What is the determination that Spielberg entrusted to his “father” in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”?

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2020.06.16Rui Takeshima

Indiana Jones' three fathers

Professor Henry Jones, played by Sean Connery, is an archeology professor like Indy, and a person known as an authority on Holy Grail research. He is portrayed as a father who was so absorbed in his research that he neglected his wife and son. To quote Kazushige Abe again, ``A father abandons his home, leaves his mother and child, and goes ``outside''.'' In other words, he's a character similar to Brody from Jaws or Neary from Close Encounters of the Third Kind of the Third Kind.

On the other hand, Indy has someone he adores like his own father. Marcus (Denholm Elliott) is the vice dean of the same university and has been supporting the reckless and reckless Indy from behind the scenes. He was portrayed as a more intelligent and dependable man in " Raiders ," but since the real father appears in this work, his character changes to a stupid, natural old man with no sense of direction to the point where he gets lost in his own museum. I'm forced to do it. ``The Last Crusade'' can be said to be the story of Marcus separating from his temporary father Marcus and building a father-son relationship with his real father Henry.

However, another father appears in this work. It's Walter Donovan. He was an American millionaire and a member of the Nazi party, and was more passionate about the search for the Holy Grail than anyone else. He financially supports Indy by making a large donation to the museum, and advises him to be careful and not trust anyone.

In fact, in the scene where Indy and Donovan are chatting and Donovan's wife says, "Are you leaving the party guests alone?" a faint piano melody can be heard, but it is the Imperial March from Star Wars ...in other words, Darth Vader's. It's a theme!

His distorted belief that he is willing to sacrifice the lives of others for the sake of the Holy Grail makes him a black father to Indy, who is a fanatic about archaeology, and another version of himself that could have been. A Darth Vader-like figure who is trying to lead Luke Skywalker to the dark side. The reason he shot Henry instead of Indy was inevitable, in the sense that ``which father should Indy choose?''

The most moving scene in the film is when Henry grabs Indy's hand and tries to pull him up as Indy is about to fall off a cliff. Indy is completely fascinated by the Holy Grail, and his father calls him ``Indiana'' instead of ``Junior.'' Rather than calling him Henry Jones Jr., named after his great father, he calls him Indiana in recognition of his growth as an independent man. Indy comes to his senses, takes his father's hand, restores the bond between father and son, and escapes from the crisis.

However, I can't help but feel that this scene has another meaning. Wasn't that the moment when the great 007 reached out to Indiana Jones and handed over the title of ``movie hero''? Wasn't this an expression of Spielberg's determination as a filmmaker to break away from the `` 007 '' series he admired and carve out a new film world for himself from now on?

``Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a story about ``a father coming back from the outside and returning to his family,'' and it is also a lofty manifesto that ``Spielberg will take on the role of father figure in Hollywood from now on.'' Noda.

Text: Rui Takeshima

A pop culture writer who wants to be kicked by Hit Girl. Host of the web magazine " POP MASTER ".

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"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"

Blu-ray: 1,886 yen + tax / DVD: 1,429 yen + tax

Publisher: NBCUniversal Entertainment

*Information as of June 2020.

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