Although the jungle cutter only made a minor appearance in KotCS, I think it was a pretty cool vehicle that had a lot of potential in being used for a spectacular action scene involving Indy and the Soviets.
I've got two questions: was a real life jungle cutter used by either the Soviet or U.S. military during the 1950s?
Secondly, why didn't Spielberg use more of the jungle cutter in this movie? I feel like it had a ton of potential in terms of action and gruesome death scenes. Earlier today I was reading the jungle cutter section of the Indiana Jones wiki page, and it claims that an alternate scene for the jungle chase was considered but never filmed which would've featured the jungle cutter as the central action piece of the chase. Is it true that the following excerpt was considered by Spielberg at one time, but for some reason scrapped later on in the film making process?
Unused Scene- source Jungle Cutter Indiana Jones Wiki page
There is a cut of this scene which is never filmed or used. Where Indy tries to hijack the vehicle without destroying it with a soviet RPG, he instead follows it from truck to truck fighting the Soviet soldiers. Colonel Antonin Dovchenko pursues Indy through the Convoy as Mutt and Marion stay behind with the truck that Indy cleared. Irina Spalko ignores the daring archaeologist and prefers to protect the Crystal Skull. When he is near the Jungle Cutter, he accidentally falls near the sawing chain; the driver ignores him and focuses on the path to Akator. Dovchenko commands his soldiers to kill Dr. Jones; they jumped and climbed to the vehicle while many others stayed in their trucks.
Some eventually begin to fire their AK-47 at Indy when he is trying stay on the dangerous cutter. Indy kicks and punches the Soviet soldiers in front the driver's view. Some fall to their death or being cut into threads from the Jungle Cutter's saws. The colonel fights Indy with a close to close brawl. This fight is very hard to manage, because branches, leaves, and dust will fly around the cutter. Indy gives the colonel a full swing, before he falls down again, this time near the saws. Dovchenko smiles, he slams his foot onto Indy's hands, as he hangs on for dear life. Dirt and wet grass grinds Indy's shoes. Unknowing the dangers of the trees, Dovchenko was knocked out from a long branch when it was cut off. He blinks and wakes up in dizziness. Indy struggles again and makes it by pulling up. Dovchenko shouts out a curse in Russian and he jabs Indy in the face. More Russian soldiers begin to climb up the Jungle Cutter as ordered from Irina.
Marion Ravenwood tries to help Indy, he ordered her son, Mutt to find a RPG and to destroy one of the Soviet's troop transport trucks. Mutt aimed carefully and fired on one of the trucks, the explosion stopped some of the convoy and killed many soldiers. Mutt cheers and Marion is relieved. Russian soldiers open fired on Dr. Jones on the Jungle Cutter. Dovchenko tells the soldiers to stop firing, because he too might be shot. Indy uses his whip and cracks it to one of the soldiers, he cracks it again and it grabs a soldier's neck, Indy pulls his whip to him and punches the Soviet soldier in the face, causing the soldier fall over the cutter. Other Russian Soldiers dodge the foliage, some even fell off. Indy wipes his forehand; Dovchenko laughs, he then does a headbutt on Indy's face. He is stunned, but shakes it off. Indy kicks the colonel in the shins, he cries in pain.
Dovchenko becomes outraged, he quickly grabs Indy by the neck and drops his body down to the cold hard surface of the vehicle. Indy's face is bleeding from his nose and mouth, he gags when the large colonel choked Indy. When the colonel brings Indy closer to the spinning razor chains, Indy outsmarts the Russian by putting his leg on the man's stomach, he swings his leg bringing the colonel to fall over him. Indy looks away, the razor chain cuts Dovchenko several times, ripping his uniform and skin, before sliding down to the two spinning saws cutting his body into pieces, some of his body parts fly out and blood splatters on the vehicle.
Indy sighs and lays low on the Jungle Cutter. Irina is shocked to see her second-in-command killed by Indiana Jones. Marion Ravenwood and Mutt Williams steers away from the Russian Convey, Indy sees their truck, Indy decides to wait for a opening in the Jungle. Within a quick minute, Indy uses his Bullwhip to swing across the dense trees. He lands on top of the truck, his clothes are covered with blood, sweat, dirt, and green stains. Irina follows Indy's stolen Soviet truck, as they make a run for Akator without Mac.
