#10: Lord Clarence MacDonald  Let's start this Top 10 list by saying this movie is so good that there will be some omissions that readers may wonder about, like specific dialogue or action sequences. This list focuses on moments throughout the film that I've latched onto, personally, but really, this is a hard one to narrow down since there's no lack of quality throughout the movie. We begin with Indy and Elsa infiltrating Brunwald Castle disguised as the Scottish Lord Clarence MacDonald and his assistant, who have come to "view the tapestries" when, in reality, they are there to rescue Indy's father. The pair switches hats, Indy puts on a Scottish accent, and the dialogue between him and a castle butler provides one of the funniest moments throughout the film, which is already full of good humour. I remember my brother quoting the scene long before I saw the film with lines like "I've gone and caught a sniffle!" and "How dare he!" He and I ended up bonding over this movie, and this scene may very well be the pinnacle of it, as we both had a good laugh upon my first viewing once I understood where all of his weird quotes came from. For those curious, here's a link to the isolated scene. If this was a list of the most nostalgic Indy Moments, this moment may very well be #1. #09: Indy Meets Adolf Hitler This may sound odd to some, but as an 8-year-old in 1990, I hadn't learned much about the world yet, and when it came to Adolf Hitler, I think I only knew his name and that he was a terrible human being. My first impression of Hitler's likeness, however, may have come from this scene. At the very least, I remember having to ask who the guy Indy bumps into here was. Years later, when this scene would mean much more than it did back then, I realized that this is one of the more frighteningly intense but somewhat subtle scenes throughout this series. Long story short, Indy's Dad wrote a diary with instructions on finding the Holy Grail - everything except where to begin. Therefore, this is a hot item for Nazi Germany and their occult ways. Indy has to infiltrate a Nazi book burning to retrieve it, a scene which, in itself, is pretty powerful, heartbreaking stuff. Almost as soon as Indy gets the diary back, he turns and bumps right into Hitler. Hitler sees the book, grabs it, autographs the inside, and hands it back. They don't come much closer than that. If Hitler knew what he was holding, the credits would have started rolling in the film quickly. It's a great, silent scene of intensity, and if you know anything about Nazis and their time with occult studies, that makes it all the more powerful. The look on Indy's face here says it all. #08: The Motorcycle Chase  There is no shortage of action in this movie, including several chase scenes, and I must give all of them that didn't make this list an honourable mention. That said, the motorcycle chase, for me, was always one of the more fun ones. Especially when one considers that the little old man holding onto his hat in the sidecar is Sean Connery, and this was my first impression of him. The scene occurs immediately after Henry's rescue from Brunwald Castle. Indy and Henry, on the run, find some boats, so Indy revs one up to try to trick the Nazis into thinking they left on it. Then, behind the Nazis' backs, Indy and Henry pop out of a crate on this motorcycle, and a chase ensues. What solidified the scene for this list, however, is Indy improvising with a flagpole to make one of the Nazi bikes crash; it's pretty awesome. In that same quick scene, Indy looks at his Dad almost as if he had just done something hilarious by taking a Nazi's life. Henry gives him a bit more of a fatherly, disapproving scowl. Much like the scene of Indy meeting Hitler, it's a great little moment where so much is said in one glance; Indy will do what it takes; Henry thinks the taking of lives may be unnecessary, or at the very least, doesn't think Indy should be having a good time with it. #07: Zeppelin Escape  Seeing as 'Last Crusade' is almost too good to narrow down a list of "Top 10 Moments" efficiently, this particular scene I speak of essentially covers everything from Indy and Henry boarding the zeppelin in an attempt to leave Germany up to the scene on the beach, as there are so many good little moments that take place within that time. First, there's the Nazi who discovers the pair are on the blimp, whom Indy throws off, disguised as a ticket inspector, after which he turns to the other passengers, saying "No ticket!" thus having every passenger enter panic mode, looking for their tickets. Once in the air, Indy and Henry have a father-son discussion in which we learn more about their dynamic, and soon, the blimp starts turning back toward Germany, forcing Indy and Henry to attempt escaping, lest they get caught, prisoners. Indy and Henry hop into the spare plane underneath the zeppelin, detach, and have a firefight with other planes ensuing them. Henry shoots up the plane's tail by accident, forcing them into a rough landing, followed by the pair stealing a car from a dude in the