[If You Know] Why the Setting of 'Indiana Jones' Is the 1930s (Part 2)

Hitler Viewed Artworks as Symbols of Power and Wealth
Spielberg Insisted on Harrison Ford as Ideal Jones
Criticism for Misunderstanding Eastern Culture and Feminist Attacks
Background in India but Filmed in Pakistan: The Story

'If you know' it delivers useful information in a somewhat disorganized manner. It is a tip for enjoying movies more interestingly.

* Following <'Harrison Ford who suffered from diarrhea before shooting 'Indiana Jones' action scenes (Part 1)'>

* Director George Lucas introduced the 'Indiana Jones' series, which he had been involved in producing, in an interview with Vanity Fair in February 2008 as follows: "It is not a simple action movie. Every installment basically deals with mysteries and supernatural phenomena based on archaeological artifacts."

* The 1930s, the setting of the 'Indiana Jones' series, was a period of great advancement in archaeology. Along with that, treasure hunting disguised as academic pursuit was frequent. Especially, the discovery and plundering of artifacts between countries through world wars were common. At the center was the German Nazis. Both Adolf Hitler and Hermann G?ring regarded artworks as symbols of power and wealth. They used them as tools for political negotiation and also to display the grandeur of the German Empire. They even organized a special art unit called 'Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg.' The head of this unit, Rosenberg, confiscated about 4,000 pieces from the Rothschild and Schoss families. Among these was Johannes Vermeer's 'The Astronomer (1669),' which Hitler praised as "the most valuable European work historically and artistically." Paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Peter Paul Rubens were also targeted.

* Campbell Black wrote a novel based on 'Raiders (1982).' In the text, Marcus Brody says to a U.S. State Department agent: "What Professor Jones has done for our museum all strictly complies with the regulations of international law concerning the protection of relics." This reflects sensitivity to criticism that Jones is more of a grave robber or treasure hunter than an archaeologist.

* Director Lucas conceived a character combining the hero of adventure serial films like the 'Republic Serials,' which were shown weekly in theaters during the 1930s depression era like weekend dramas, and the outstanding character James Bond. The protagonist was an archaeologist who embarks on a journey to find mysterious artifacts based on archaeology.

* 'Raiders' was a collaboration between director Lucas and director Steven Spielberg but was rejected by many film companies due to the high production cost. After many twists and turns, Lucasfilm produced it, and Paramount Pictures agreed to distribute it.

* Spielberg considered Harrison Ford the perfect choice to play Jones from the beginning. On the other hand, Lucas wanted to find a new actor he had not worked with before. The closest candidate was Tom Selleck. However, he was cast in the CBS detective series 'Magnum P.I.' and thus was unavailable. Selleck had not even started filming 'Magnum P.I.' around the time 'Raiders' wrapped up.

* Hitler was actually obsessed with religious relics and the occult, dispatching archaeologists to various regions during the war. He ordered excavations of mythical places. The History Channel's behind-the-scenes series episode 'Hitler and the Occult' traces Hitler's fascination with mysticism. Through the occult magazine 'Ostara,' Hitler indulged in myths about Jews and the giant Aryan race, which later provided a basis for the horrific Jewish genocide he carried out. Also, during trench warfare in World War I, a voice reportedly saved him, after which he became immersed in mysticism. His close aides, Rudolf Hess and Heinrich Himmler, were also devout believers in mysticism.

* Hitler liked Wagner's operas. He identified with the image of the knights searching for the Holy Grail in 'Parsifal.' During World War II, he ordered archaeologists to find the Spear of Longinus, which is said to have pierced Christ's side. He believed that possessing this spear would reveal a mysterious secret to rule the world.

* Directors Lucas and Spielberg decided to shoot 'Indiana Jones (1985)' two weeks after the release of 'Raiders.' They planned to include several episodes that could not be filmed in 'Raiders,' such as the Shanghai god scene, boat scene, and minecart scene. Lucas hoped for a dark atmosphere similar to 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980).' He suggested to Spielberg to include content about secret religions and black magic. Screenwriter Gloria Katz said, "The storyline can be seen as a horror film mixed with action and adventure." However, this did not exclude humor elements. Spielberg embedded humor throughout the scenes rather than relying solely on the story.

* The highlight of 'Indiana Jones' is the minecart rollercoaster scene in the latter half. It was completed by mixing live-action and miniatures. They spent a whopping three months filming for about 10 minutes of footage.

