KOTCS: FAQ Thread

[sandiegojones]

Does Indy suggest at some point that the Skull itself isn't actually crystal..? I think it's when Mutt's switchblade is pulled towards it...*



*Apologies if this constitutes a really dumb question...

No, he just states that crystal isn't magnetic which calls into question it's origins.

 

[the ox]

the weird bit where indy seems to stab himself with the switchblade?!?!

anyone "get" that bit?

 

[WeAreGoingToDie]

I had thought Mutt and Marion thought the switchblade cut and fell through the canvas of the truck, losing the knife and their chance of escape. But yeah, it's a joke (?) that falls flat, or just gets confused.

 

[EvilDevo]

I still have no idea on that one.

A possibility: Indy cut the rope and looked at Mutt in a sort of "are you ready, kid?" ... and Mutt responded with a "here we go..."

My question:

How did Orellana and his men steal the skull from Akator if you need a skull in the first place to gain entrance to the throne room?

 

[WeAreGoingToDie]

How did Orellana and his men steal the skull from Akator if you need a skull in the first place to gain entrance to the throne room?

Perhaps the throne room was open at the time of Orellana, and grabbing the skull triggered the door to close causing Orellana and his men to make a break for the door, taking with them the skull they had removed (explaining why they only took one skull and not all of them or a full skeleton). Perhaps after this, Orellana and his men were chased away from the temple by the natives, made it as far as the region of the graveyard and died in a fight with each other over the skull. Locals found their bodies and buried them deep in the tomb with what they believed to be a cursed skull. Oof!

 

[Udvarnoky]

Perhaps the throne room was open at the time of Orellana, and grabbing the skull triggered the door to close causing Orellana and his men to make a break for the door, taking with them the skull they had removed (explaining why they only took one skull and not all of them or a full skeleton).

I find it easier to believe that after the Spaniards left, the natives "reset" all of the machinery and booby traps. This of course would also explain the staircase and the obelisk. I doubt the Spaniards had any trouble with the natives after looting the skull, at least if their reaction to it was the same as it was when Indy and co. went to Akator.

I think the real difficult part to understand is why the Nazca indians seemingly didn't care about or didn't notice the crystal skull when they came across the conquistadors' corpses and just buried it with Orellana. A whole thread has been devoted to this mystery.

 

[WeAreGoingToDie]

Where does the name Akator originate from, Lucas/Spielberg's brains or history?

 

[Udvarnoky]

It comes from the legend of Akakor, which you can read a little about here.

The story behind Indy4 is actually pretty strong, and is an interesting and entertaining hodgepodge of a bunch of different myths and legends. It's actually pretty clever how Lucas ties in the Roswell aliens to the lost city of gold and the Nazca lines and Chariots of Gods type theories, etc. The problem was in the screenplay, the storytelling, which is when it's all said and done what really matters. (I know I sound like a broken record at this point.)

 

[sandiegojones]

My question:

How did Orellana and his men steal the skull from Akator if you need a skull in the first place to gain entrance to the throne room?

I thought that perhaps the aliens were still alive at the time or that the Ugha willingly brought the Spaniards into the temple before it was sealed with booby traps. Based on history of Aztecs and Mayans the natives likely welcomed the Spanish, but the Spaniards got greedy tried to take thier treasure. The Ughas could have locked the temple and then the Spanish broke in knowing what was inside. The Spaniards escaped, got caught and were killed and later entombed in the Chaucilla Cemetery.

 

[WeAreGoingToDie]

I had thought that the Aliens were never dead, but rather were in a resting state (explaining why the disembodied skull has a consciousness with the ability to reform (as they did in the conclusion) into a form that we can see.

 

[sandiegojones]

I had thought that the Aliens were never dead, but rather were in a resting state (explaining why the disembodied skull has a consciousness with the ability to reform (as they did in the conclusion) into a form that we can see.

I meant "in the flesh", but you are correct. One of the things the film doesn't expand on (because it's the 1950's) is that crystal is a digital storage device used in computers and cell phones, etc. The pure crystal skull likely held untold amounts of stored knowledge. The "hive mind" theory could mean that the skull kind of like an interdimensional communication device (like an alien cell phone - which is why aliens have ESP).

 

[deckard24]

I'm assuming a detailed report (although altered for the sake of the US Government believing it) was given by Indy with corroborating evidence by witnesses (Mutt, Marion & Oxley). Any blame or punishment that would have gone to Indy went to Mac (after evidence was found that he was the double agent).

That sounds reasonable! I still would have liked some explanation in the film, because that was kind of a big gaping plot hole in my opinion!

He easily convinced them that Spalko and Mac would no longer be a problem, having been sucked into an interdimensional-alien portal which was activated by returning a psychic, magnetic head to the body of a crystalline extraterrestrial. Happens all the bloody time...

LOL!

 

[Udvarnoky]

The idea behind the hive mind line, I think, is that the aliens are essentially made immobile when the Spaniards swipe one of the skulls. The whole set is needed for the saucer to depart, and the alien(s) would have left earth sooner if the head hadn't been stolen.

 

[James]

the weird bit where indy seems to stab himself with the switchblade?!?!