process of replacing his hubcaps, they drive through a tunnel, which a Nazi plane crashes through, and once through the tunnel, Henry chases a flock of birds into the propeller of another Nazi plane. This scene is about eight minutes plus of great filmmaking. #06: The Tomb of Sir Richard  Here, another scene encompasses quite a bit, although not as long-running as "Moment #7." We'll start this moment with my favourite visual gag in the film: Indy breaking through the library floor while someone's stamping books, with every stamp synchronized with Indy smashing through the floor with a stanchion. The scene then brings Indy and Elsa into the Catacombs below Venice. Every Indiana Jones film has at least one scene in which Indy has to explore something ancient to get answers. 'Raiders' had the Well of Souls, 'Temple' had the path into the temple, and here, we have the Catacombs that lead to the tomb of Sir Richard, which is a pinnacle need to find out where the Holy Grail is located. These are the scenes that make Indiana Jones the amazing archeologist that he is. He's not afraid to get his hands a little dirty or, indeed, risk his own life for the right reasons. I also appreciate the character of Elsa here, as she is such a far cry from Willie, the "Indy Girl" from the last film. Elsa isn't a damsel in distress here. She's tough and willing to follow Indy through these rat-infested underground tunnels. To top it all off, something is charming about how Indy reacts to finding the tomb of Sir Richard. Elsa claims he's "giddy as a schoolboy," and it's hard not to see his excitement that he's that much closer to finding the one and only Holy Grail. #05: "Let it Go..."  This is a big-time spoiler alert for what lies ahead between "Moment #5" and "Moment #4," both heavily involving the Grail itself. First up is a sweet and poignant scene between Indy and his father, occurring after Elsa gets her hands on the Grail and foolishly attempts to leave. This causes the whole place to implode, revealing a series of seemingly bottomless pits. As one gap in the floor opens under the Grail, the cup falls onto a ledge, and Elsa dives for it. Indy dives after her, attempting to hold her up and keep her from dropping. But her greed makes her reach for the Grail instead, and Indy loses his grip, dropping her. Indy then finds himself in the same predicament, with Henry holding him up while he tries reaching for the Grail. All the while, Henry says, "Junior, give me your other hand!" There's a running gag throughout the movie where Henry constantly calls Indy "Junior," much to his dismay, leading to this scene. In failing to reach him, Henry finally says what Indy needs to hear, "Indiana? Let it go." This short but sweet moment brings them together and suggests that Henry's life-long work in search of the Holy Grail itself isn't nearly as important as his love for his son. It also buries the Holy Grail forever and doesn't leave us wondering whatever happened, like with the Ark of the Covenant, which I appreciate. #04: "He Has Chosen Poorly"  Another of my favourite visuals in this movie occurs after the three challenges Indy faces, clearing a path for the double-crossing Donovan. Indy finds a room guarded by a knight who has lived all these centuries protecting the Grail, which we can assume is how he's alive. The thing is, the Holy Grail isn't the only cup this knight is guarding. After the three challenges, one significant challenge remains to see if one is worthy to drink from the Cup of Christ. The true Grail will bring life, but a false one will take it from you, so one must "choose wisely." Donovan takes the first go at it, with Elsa's "help," as she hands him a random gold cup. He takes a drink from it, and after a few seconds, we get some of the most awesomely terrifying practical effects to age him rapidly until he blows away in a breeze of dust. Incredibly, these effects still hold up, putting some horror movies of the time to shame with how terrifying they looked. As a kid, I left the room when I knew this scene was coming so I'd be able to sleep at night. But much like it is with horror from the era, I appreciate how effectively scary the scene is nowadays. Again, this movie has everything, and this scene delivers some horror. Nowadays, I use it as a primary example of why practical effects top CG effects in many areas. #03: Young Indiana Jones Opening  Today, it has seemingly become a bit of a cliche to show some origin as to how our favourite characters became our favourite characters, be it an origin film like 'Wolverine,' or an entire trilogy like the 'Star Wars' prequels. I don't know exactly where the idea started, but my first exposure to such a concept may have been the entire opening scene of 'Last Crusade.' This scene, running around ten minutes long, gives us everything we might have ever been curious about regarding how or where Indiana Jones got all his gear and became the fedora-wearing, whip-cracking adventurer we all know and love. It all starts with Indy as a Boy Scout attempting to intercept a treasured cross (The