* 'Indiana Jones' includes many bizarre scenes: secret religious rituals involving human sacrifices, dinner feasts eating parts of various strange animals, and the act of removing a living person's heart. It was rated PG in the U.S. and screened, causing controversy. The Motion Picture Association of America then created the PG-13 rating, which is stronger than PG. Both are suitable for general audiences, but PG recommends parental guidance for children, and PG-13 recommends accompaniment for those under 13.

* 'Indiana Jones' was criticized after release for misunderstanding Eastern cultures such as Mondo cane-style meals, secret religions, and black magic. The female lead (Kate Capshaw), who kept screaming, also became a target of feminist attacks. However, it still holds an important position as a simple entertainment adventure film. It was released in the U.S. in May 1984 and ranked third in revenue that year (179.87271 million dollars), following 'Ghostbusters' and 'Beverly Hills Cop.'

* In fact, no direct artifacts or places related to archaeology appear in the 'Indiana Jones' episodes. However, understanding Hinduism helps comprehension.

* Although the background of 'Indiana Jones' is India, the production team had to film in the neighboring country Pakistan. India did not permit filming due to concerns about creating a negative perception. The biggest issue was religion. They were also displeased with the negative use of the word 'Maharaja' (meaning great king in Sanskrit). For example, when a young Maharaja makes a doll of Jones and stabs it with a pin, Jones feels pain in the corresponding part. This scene is similar to voodoo magic. Voodoo is a folk belief of Haiti in the South Pacific. It is a mixture of Roman Catholic ritual elements passed down since the French colonial era and theological and magical elements of various African ethnic groups. It is highly likely that it was included in the film simply because it was black magic.

* In 'Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade,' Jones's father Henry Jones was played by Sean Connery. Directors Lucas and Spielberg stated, "We could not think of a suitable actor other than Connery." Both had long agreed to make the 'Indiana Jones' series an archaeological version of the '007' films. The role of Henry Jones is the best tribute to the 007 films.

* In 'Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade,' young Jones was played by River Phoenix. He was recommended after making a good impression while acting as father and son with Harrison Ford in 'The Mosquito Coast' (1986). Phoenix shows in a single incident how Jones came to use a whip, became afraid of snakes, and started wearing a fedora.

* Spielberg likes 'The Last Crusade' the most among the 'Indiana Jones' series. It was successful not only at the box office but also critically, brilliantly repaying the harsh criticism of the previous film. In the former case, it ranked second in the U.S. that year (197.171806 million dollars), following Tim Burton's 'Batman (251.188924 million dollars).' However, worldwide, it ranked first (494.8 million dollars), comfortably surpassing 'Batman (413.2 million dollars).'

* The 'Ark of the Covenant' discovered by Jones in the lost ancient city of Tanis in Egypt is a rectangular box made of acacia wood. Moses, who received the law from God and descended Mount Horeb, placed the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments inside. The ark is classified as a top-secret military code by the U.S. government and is said to be stored in an underground desert base.

* Jones finds the Holy Grail in a temple built in the Crescent Valley outside Iskenderun but loses it due to an earthquake. Before the Grail falls to the bottom of the valley, it performs an inexplicable 'miracle' that saves Henry Jones's life.

* The Sankara stones are sacred symbols and sources of power. It is said that only five exist in the world. Jones retrieves one by infiltrating a secret religious group in Tibet. The whereabouts of the other four are unknown. However, two of them were last seen when Jones and the villain Mola Ram of the secret religious group fought on a rope bridge and fell into the river below.

* The Fertility Idol of the Chachapoyas is an artifact honoring ancient Chachapoyan warriors. Made of gold to pray for fertility, it is said to be hidden in a Peruvian cave full of booby traps. Jones succeeds in finding it but is robbed by the ruthless French archaeologist Ren? Belloq. Belloq disappears in 1936, caught up in a mysterious event presumed to be the 'Wrath of God.'

* The Coronado Cross is a legendary artifact given to Coronado by Cort?s in 1520. It was rediscovered in 1912 by a group of grave robbers. Later, it fell into the hands of a greedy private collector, but Jones successfully recovered it from the brink of being sunk near Portugal in 1938.

References: Lester D. Friedman, Brent Notbohm, Steven Spielberg, translated by Lee Suwon, published by Maumsanchaek 'Spielberg's Words (2022)'; Jeong Deokhwan, published by Paperbook 'Spielberg's Film Conquest Project (2011)'; Dennis Kearney, Joseph Dagnes, translated by Lee Sanggu, published by Bonus 'Indiana Jones Adventure Notebook (2008)'; Ryu Donghyun, published by Rubybox 'Indiana Jones and Archaeology (2008),' etc.