time so I don't think that is an option.

As for him tearing the tarp behind him and Mutt thinking the knife feel out, that makes no sense. We cannot see well enough what is behind Indy and even if it DID pierce the tarp there would be no reason for Mutt to think that Indy wasn't still holding the knife. It is ok that Indy ripped the tarp but Mutt wouldn't have said what he said coz he thought Indy dropped the knife.

Oh and well done for the KotCS haters for sneaking your comments into another thread yet again. We had forgotten that some people didn't like the movie. We really had. And it was refreshing to hear you surface once again to slag the movie off. But maybe, JUST MAYBE, this time we will remember so you can stop reminding us over and over again of your opinion. So please, if I want your opinion on the film, I will ask. If I don't ask, complain to someone else or start your own thread.
 
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Darth Vile

New member
chr0n0naut said:
This is the best explanation I've heard so far. Although Mutt didn't seem to be annoyed at Indy when he said "oh ****". But still it seems to fit.

Someone else said he may have ripped his satchel but he wasn't wearing it at the time so I don't think that is an option.

As for him tearing the tarp behind him and Mutt thinking the knife feel out, that makes no sense. We cannot see well enough what is behind Indy and even if it DID pierce the tarp there would be no reason for Mutt to think that Indy wasn't still holding the knife. It is ok that Indy ripped the tarp but Mutt wouldn't have said what he said coz he thought Indy dropped the knife.

I always thought that the moment was simply referencing the Indy/Henry Jones Senior lighter gag from TLC i.e. when Henry Jones Senior burns himself. As such, I found it to be a nice little nod towards that TLC scene (if indeed that was the intention).

If not, I’m perhaps imbuing the movie with qualities that are not necessarily there ;)
 

Udvarnoky

Well-known member
It was a failed gag, simple as that. It should have been cut, but the fact that it wasn't doesn't hurt anything.
 

chr0n0naut

New member
Udvarnoky said:
It was a failed gag, simple as that. It should have been cut, but the fact that it wasn't doesn't hurt anything.

Yeah I agree. But the problem is I can't even figure out what the gag was MEANT to be.

What we know is this:
- Indy ripped something
- Mutt thought the result of that was bad

That something was not his pants clearly. So it must have been something else, of no consequence - the tarp or something.

If Mutt knew it was of no consequence he would have said nothing.

Therefore Mutt thought something had gone wrong. But what are the possibilites?:
a) he thought Indy ripped his pants
b) he thought he ripped the tarp and dropped and knife

b is not likely as we have no reason, as the audience, to think that sound indicates a dropped knife. We DO however immediately think "uh-oh he ripped his pants" making it the most likely explanation.

But then why does it seem so strange? Because of Indy's reaction. You'd expect him to smile, or say something like "na that wasn't my pants" or something to that effect. But he doesn't.

He frowns and gets on with it, which I think is where the audience gets lost. He acts pretty much the same as he would if his pants had really been cut. So without anything to negate the ripping sound, we as the audience, get confused.

I think that's the best over the top, got-nothing-better-to-do-with-his-time-than-think-about-harrison-fords-pants analysis I can give. :p
 

Darth Vile

New member
chr0n0naut said:
Yeah I agree. But the problem is I can't even figure out what the gag was MEANT to be.

What we know is this:
- Indy ripped something
- Mutt thought the result of that was bad

That something was not his pants clearly. So it must have been something else, of no consequence - the tarp or something.

If Mutt knew it was of no consequence he would have said nothing.

Therefore Mutt thought something had gone wrong. But what are the possibilites?:
a) he thought Indy ripped his pants
b) he thought he ripped the tarp and dropped and knife

b is not likely as we have no reason, as the audience, to think that sound indicates a dropped knife. We DO however immediately think "uh-oh he ripped his pants" making it the most likely explanation.

But then why does it seem so strange? Because of Indy's reaction. You'd expect him to smile, or say something like "na that wasn't my pants" or something to that effect. But he doesn't.

He frowns and gets on with it, which I think is where the audience gets lost. He acts pretty much the same as he would if his pants had really been cut. So without anything to negate the ripping sound, we as the audience, get confused.

I think that's the best over the top, got-nothing-better-to-do-with-his-time-than-think-about-harrison-fords-pants analysis I can give. :p

I think we're over analysing the moment far too much. As highlighted above, I saw it as simply a reference to TLC... but even if you can't infer the reference, I think the moment is supposed to elicit an "Oops!" response. It does fall flat a little; but it's largely unimportant…
 

tambourineman

New member
I never understood the confusion over this, I thought it was pretty simple.

The knife was closed when Mutt kicked it to Indy, Indy was fumbling with it with his hands tied behind his back and accidentaly made it flick open (and anyone whose handled one of them knows, you dont want to spring it open unexpectedly near any vital body parts!) we hear a ripping noise, Indy looks worried for a second, and Mutt assumes Indy has stabbed/sliced himself with the knife, making him say "Oh ****", but then we discover that, in classic Indy fashion, his fumble has inadvertantly cut the rope and set him free.

That was my take on it anyway. I dont see what else it could have been. I think maybe the thing thats at fault here is the actual sound effect which sounds like pants tearing.
 

Zealot

New member
Wow, this thread again?
It is just further proof that people don't understand this scene and never will. It should be deleted, along with many others.

However, talking about switchblades, there is another scene that I never understood. It is when Indy and Mutt are in the Orianna's tomb and Indy finds this golden dagger and he takes it, saying something like: I will return it.
I always thought that he took it for his private collection or to put it in a museum, but later, he actually returns it. So, why did he picked it up in the first place, especially since he didn't use it?
 
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