Cross of Coronado) from a band of thieves, insisting that the cross "belongs in a museum!" From there, a chase ensues on a moving circus train where we see Indy get his whip, his fear of snakes, and even the detail of Harrison Ford's real-life chin scar. As for the famous fedora, it's given to Indy by the head thief out of respect. The more I watch this scene, the more respect I have for River Phoenix capturing the character of Indiana Jones so well. This short ten-minute prequel is all we ever needed for Indiana Jones' origin story. Although a show, 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles' was spawned from this idea. #02: The Three Final Challenges  When everything is all said and done, and the massive tank chase climax ("Moment #1") ends, the film is awesome enough to tell us, "We have more than one climactic scene." But while the tank chase is pure action, this moment is more about intensity. They have reached the Grail Temple, but so has Donovan and a small band of Nazis. To get his hands on the Grail, Donovan shoots Henry, leaving Indy with only one solution: to get through the Grail Temple's challenges, find the Grail, and heal his father. Going by his father's diary, Indy faces challenges of agility and speed (first challenge), intelligence and memory (second challenge) and finally, faith (third challenge). All three are suspenseful and reasonably intriguing, but nothing beats the reveal of the third challenge - a fantastic visual! Of course, some preceding moments on this list tell us that Indy makes it through just fine. But even knowing that, one can watch this and wonder if they could ever get through such traps, even with the knowledge of them. It's another great sequence of scenes that portray Indy in the best light as a superhero who doesn't need a cape. This moment also makes the viewer hate Donovan much more, as Indy is risking his life to clear a path for him. But it also makes his demise that much more pleasant to watch. #01: The Tank Chase Another scene that's a solid ten minutes long and made up of a lot of little moments is the climactic tank chase scene. Indy comes to his father's and Brody's rescue after they are captured by Nazis, on good old-fashioned horseback, like some cowboy who has found himself amid the events of World War II. This scene is like the car chase in 'Raiders' if it got cranked up to eleven. Indy diverts the tank, aiming at him, to ram one of the convoy's many vehicles, which it later blows off with its heavy artillery. He straight-up pulls a Bugs Bunny by plugging the tank's side gun and making it implode, then dives onto the tank only to brawl with a series of oncoming Nazis and shoot three of them with one bullet. Meanwhile, despite being a little bumbling through the film, Henry and Marcus manage to hold their own within the belly of the tank. A whole lot more struggling and fighting ensues as the tank uncontrollably approaches a cliff face; the intensity builds, Indy's hat flies off in the wind, we see the tank go off the cliff, crashing, and then, silence, as Henry, Brody and Sallah look on, mourning their supposed loss. Of course, Indy survives, climbing back up the side of the cliff. In a moment of humour, Indy and Henry hug, but Henry quickly encourages his son to keep moving toward Grail. He'd rather rest, but as his hat blows back to him, it suggests "our adventure isn't over."
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#10: The Plane Crash I know this scene is ridiculous, but it is one of the more fun contenders for impossible scenes in 'Indiana Jones' films. The scene in question involves a couple of pilots who work for Lao Che, who ditch Indy, Shorty, and Willie in mid-flight to crash. With no parachutes left and no one knowing how to fly, the trio must improvise, hoping an inflatable raft will save their lives. The three characters then bail out with said raft, plummet onto a snow-covered mountain, and the raft goes from "parachute" to "toboggan." After that, it's over a waterfall and riding a flow of whitewater rapids that eventually bring them to India, where they become the "heroes fallen from the sky." Remembering that this is back when practical effects were the only real way to go, there's a particular "cheese" to this scene that I can't help but appreciate. This scene competes directly with the waterfall scene in 'Crystal Skull,' if the contest were the "most impossible stunt because you'd die twice from it." It's fascinating to think about this scene in another context, though. We have always been able to go along with some of these films' supernatural elements, but an impossible stunt has us saying, "Oh yeah, right." It's a pretty good way to tell the viewer that, considering some of the darker things to come, one will have to suspend disbelief. #09: Indy Gets Brainwashed Granted, this is weird, but I will explain, and it will get deep. I'm not gonna mention any names here, but I know someone (who surprisingly wasn't me) who, when watching this as a kid, was pretty traumatized by the whole idea of losing someone to the "forces of evil," as it were. Nightmares ensued, and I can still remember, to this day, this person confiding in me with those nightmares. So, bizarrely, this led to one of my first memorable bonding experiences with someone. We were able to talk out the things that scared us both. Although somehow (and I'll never really get this) I was okay with 'Temple of Doom,' I was terrified of a LOT of other things growing up. I wasn't like my peers, and I couldn't endure horror movies. But enduring this has always given me a sense of pride. It felt good to be the "strong" one for once. Today, I find an added symbolism to this scene. Indy's brainwashed here to do bad things, and I see a parallel between that and mental health problems that also "take things over." Shorty burns him with a torch to snap him out of his trance while saying, "I love you!" I've never thought of it until recently, but this poignant scene reminds us that when we lose control in some way, shape or form, we can rely on our loved ones to help. Perhaps that's deeper than necessary, but it does help me appreciate the film more than before. #08: The Poker Game It is SO unfortunate that this scene happens to run parallel to one of Willie's many irritating freak-outs as the trio attempts to camp in the jungles of India. But there's a lot to this scene that I think gets completely overlooked because the viewer is supposed to be laughing at Willie bumping into all of the jungle critters and screaming her face off. That part of the scene has no business on this list. In the meantime, Indy and Shorty are playing some hands of Poker (I think), and it's a scenes that both gives us what we need to know about Short Round and develops Indy's character ever so slightly. Shorty accuses Indy of cheating, and Indy plays along with it until he discovers Shorty is actually cheating. The pair exchange a sort of almost father/son moment with each other as Shorty, realizing he's busted, smiles and laughs with him about it. But there's something I picked up here that I didn't quite pick up on before. Willie may be the "Indy Girl" in this, but Indy's actual love and care go towards Shorty here. This is evident throughout the film, and it's a good way to show the audience that Indy cares a great deal about the safety and well-being of children, which lends itself to the film later (Moment #6). This realization is so refreshing in a way. It all adds to the "hero" element of Indiana Jones. #07: "Hold Onto Your Potatoes!" I can credit Short Round's intro for helping me get through this otherwise scary movie. As mentioned earlier, for whatever reason, 'Temple of Doom' never really got to me, and I'm pretty confident that it was because I was able to follow this kid through it, along with Indy. His introduction strangely always makes me wanna cheer. Indy and Willie make a daring escape from "Club Obi-Wan," falling through some awnings and into the back seat of a car (a 1934 Duesenberg Auburn convertible) driven by a young kid. When Indy tells him to "drive!" Shorty hits us with one of my favourite lines from the movie, "Okie dokie, Dr. Jones! Hold onto your potatoes!" Then, with great enthusiasm, Shorty becomes the wheelman for Indy and Willie during an otherwise intense car chase, and he's having a blast doing it. To top it all off, there's a hilarious bit that still gets to me to this day when Shorty tries to get a rickshaw to move out of his way. In failing to do so, Shorty says, "Okay, you asked for it!" and drives into the rickshaw, lifting the perplexed driver into the air. Watching this as a kid, I saw a hero in Short Round almost as much as I saw a hero in Indiana Jones. And this hero was much closer to my age, and we see later that he can hold his own in a fight. He's one character I wish would return to Indy's world, but there's still time! #06: Indiana Jones to the Rescue After Indy, Shorty, and Willie stumble on the Thuggee ceremony (Moment #1), they experience nightmarish events, ultimately surviving them all. But they're far from done. At one point, Willie says, "Let's get the hell out of here." Although they can save themselves, Indy responds the way he should with, "Right. All of us!" And with that, Indy goes back to rescue the enslaved children. As I mentioned in the 'Raiders' moments, each of these films has special music, which helps make each one unique. For my money, the best time to hear this music is from this particular scene, as it offers a heroic tone of determination, shedding light on all the darkness. You get this image of Indy emerging from the dust in silhouette style, giving the viewer goosebumps. It's one of Indy's more heroic moments, whatever your thoughts on the film may be. Spoiler alert: Indy (with the others' help) does save the day, and it's incredibly satisfying to see a literal swarm of formerly enslaved people running through the palace and trashing it as they go. Many of them are headed back home to their families to be reunited, giving this otherwise dark film the happy ending it needs. This moment also marks the beginning of the film's last