I've noticed that in each successive Indiana Jones film Indy uses his whip less and less. He barley uses it in KotCS. My count is as follows:
Raiders:
1. Indy's initial reveal where he whips the gun out the guides hand
2. Whips across the chasm with Satipo
3. Whips the poker from Tohts hand in the Raven
4. Defends himself with the whip in the market place
5. Snags the Anubis statue to break through the wall in the Well of Souls
6. Snags the underside of the truck
Temple:
1. Whips the assassins neck and then hangs him
2. Swings on the elephant statue to get over the lava
3. Snags a lamp while fighting thugee on the walkway
4. Disarms a thugee swordsman
5. Whips Willie at the end
Crusade:
1. Whips the lion before throwing it up to Fedora to pull him out
2. Swings into Henry Senior's room
3. Saves Henry Senior on the tank
Crystal:
1. Disarms Russian (Mac catches the gun)
2. Just misses Spalko's jeep
3. Tries to save Mac
Ok so maybe Crusade and Crystal have the same amount but there's a definite pattern.
I'm sure I've missed one somewhere (and will be gutted when you all remind me) but does anyone wish Indy used his whip a bit more in KotCS?
Location: midlothian Illinois just south of chicago
Posts: 3,375
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdm_jib
'Snags a lamp while fighting thugee on the walkway'
is this where he has the fight on the conveyor belt? if not doesnt he use it then.
also doesnt he use it on the boat in the opening part of LC?
when indy is running on the scafolding in the temple caverns he uses his whip to swing from one to another ------and in last crusade indy uses a line from the ship to swing into the water in the beginning of lc
I noticed that when Indy comes out of the refrigerator, his whip has come off his belt so when he climbs the hill to view the mushroom cloud, he has it in his right hand. They don't show him pick it up, but he does.
There were promo shots of him in silhouette with the whip in hand looking at the mushroom cloud, so this may be the reason why.
Then, of course, the infamous cemetery warrior fight he uses it, but it was cut.
I wonder if there were other circumstances where he used it, but they were cut. It seems strange to have Ford train for seven weeks with the whip only to cut some of the whip action.
KotCS is front-loaded with a lot of the Indy traditions. I guess they couldn't come up with good uses for the whip during the jungle chase. I'm glad they avoided the type of contrived use we got in LC on the tank though.
One thing I laugh at though is the fact that after Indy swings and misses Spalko's jeep and knocks the two soldiers out of the truck, his whip is instantly coiled and back on his belt when he jumps onto Spalko's vehicle just seconds later.
Then, of course, the infamous cemetery warrior fight he uses it, but it was cut.
I've been thinking about this and I have a theory. I believe in the cut scene Mutt throws his switchblade at one of the cemetary warriors, hitting him in the arm or something. The warrior pulls it out, then threatens Mutt with it, at which point Indy whips it out of his hand. What if they chose to cut this part due to the concerns about knife violence in Britain? It would have been the only scene where Mutt actually attacks anyone with his switchblade so it would make sense.
It's a shame as it would have been a great bit, especially the part afterwards where Mutt stares in shock at the blood on his knife. I know Spielberg isn't known for re-inserting scenes or including deleted scenes on his DVDs, but I really, really hope he makes an exception in this case.
I've been thinking about this and I have a theory. I believe in the cut scene Mutt throws his switchblade at one of the cemetary warriors, hitting him in the arm or something. The warrior pulls it out, then threatens Mutt with it, at which point Indy whips it out of his hand. What if they chose to cut this part due to the concerns about knife violence in Britain? It would have been the only scene where Mutt actually attacks anyone with his switchblade so it would make sense.
It's a shame as it would have been a great bit, especially the part afterwards where Mutt stares in shock at the blood on his knife. I know Spielberg isn't known for re-inserting scenes or including deleted scenes on his DVDs, but I really, really hope he makes an exception in this case.
That would be nice...I mean, even if it wasn't announced and they just stuck it back in, what a surprise that would be? I don't think anyone except us fans would notice or care.
im hoping that if speilberg sticks to his word that this film truely was 'for the fans' he'll do a 2 disc set, one with the cinema release and one with the fans edit with a few nice suprises.
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True...
We can only hope he'll release the 2 Disc Special Ed. That would be a thrill. I also noticed that Indy didn't use the whip much either. I wish he would have. I do think a reason for this is that he doesn't even have his whip with him for most of the action scenes because he was hostage 3 times, or out of his Indy garb. But still that cemetery scene would have been so much cooler if he'd have whipped that guy.
While there are only three whip scenes in KOTCS, I think the shot where he swings down in the warehouse is awesome. One of the best whip scenes. Maybe because of how it's such a fluid and unique scene.
One thing I laugh at though is the fact that after Indy swings and misses Spalko's jeep and knocks the two soldiers out of the truck, his whip is instantly coiled and back on his belt when he jumps onto Spalko's vehicle just seconds later.
This is where the phrase "suspension of disbelief" is supposed to apply I think. After all he does a similar thing in ToD at one stage I think. But I noticed it too
I think it's just a case of the whip moving from 'unique weapon' to 'storytelling device'. It was fairly novel to see at the time of ROTLA, and audiences kind've expected more of the same in TOD. But by the time of LC, it was only used whenever the story demanded it.
I'm surprised they cut out the whip scene in Chauchilla Cemetery- especially since it featured prominently in the film's marketing. My guess is that it may have been a pacing issue. As it plays, the sequence is pretty fast-paced, with the warriors flipping in and out of view. Perhaps it just took too much time for Mutt to throw the switchblade, the warrior to retrieve it, and then Indy to use the whip to disarm him?
Of course, if it wasn't a pacing issue, I wouldn't mind seeing the footage reinstated. Not sure if Spielberg would do it, but didn't Lucas include a few extra bits for the prequel dvds?
Personally, Indy not using his whip is like Star Wars with the Jedi not using their lightsabers...I understand about the new/unique weapon in ROTLA, but it's still his "signature" weapon/tool...honestly, I don't really even consider the end of KOTCS where he throws it to Mac as really "using" it...I think that whole sequence is horribly paced and shot, with Mac "falling" and Indy tossing him the whip, but to each his own...
Anyway, in the novel he uses it quite a bit...one part in the novel he uses it, and it's also in the comic, is when the warriors are chasing them down the stairs of the temple outside, before Ox takes out the skull to scare back the warriors...Indy supposedly uses it to take down a warrior or 2...wonder if that was also filmed and not shown....
I wonder, if there were an Indy 5, if he would even use it but once or twice, and even take out his gun...I mean, isn't SS the one who replaced the guns with radios in the speciall edition of ET....ah well...count me in with hoping for unseen footage when KOTCS comes out on DVD, and maybe for all 4 movies when they eventually come out on Blu-Ray.