I saw the switchblade moment as being the old gag where someone rips their pants (or clothes). The audience often never saw the result, since the sound itself was usually what generated the laugh. This would be consistent with Spielberg's interviews, where he described much of the comedy as being a throwback to old slapstick. Mutt's reaction in the scene seems to suggest, "We're screwed, because this old guy doesn't know what he's doing."

This just seems more likely than to assume Indy managed to cut through the tarp, and then drop the switchblade through both the opening and the sideboards...and for Mutt to instantly reach that conclusion...all in the matter of a second or two.

How did Orellana and his men steal the skull from Akator if you need a skull in the first place to gain entrance to the throne room?

My assumption was that when the conquistadors raided the city, they found one of the aliens outside the temple. Since it was too large to carry, they simply beheaded it instead. This seems to be supported by the Ugha artwork which adorns the halls of their cave. In one drawing, the conquistadors are seen passing the skull around. (The artwork is present in the film, but can really only be seen fully in the Concept Art section of the dvd. If I'm not mistaken, one of the drawings even has the headless body being carried off by the other aliens.)

It's also more logical than assuming the conquistadors somehow made it to the inner temple. For if they had, why would they only take one skull- and not the rest? The film itself suggests they were too heavy (due to their armor) to get past the stairwell trap quick enough. (A fact that is confirmed on the dvd, as the logic is explained behind that set's design.)

I think the real difficult part to understand is why the Nazca indians seemingly didn't care about or didn't notice the crystal skull when they came across the conquistadors' corpses and just buried it with Orellana.

The film was originally going to show Orellana buried with both the skull and gold burial mask in front of his face. (So when Indy removed the gold mask, he would find the skull sitting in front of Orellana's face. Again, this is visible in the concept art.)

This implies that the skull was buried with some degree of ceremony, and that the Nazca indians did indeed regard it with reverence. However, the fact that the indians feel an obligation to guard the burial site...a feat they have likely done for centuries...also suggests that they wish for it to remain undisturbed.

 

[Udvarnoky]

So I guess the bottom line is that while the Nazca indians do worship or revere the elongated skull shape, we are supposed to recognize that they are a separate tribes from the Ugha and therefore wouldn't return it to Akator.

 

[James]

So I guess the bottom line is that while the Nazca indians do worship or revere the elongated skull shape, we are supposed to recognize that they are a separate tribes from the Ugha and therefore wouldn't return it to Akator.

Pretty much. I'd say they did a fairly good job of distinguishing the two tribes.

There's also the fact that Indy has to employ both an airplane and steamboat just to get near Akator...and then a Russian convoy for the remainder of the journey. (Not to mention that its actual location had become "lost" over time.)

 

[sandiegojones]

My assumption was that when the conquistadors raided the city, they found one of the aliens outside the temple. Since it was too large to carry, they simply beheaded it instead. This seems to be supported by the Ugha artwork which adorns the halls of their cave. In one drawing, the conquistadors are seen passing the skull around.

Any chance of getting a screen cap of this because I haven't seen that art?

 

[Udvarnoky]

I think it's pretty obvious where the confusion comes in though, because the movie ultimately seems to say that the fact that the Nazcans worship skulls like the aliens have is just coincidental or unrelated. Just thinking about the can of worms that having the conquistadors wrapped up in the metallic casing would have opened blows my mind.

That said, I did like the implication that the Nazca lines may have been what inspired the aliens to choose South America to touch down at, playing into that myth of the geoglyphs serving as "landing strips" for extra-terrestrials/gods. I suppose it's also reasonable enough to write the similar belief systems of the Nazcans and the fictional Ughas off as being traditions shared between (relatively) nearby tribes. Surely if I was an alien the people I'd select to build my city would be the ones that already worshiped my likeness.

 

[sandiegojones]

So the Nazca were aware of the myth of the "Gods", the Ugha and Akator, but not their location. When they killed Orellana they discovered the skull and realized it was all true, so they buried him with the skull and his men in Chauchilla. Later they created the Nazca lines and began the "head binding" (the Ugha didn't do this) in hopes that the "Gods" would return, consider them worthy and give them knowledge like they did with the Ugha? The cemetery warriors were protecting the skull in hopes the Gods would still come back one day.

I can see why the Oxley character was created, because having Indy figure this all out without some of the "pieces" in place would have been a stretch.

 

[Udvarnoky]

So the Nazca were aware of the Ugha and Akator, but not the location.

Well, not necessarily. The Ugha was a tribe handpicked by the aliens to build Akator, which they apparently never leave. I just mean that tribes of relatively close geographic region can easily share some customs and beliefs. Even though they are different tribes, it's possible they could have worshiped the same gods, or gods with similar skulls as it were.

Or maybe they did know each other. I dunno. Another theory would be that the Ugha were a certain sect of the Nazcans the aliens selected.

When they killed Orellana they buried him with the skull and his men in Chauchilla, then later created the Nazca lines and began the "head binding" (the Ugha didn't do this) in hopes that the "Gods" would return, consider them worthy and give them knowledge like they did with the Ugha? The cemetery warriors were protecting the skull in hopes the Gods would still come back one day.

No, the Nazca lines are, in Indy's words "ancient drawings" that date back to perhaps 200 BC. The conquistadors showed up in the 15th or 16th century. The Nazcans/Ughas always believed in the gods/aliens before they ever came down to earth, and that may have been what made the aliens select them in the first place.