half-hour, which is essentially action scenes all the way through. You should "hold onto your potatoes" when you reach this point. #05: The Rock Crusher As we get closer to the end of this movie, it involves a long and drawn-out climax that's stitched together with many different scenes. Say what you will about the quality of 'Temple of Doom,' but its final sequences are a lot of fun to watch. And what 'Indy' movie would be complete without him having to best someone potentially tougher than him? Indy again ends up going one-on-one with a big guy, fighting on a conveyor belt. "Chief" gets some assistance from the brainwashed Maharajah by using an Indy-shaped Voodoo Doll they just happened to have handy. But Indy soon receives some help from Shorty and, surprisingly, Willie, who starts hucking rocks at the big brute as a distraction and even hands Indy a weapon. Just when it looks like Indy is losing because of the damn doll, Shorty manages to get to it just in time. Indy springs up starts kicking ass and eventually makes the lug drop a big rock onto his head. The guy's garbs get caught, and he is sent back into the rock crusher. Indy even tries to save the man from this terrible fate, again showing the "hero within." It all boils down to a great fight and the gruesome death of someone we all felt deserved it. And guess who played him? The same guy as last time! That's right, Pat Roach (again, not the guy from 'Trailer Park Boys') comes back here for round two! #04: The Suspension Bridge I've already mentioned that the last half hour of this is straight-up action, but it all leads to this intense climax involving Indy, Shorty, and Willie being surrounded by the Thuggee, who are being led by Mola Ram, who has come for the final fight. Surrounded and desperate, Indy says something in Chinese to Shorty. We see Shorty nod and start wrapping his hands into the rope bridge. When Willie asks what's going on, Shorty says, "Hang on, lady, we're going for a ride!" and at that point, we know Indy's gonna cut the bridge ropes, sending a bunch of these guys plummeting into a crocodile-filled lake (although apparently, they used alligators). Meanwhile, the three leads, along with Mola Ram and a few leftover henchmen, hold on tight and "Tarzan" themselves to the side of the cliff, using the bridge as a ladder to climb up and get back to safety. It gets intense here, especially when Mola Ram starts dropping his own people to thwart Indy. But we also get another great scene of Indy's hidden knowledge here (like knowing to close his eyes if he ever saw the Ark get opened), seemingly harnessing the powers of the Shankara stones to his advantage. It's pretty damn cool, and the intensity of the scene builds, even after Indy cuts the bridge robe. It's classic edge-of-your-seat material, to be sure. #03: The Maharajah's Banquet Even without seeing this film, many know about the infamous banquet scene, where we see an array of supposed delicacies served to the three guests who don't quite have the stomach for it, although the idea of the food doesn't seem to phase Indy much. Throughout the meal, they get served a variety of odd things that would make the typical North American vomit in terror. Pankot Palace hosts the Guardian of Tradition Dinner, consisting of nasty things like Coiled Wrigglies ("Snake Surprise"; aka a big-ass sake stuffed with eels), Crispy Coleoptera (fresh beetles, still in their shell), Soup of the Head (The eyeball soup in the accompanying picture), and for dessert, Primate Parfait ("Chilled Monkey Brains"). But as nasty as it all sounds, it was all made of some pretty tasty stuff, such as Jello for the Monkey Brains. The scene has gone down in cinematic history as probably one of the best "gross-out" scenes ever executed. I always enjoyed this scene, showing people this movie and seeing their reactions to it. It makes me think of things like Halloween parties where you played that game involving having to touch "eyeballs," but they were grapes or thick spaghetti "hair." I've always appreciated gross-out stuff as long as it's innocent fun, which this is, and might have added to the fun side of things when I was a kid. #02: The Minecart Chase In another section of the film's action-packed final half-hour, Indy, Shorty, and Willie attempt to escape from the temple and the Thuggee army via a mine cart. The whole thing becomes a relatively ridiculous and deadly rollercoaster ride as the trio constantly fights off other carts full of Thuggee thugs. It's silly when you look at it, but why spoil this for yourself? This scene is improbable, but it manages to keep you on the edge of your seat. It might remind one of 'Donkey Kong Country,' which supposedly took its mine cart levels from this premise. And the mine cart tracks do not look much different here than in the game - suspended high, often above a pool of lava, and going at breakneck speeds on rickety tracks. One could think of it as 'Fast & Furious' Mine Cart Edition for as silly and improbable, yet fun and awesome the scene is. This sequence adds some much-needed