Just rewatched Indiana Jones and the last Crusade

[CharlesPhipps]

Re: Elsa

Well, Elsa isn't an SS officer or agent or even probably a Nazi party member (her horror at the book burning for example). She's an Austrian archaeologist working for the Nazis. It's just "She's a Nazi" is shorthand. I suppose you could say she's Belloq. He's not a Nazi but the difference between the two is immaterial given he's working for them.

I always felt she was one of the more interesting characters in the story and wondered if she could have been more gray or if there's no redemption possible after working with the Third Reich.

In fact, the "Sexy Belloq" angle also works with their religious views. Belloq believes the Ark is a radio for talking to God but he's grossly misinformed about what the context of this means (i.e. the Jewish God hates Nazis).

Elsa believes in the Grail as a supernatural object and probably self-identifies as Christian but misses the horror of just how much she's profaning the object and its God in her pursuit of it.

[Deledrius]

I always felt she was one of the more interesting characters in the story and wondered if she could have been more gray or if there's no redemption possible after working with the Third Reich.

I've always felt this is the larger context wrapped up around her choice at the end of the film. It's a question of which things she can let go of, and which she holds on to. Literally and figuratively.

[Yukaphile]

@CharlesPhipps I left that comment like several pages back. Not interested in restarting the argument from the other day. And if that's not what your intent was, I apologize, but it does seem weird you tag me for that weeks after I said that only a few days after we got into a big Nazi vs. Soviet fight. In any case, I'm uninterested. Just stopping by to let you guys know, carry on as usual.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

@CharlesPhipps I left that comment like several pages back. Not interested in restarting the argument from the other day. And if that's not what your intent was, I apologize, but it does seem weird you tag me for that weeks after I said that only a few days after we got into a big Nazi vs. Soviet fight. In any case, I'm uninterested. Just stopping by to let you guys know, carry on as usual.

What about me? Will you argue it with me?

[CharlesPhipps]

@CharlesPhipps I left that comment like several pages back. Not interested in restarting the argument from the other day. And if that's not what your intent was, I apologize, but it does seem weird you tag me for that weeks after I said that only a few days after we got into a big Nazi vs. Soviet fight. In any case, I'm uninterested. Just stopping by to let you guys know, carry on as usual.

I'm not a big fan of the Soviets. Can't be as a Catholic. I believe the Fatima Prophecy was God himself saying the Soviets were damned.

But just not fond of the Nazis more.

[Artabax]

Where did you get that idea? Religion is a series of beliefs about the afterlife and our place in the world set down thousands of years ago by our ancestors who didn't understand the science of the universe that we do today. They were primitives, and thus that influenced their understanding of the world.

Every religion is centered on individuals dealing with the world. The backdrops that have to do with creation of the universe and afterlifes all correspond to how we should operate in our time on Earth.

Ministry of the bleeding Obvious, Religion aint real in real life, but it is real in some stories and movies.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Where did you get that idea? Religion is a series of beliefs about the afterlife and our place in the world set down thousands of years ago by our ancestors who didn't understand the science of the universe that we do today. They were primitives, and thus that influenced their understanding of the world.

Every religion is centered on individuals dealing with the world. The backdrops that have to do with creation of the universe and afterlifes all correspond to how we should operate in our time on Earth.

Ministry of the bleeding Obvious, Religion aint real in real life, but it is real in some stories and movies.

I never implied that it is real or w/ever. The beliefs about the universe that he was talking about are mainly just to service how we should treat personal social matters.

[CharlesPhipps]

I am religious in real life. In the movie, of course, liberties are taken.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I am religious in real life. In the movie, of course, liberties are taken.

You talking about the mythology that plays a major part of the Indiana Jones movies?

[CharlesPhipps]

I am religious in real life. In the movie, of course, liberties are taken.

You talking about the mythology that plays a major part of the Indiana Jones movies?

More precisely that supernatural elements are needed for a lot of the devices and objects in Indiana Jones with no explanation but Rule of Cool abounds.

God, presumably, was needed to give those chalices their power.

But we don't question that oddly specific miracle.