Something that bugged me in ROTLA........

[Prime_Jones]

I know I may recieve some bashing for this, but I dont think Belloq cut it for a true villian.

Afterall, he wanted to save Marion dozens of times, even after he knew she alligned herself with Jones. She may have told him Jones meant nothing to her, but im sure he knew abotu them.

Second off, he doesn't seem to really care what happens to Indy. As long as hes out of his hair, he means nothing. A true, foe-to-hero villian would want him dead on sight, and would most likely send out his henchmen to kill him. But no, all he really does is send the tribe (cant remember the name ) in ROTLA after him and he dismisses it with ease. I dont want to seem picky at all, but he just wasn't evil, or bad to me. And since the Nazis were basically just run-off characters in ROTLA, they dont do it for me like they did in TLC.

Does anybody else feel this way?

 

[IndyBeck]

I know I may recieve some bashing for this, but I dont think Belloq cut it for a true villian.

Afterall, he wanted to save Marion dozens of times, even after he knew she alligned herself with Jones. She may have told him Jones meant nothing to her, but im sure he knew abotu them.

Second off, he doesn't seem to really care what happens to Indy. As long as hes out of his hair, he means nothing. A true, foe-to-hero villian would want him dead on sight, and would most likely send out his henchmen to kill him. But no, all he really does is send the tribe (cant remember the name ) in ROTLA after him and he dismisses it with ease. I dont want to seem picky at all, but he just wasn't evil, or bad to me. And since the Nazis were basically just run-off characters in ROTLA, they dont do it for me like they did in TLC.

Sorry, but I wholeheartedly disagree. The point is that he and Indy are really similar (which he points out), thus making the audience really think about those two guys. He is not only a better villain, but also helps Indy gaining a further dimension.
And only villains of really bad movies want to kill the "heroes" on sight. Think of Darth Vader: he is such a great villain because he doesn't want to kill Luke. He wants more: he wants to corrupt Luke...

Andre

 

[Tequileros]

You're right. Belloq only wants the ark. That's his mission, getting the ark. He started working with the Nazi's (If I'm correct, France was against the Nazi's), because they offered him money to find his price.

With "velcome" Mola Ram it's the same. Mola Ram was digging for his last two stones. But then this Indy came around the corner and wanted the stones too. When he catched Indy, he didn't killed him, because Indy was very usefull to him. Since he was an archeologist (the prime minister knew that because he heard of him on Oxford), he would find those stones in no-time.

"Don't trust anyone" Donovan is the same as Belloq. You can read that in the interview on http://www.theindyexperience.com and then the first interview.

"Glover: I thought he was a completely different rounded character. I could see were he was going, and when people say that he's a villain... When playing villains you have to find a reason to be someone. Hitler didn't think he was a villain. He was one of course. Saddam Hussein doesn't think that he's a villain, he knows when he's bad, but he doesn't think he's a villain. And so I have to find the man of Walter Donovan, and of course the thing that drives Walter Donovan, is finding the possibility of finding the secret of eternal youth, eternal life. I challenge everybody, all your questioners, Atilla the Professor and everyone, I challenge them, what would you do, if you had the chance of having eternal life. That's quite a question. Were would you draw the line. People say he was a Nazi, he wasn't a Nazi, he joined the Nazi Party in order to investigate it's property, and he bloody nearly got that. Only because he was greedy did he... This is an advice for you young man: Always choose the Pewter cup. It applies to everything. An allegory for life. "
Tada here you go ;-).

 

[spohlso]

I think Belloq's flippant attitude is what makes Raiders the best movie of the three. Belloq is the bad guy, yet he is still portrayed as a realistic human being. He is not a single minded murderer, he's a greedy person. He is not out to kill Indiana Jones no matter what the cost, he just wants money.

Sure, there's a specific rivalry between the two (that's why he was after Marion. He didn't fall in love with her instantly, he just wanted the girl Indy liked) but he wouldn't go out of his way to hunt Indy down. He just wants to make sure Indy isn't between him and the prize. If that means putting Indy in a deadly situation to get him out of the way, oh well. He's not so much a killer as someone who has a strong professional detachment from mercy. A much more realistic villain than in the other two films.

 

[Coldfyre]

I thought Belloq was a great villain. What bugs me about ROTLA is Sallah's line, "They have not one brain among them... except one, he's very clever..." So they don't have a single brain among them, except the single brain they do have?

 

[theinfiniteweird]

But Belloq does try and kill Indy right away. When he comes out of the cave in the beggining, and the Jovitos (sp?) bow to the Idle, Indy runs. Belloq's gesture and the Jovitos action obviously show that Belloq wanted Indy dead right then and there.

And when he leaves Indy in the snake pit, he defenitely knows Indy is dead. Who's going to escape that? It's better than just shooting him, because this way he gets to bury him alive. He gets him out of his way, gets to torture him, and gets to kill him, along with his girl.

The bar scene. It was obvious he wanted to kill Indy. he knew he was drunk, I bet. He knew Marionwas alive, I bet.
I don't think all those guys with guns were there just for protection, esp. the way that Belloq taunted Jones.

Belloq is sophisticated, very sophisticated, and wouyldn't go for a bloody masacre or shot to the head, I don't think. I think he'd do everything with class, which is waht he tried to do, sort of.

 

[Blofeld]

I think Toht and Dietrich picked up the "evil" slack for Belloq just fine...

 

[jamie]

I think Belloq was excellent. What made him such a good villain was that he was probably the most real villain in the trilogy. He wasnt evil, he was just extremely immoral and his objective was to get the ark, he's not to on some mission to kill Indiana. so of course if Indy is out of his hair he's happy. Belloq is a mercenary and a treasure hunter, but that doesnt make him a killer. My impression is that he'd easily kill Indy if Indy was in his way, but otherwise he doesnt care.
Jim

 

[bob]

I like Belloq but he just didnt cut it for me as a villain, Raiders was a very villainless film (expect for Toht) even the German commander was not particularly evil not even killing Indy when he had the chance and if he were not a Nazi he would be a sympathetic character (what does he actually do that is bad?)

 

[Webley]

(what does he actually do that is bad?)

Are you refering to Belloq? because if you are hes got to be a bad guy I meen hes hanging out with Nazi.

 

[jamie]

Raiders was a very villainless film (expect for Toht) even the German commander was not particularly evil not even killing Indy when he had the chance and if he were not a Nazi he would be a sympathetic character (what does he actually do that is bad?)

I agree on both points, but I dont think its to the detriment of the film. Does there always really need to be a defined, evil villain? I think this movie proves that there doesnt. In real life there wouldnt be.
Same with the German commander. Just because he was a Nazi it doesnt inherently make him evil. There were a lot of normal people in those uniforms, and again I think its to the films advantage that he was portrayed more realistially then as a one dimensional Nazi monster.
Jim