exhilaration after things like the Thuggee Ceremony and witnessing Indy get himself brainwashed, turning evil for a second. Much like with the raft scene, while it is hard to unsee some of the models and dummies used for the scene, it's still some edge-of-your-seat fun that, as far as I know, hasn't been attempted to be duplicated in much else. It stands strong as an original bit of material, and is easily one of the ore enjoyable bits of the movie. #01: The Thuggee Ceremony  If there is one thing everyone knows about 'Temple of Doom,' it's that some unfortunate soul eventually gets his heart ripped out. This scene represents a lot for me on a personal level, but it's also cinematically historical and significantly impacted further films more than most of the series' moments. Regarding its influence, this scene is up there with the opening scene of 'Raiders.' Indy, Shorty and Willie find a secret tunnel that leads them to the "Temple of Doom," where the first thing they witness is a Thuggee ceremony. The ceremony involves some poor guy in a cage and Mola Ram taking his beating heart out of his chest, Kano style. The man survives this process and gets lowered into a swirling fire pit while Mola Ram chants, and we see the rapidly beating heart catch on fire as he laughs maniacally. It's straight-up horrific. But get this - this is rated PG. At the time, 'Temple,' along with 'Gremlins,' contained scenes with a scary intensity for the kids, leading to the eventual PG-13 rating. But if you want a solid example of what you could get away with back in the day with PG, this is a great place to turn. Nowadays, something like this would be a solid PG-13 with parents strongly cautioned. On that note, however, I have Spielberg to thank for allowing me to take some of my first actual footsteps into the horror genre with this. #10: Belloq's Mouth Fly This bit is the one that I have to point out to people I'm watching the film with. Most people know a few facts about this film by now, but this particular scene is so intense that the funny moment is easy to miss. The moment in question involves Indy's desperate scare tactic of threatening to blow up the Ark before the Nazis can use it to their advantage (or disadvantage, as it were). Indy makes the threat, but Belloq calls Indy's bluff because he knows him better. Indy would never destroy anything so incredibly valuable, and it turns out to be his Achilles heel (other than maybe snakes and Nazis). That's all good and does make for a good moment for Indy's character, but it's all punctuated with about one second of watching a fly crawl into Belloq's mouth as actor Paul Freeman manages to stay in character. However, this is a half-truth. Freeman did, indeed, have to deal with a fly buzzing around him on set. However, according to him, the bug never crawled into his mouth but was edited to appear that way to give his character a bit more menace. The fly took flight just before it crawled into his mouth, and someone edited things in post-production to cut away the "fly-off." That said, it's far more fun to believe that bug just crawled into the man's mouth while he maintained focus. #09: Meet Marion Ravenwood  A few 'Raiders' moments on this list are easier to pinpoint than others. But then there's Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), an interesting character who I'd strongly consider to be the best "Indy Woman." She can be seen as fallible and a solid Yin to Indy's Yang, but despite the distress she encounters, she's a damsel who can still hold her own. We first see her at her bar in Patan, Nepal, amid a drinking contest, where she manages to drink a big lug of a man under the table. Soon, Indy visits her bar, and we get a few lines establishing a previous relationship. Then, her bar is invaded by Toht (Ronald Lacey and friends, who have come looking for the same medallion Indy's after. This situation ultimately results in a fiery bar fight, showing that Marion knows how to fight. That particular scene gives us everything we need to know about Marion. She's scrappy, strong-willed, can drink people under the table, can fight, and is just about as stubborn as Indy. While she isn't exactly on par with someone like Ellen Ripley of 'Alien' fame, she's certainly more helpful than someone like Willie from 'Temple of Doom,' and, as a character, I'd say more interesting than Elsa from 'Last Crusade.' I must not be alone on this either, since she was the one they chose to "resurrect" for 'Crystal Skull.' #08: The Ark Reveal & 'Star Wars' Easter Egg  This scene is intriguing enough to give a bit of deeper thought. As Indy and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) find the Ark and load it into a crate to be hoisted out of the Well of Souls, we subtly see the excellent care they take with it as professionals. If one pays attention, they'll notice how much Indy knows about this artifact. Here, without extensive exposition, we understand that Indy knows a lot about the Ark; for example, don't physically touch the thing, which is what those long poles are for, but "no