Grail Lust

A main theme of this movie is that it's easy to lose sight of what's important when you're chasing something as elusive and powerful as the Holy Grail.

Indy's Dad is guilty of this- his obsession makes him a bad dad.

Donovan is guilty of this- he betrays everything to obtain the Grail.

Elsa is guilty. When it comes to a choice between her own life and the Grail, she chooses the Grail.

But Indy? It seems like the movie wants it both ways.

When Donovan shows Indy the first marker, Indy is intrigued by the artifacts, but rather reserved with regard to the Grail itself. When invited to join the team, Indy declines. It is only when Indy learns his father is missing that he joins the quest for the Grail.

And this mood continues for Indy. He goes to Venice to search for his father. He makes the rubbing on the second marker, and I think is genuinely intrigued by the Grail mystery in that moment- but when he catches up with the fez-topped-thugs that have multiple times tried to kill him- he asks where his Father is.

Once he rescues his dad from the castle, he plans to rejoin his friends in Iskenderun, but it is his father that convinces him of the importance of the Grail, and their mission to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

At the temple, Indy isn't tempted to attempt to retrieve the Grail until he does it to try to save his dad's life.

When Elsa risks her life to get the Grail, Indy tells her it's not worth it.

BUT as soon as Indy slips over the edge, Indy is overcome by an intense Grail lust that almost costs his own life.

And then he triumphantly overcomes this momentary obsession when his dad connects to him in a way he never before has.

Almost as if it is the end of a movie long character arch.

I wonder if there was a version of this script where this was a movie long character arch. But they decided to make Indy dismissive of the Grail instead- he's too cool to be caught up about mystical artifacts anymore...

Or if someone was just trying to punch up the ending. There's not a lot of growth or arch for Indy in the film. Maybe they thought they could just slip this in at the end.

That ending used to work for me. It doesn't as much now. Probably just too old and cranky now.

I mean, I still like the movie and even I like the ending... There's just an asterisk next to it now.