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  • Writer's picturepeter clings

The negative characters I like in Indiana Jones movies

From the original movie series, I like two characters because they seem to embody two ideal national characters during or just before WW2 In the Raiders of the Lost Ark,

I like a lot the character Dr. René Emile Belloq. He seems so early resembling a Romanian French educated old nobles. I wander if the choice of family name is not coincidentally associated with Wallach (Ballach). At some point in the move, that association seems to give away as being true, although I am aware of the verse in the Book of Revelation (2:14 ) for an alternative source

The scene is when Marion dresses up beautifully to join the Belloq for a drink. After a few shots, Marion asks laughing, ‘what is this’. To which a drunken answer comes back as ‘it is my family’s brand. I grew up with this’. After a short little pause, Marion pours a shot next to the table, as if knowing the very old Romanian tradition to honour the memory of the shadows of that good old family on special occasions with the gesture


The narrative of the film seems to present Belloq as mischievous character, yet positive if one judges him impartially. Although he is choosing the company of some bloody Nazis, probably for no having a French backing for that adventure anymore, he is protective towards Marion (a Jewish lady) when and where he can. Even if he helps the Nazis to get the artifact, he convinces them to open the Ark of the Covenant before hand on a remote island, all knowing as a professional archaeologist (and a scholar of Kabalah) what was to come next. He arranges things such as the Ark be hidden forever on that Island, but since Indiana Jones was there, he convinces him to calm down in order to preserve the artifact. In the end Belloq leads the Nazis into temptation and makes them disappear. It was his ultimate sacrifice that allowed the main character to get the Ark and the girl at the same time. I wish he had a twin brother too for a new novel, for a better chance with the audience


The second character that I like is Dr. Elsa Schneider. She is such an embodiment of the old Austria when wearing that Austro-Hungarian hat. She is mostly a malevolent character, aiming at the ultimate goal of gaining immortality at all costs, seeking friendship with whomever can get her there. She does not survive for her greed of getting the coup even if it was forbidden to leave the seal



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