touching" is never really mentioned, either. He also knows how to react if the Ark is ever open, but that's for another scene yet to come on this list. To add to their professionalism, it's also a scene of great awe, imagining that these two found and recovered the Ark of the Covenant. After saying all that, there is one other minor detail about this scene that most of the internet knows. During the bit where Indy and Sallah are physically lifting the Ark out of its enclosure, in the background, on Indy's side, to the left of the screen, you can make out a glyph of 'Star Wars' droids, R2-D2 and C-3P0; one of those early movie Easter eggs that just about everyone managed to miss the first few times watching. Just Google "Raiders Droids," and you'll be able to find a decent pic of this pointed out. #07: The Brute Mechanic Fight  Nowadays, this scene isn't quite as iconic as it used to be, but it still has some power. I'm sure I've seen it parodied more than once, but the one that stands out involved one of Peter Griffin's many Giant Chicken fights on 'Family Guy.' Still, the scene holds up pretty well, and it has some nice, suggestive PG-rated violence to go along with it. This scene happens right after Indy and Marion escape the Well of Souls. In their attempt to intercept the Ark before it's too late, Indy is sidetracked by a mountain of a man who wants a good bare-knuckle brawl and calls out Indy for a "dance." Of course, Indy can't do much to the guy, but the problem is eventually solved as the somewhat out-of-control plane (the Flying Wing) they're fighting alongside slices the brute into a blood smoothie with its propeller. The brute mechanic was portrayed by actor/stuntman Pat Roach (NOT the guy from 'Trailer Park Boys' before he ate too many cheeseburgers). This guy was in a bunch of stuff as some small role through the 80s and 90s. He can first be seen as an uncredited Milkbar Bouncer in 'A Clockwork Orange,' and has since played a "tank" of sorts in various roles and has wrestled under the name "Bomber" Roach. But if he's known for any one role, it almost has to be this one. #06: Why Did it Have to Be Snakes?  This film has great moments and lines of dialogue, but my favourite is an exchange between Indy and Sallah. After locating and unveiling the Well of Souls, it's revealed that the room is packed with snakes of all shapes and sizes. At this point, it has been established that Indy hates snakes, so Indy must face his fears in order to advance. The exchange, Indy: "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?" Sallah: "Asps. Very dangerous... You go first!" Not only is the delivery funny, but Indy is very relatable here, at least for me. I also have what may be considered an irrational fear of snakes, and poor Indy has to jump in a pit full of deadly ones that one can't find here in my home country of Canada. So, though that dialogue exchange is a highlight, the scene doesn't end with it. As seen in the accompanying picture, I extend this moment into the Well of Souls, where Indy drops and comes face-to-face with a cobra. This was a real face-to-face moment but was filmed between a pane of glass for safety measures. In fact, from certain angles, you can glance at the snake's reflection - if you're not too busy trying to wind down from how tense this face-to-face scene is. The scene is a friendly reminder that bravery means facing one's fears, not just being fearless. #05: The Map Room  While 'Indiana Jones' is very much focused on action and adventure in archaeology, one cannot deny that each of these films has a magical element to them as well. This scene, for example, involves Indy stumbling on something very awe-inspiring; he's all on his own when it happens, and the expression on his face says everything he's feeling at the moment. The scene in question involves Indy entering an overlooked map room while his rival Nazi diggers are searching all around them. Everything comes together in this scene from what we've experienced up to that point, specifically the Staff of Ra, the medallion mentioned in Moment #9, and the sun rising at the perfect time of day. The sun shines through the Staff of Ra, shining an almost laser-focused beam onto a miniature of the Well of Souls. Despite said sunbeam, John Williams' score makes things shine here. Each Indy film has the theme music we all know and love but is accompanied by another, more movie-specific theme. This is where we hear that theme in full force. The scene is full of eerie mystery and awe, and somehow, it is more iconic than the reveal of the Ark of the Covenant itself. The scene gets things going by telling Indy, "Here's where to start," and you know that the race is on now. #04: Indy vs the Swordsman Another iconic scene that everyone knows about by now is Indy's encounter with an impressively talented swordsman. The script initially called for a showdown between the two characters. However, on the day of filming, Harrison Ford was suffering from a stomach bug, and thus, the simple shot was fired, and Ford improvised one of the best pieces