I've got two questions: was a real life jungle cutter used by either the Soviet or U.S. military during the 1950s?
Secondly, why didn't Spielberg use more of the jungle cutter in this movie? I feel like it had a ton of potential in terms of action and gruesome death scenes. Earlier today I was reading the jungle cutter section of the Indiana Jones wiki page, and it claims that an alternate scene for the jungle chase was considered but never filmed which would've featured the jungle cutter as the central action piece of the chase. Is it true that the following excerpt was considered by Spielberg at one time, but for some reason scrapped later on in the film making process?
Unused Scene- source Jungle Cutter Indiana Jones Wiki page
There is a cut of this scene which is never filmed or used. Where Indy tries to hijack the vehicle without destroying it with a soviet RPG, he instead follows it from truck to truck fighting the Soviet soldiers. Colonel Antonin Dovchenko pursues Indy through the Convoy as Mutt and Marion stay behind with the truck that Indy cleared. Irina Spalko ignores the daring archaeologist and prefers to protect the Crystal Skull. When he is near the Jungle Cutter, he accidentally falls near the sawing chain; the driver ignores him and focuses on the path to Akator. Dovchenko commands his soldiers to kill Dr. Jones; they jumped and climbed to the vehicle while many others stayed in their trucks.
Some eventually begin to fire their AK-47 at Indy when he is trying stay on the dangerous cutter. Indy kicks and punches the Soviet soldiers in front the driver's view. Some fall to their death or being cut into threads from the Jungle Cutter's saws. The colonel fights Indy with a close to close brawl. This fight is very hard to manage, because branches, leaves, and dust will fly around the cutter. Indy gives the colonel a full swing, before he falls down again, this time near the saws. Dovchenko smiles, he slams his foot onto Indy's hands, as he hangs on for dear life. Dirt and wet grass grinds Indy's shoes. Unknowing the dangers of the trees, Dovchenko was knocked out from a long branch when it was cut off. He blinks and wakes up in dizziness. Indy struggles again and makes it by pulling up. Dovchenko shouts out a curse in Russian and he jabs Indy in the face. More Russian soldiers begin to climb up the Jungle Cutter as ordered from Irina.
Marion Ravenwood tries to help Indy, he ordered her son, Mutt to find a RPG and to destroy one of the Soviet's troop transport trucks. Mutt aimed carefully and fired on one of the trucks, the explosion stopped some of the convoy and killed many soldiers. Mutt cheers and Marion is relieved. Russian soldiers open fired on Dr. Jones on the Jungle Cutter. Dovchenko tells the soldiers to stop firing, because he too might be shot. Indy uses his whip and cracks it to one of the soldiers, he cracks it again and it grabs a soldier's neck, Indy pulls his whip to him and punches the Soviet soldier in the face, causing the soldier fall over the cutter. Other Russian Soldiers dodge the foliage, some even fell off. Indy wipes his forehand; Dovchenko laughs, he then does a headbutt on Indy's face. He is stunned, but shakes it off. Indy kicks the colonel in the shins, he cries in pain.
Dovchenko becomes outraged, he quickly grabs Indy by the neck and drops his body down to the cold hard surface of the vehicle. Indy's face is bleeding from his nose and mouth, he gags when the large colonel choked Indy. When the colonel brings Indy closer to the spinning razor chains, Indy outsmarts the Russian by putting his leg on the man's stomach, he swings his leg bringing the colonel to fall over him. Indy looks away, the razor chain cuts Dovchenko several times, ripping his uniform and skin, before sliding down to the two spinning saws cutting his body into pieces, some of his body parts fly out and blood splatters on the vehicle.
Indy sighs and lays low on the Jungle Cutter. Irina is shocked to see her second-in-command killed by Indiana Jones. Marion Ravenwood and Mutt Williams steers away from the Russian Convey, Indy sees their truck, Indy decides to wait for a opening in the Jungle. Within a quick minute, Indy uses his Bullwhip to swing across the dense trees. He lands on top of the truck, his clothes are covered with blood, sweat, dirt, and green stains. Irina follows Indy's stolen Soviet truck, as they make a run for Akator without Mac.