of comedy throughout the film. Some other information I found out about this scene, however, was just how long the scripted piece originally was. Sure enough, Indy would have been showing off his skills with his whip, and it was meant to establish how Indy used his whip in combat, eventually besting this swordsman with it. According to Spielberg, there was even meant to be a gag in which the swordsman cuts a marketman's meat perfectly, for which he's thanked. I often wonder what the film would look like with this showdown, as we don't see his whip used a hell of a lot as a weapon, so much as a handy tool. But with that said, it's safe to say that the scene Ford gave us stands out, not only as a significant bit of comedy for the film but also as a bit more shaping of Indy's character. The scene was improvised, but it became so iconic that it was (almost) repeated in 'Temple of Doom,' but we'll touch on that for that Top 10 list. #03: The Chase Scene  Back in the early 90s, and I'm sure very few will remember, there were two parodies of 'Raiders' entitled 'Pasadena Jones.' One was on an episode of 'America's Funniest Home Videos,' and another was a segment in 'Tiny Toon Adventures' entitled 'Pasadena Jones and the Secret of Life.' Both heavily featured parodies of this chase scene, and it's one of the more recognizable bits of the film. The scene is essentially when the Nazis intercept the Ark after Indy and Sallah manage to find it. Indy goes after the truck the Ark is loaded on, riding a horse at full speed in hopes of catching up. The action ensues for eight to ten minutes as our hero pursues the Ark while the enemy stops at nothing to take him out - but Indy's a hero who holds on, as you can see in the accompanying photo. It's a significant bit of old-school stunt acting. While watching this scene, one can't help but feel a longing for how they filmed action scenes like this in the past. With actual vehicles, real stunts, and the John Williams accompanying score, this scene is cinematic gold and holds up to this day. Add to all that the idea of Ford being dragged for some of these shots, resulting in bruised ribs for the sake of his art - and Ford does love this character, as far as I've read. It's one of the most iconic action scenes of all time. #02: Opening the Ark  This scene is actually a pretty major spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen this movie, but it simply can't be overlooked. I'm also willing to bet it's been long enough that spoilers probably shouldn't matter at this point. This is what would be considered the climactic part of the story, where the baddies get punished for disturbing the contents of the Ark upon opening it. Every 'Indiana Jones movie has some supernatural horror element. 'Raiders' involves an intense soundtrack reminiscent of the 'Psycho' theme, screaming, melting faces and exploding heads, all complete with some pretty disturbingly creative sound effects like gargling on one's own melted flesh and blood. All the while, Indy and Marion remain safe with their eyes closed throughout the process. It's one of the best scenes that show the world what we could get away with with old-school PG! I didn't understand until recently why Indy and Marion were safe with their eyes shut, but I assumed it had something to do with respect for not "looking into the eyes of God," so to speak. However, according to some Bible verses unbeknownst to this agnostic, one can't touch or look into the Ark, which is why the Ark is carried with long poles, as mentioned in Moment #8. Learning details while researching scenes is always fun, especially when they don't say these factoids throughout the film. #01: The Entire Opening Sequence  This isn't just the #1 moment in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' but probably the most iconic moment in 'Indiana Jones' history. We all know how it goes - Indy heads through a Peruvian jungle and temple, where he retrieves a mysterious golden idol and famously gets chased by a giant boulder after setting off a booby trap. This scene defines 'Indiana Jones' and tells you almost everything you need to know about the guy. We get that he can kill, he doesn't take any shit, he's clever and calculating when it comes to his work, he's a snappy dresser, and he's willing to risk his life for his job if it means going after the important stuff, and of course, he "hates" snakes! The scene immerses the viewer into the film immediately, letting us know that we're in for a real adventure. The scene itself ranges from the Paramount opening logo fade-in up to Indy escaping by the skin of his teeth into his friend Jock's (Fred Sorenson) plane (where a snake is encountered). It's easily one of the best movie openings in cinematic history, and it is an iconic sequence that has been parodied countless times. I would use this scene to define what an adventure movie should look like indefinitely and to think that this is something one can go back to, watch, and enjoy, and it doesn't involve superheroes! |
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