Indiana Jones

Lately, I've been reading Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? from Science to the Supernatural, the Many Mysteries of Indiana Jones by Lois H. Gresh and Robert Weinberg.  Recently, I read a section about zeppelins and how they relate to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  The book claims that "after recovering the Grail diary in Berlin, the Joneses attempt to leave Germany aboard the majestic LZ 138 zeppelin," but when I referenced the film, I found that the ship's designation is actually D-138.  It's glimpsed in only a couple shots, though:

I hadn't noticed this detail before, but since it was drawn to my attention, I now think that it's slight reference to THX 1138, George Lucas's first feature film.  There are similar references in the Star Wars movies.  In A New Hope, Luke, in disguise as a stormtrooper, fabricates a "prisoner transfer from cell block 1138;" in The Empire Strikes Back, General Rieekan gives the order "Send Rogues 10 and 11 to Station 38;" and in The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith, there are battle droids whose markings bear passing resemblances to the number.  (See more details here.)

When I re-watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull earlier this year, I noticed a 138 there, too.  It's one of the house numbers in the mock town that's destroyed by an atomic bomb test.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

I recently watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade again and noticed a small but significant detail.

I'd noticed before that there's something of an echo between the beginning and end of the film.  At the beginning, as he's copying an image from an illuminated manuscript, Dr. Jones, Sr. says, "May he who illuminated this illuminate me."  (With a double meaning on illuminate, which is where I got the name of this blog.)  At the end, when the adventure is all but over, Indiana Jones asks his father, "What did you find, dad?" and Dr. Jones, Sr. replies, "Illumination."

Watching the film this time, I noticed a third instance of this illumination.  During the chase through the catacombs under the library and through the canals of Venice, Indiana Jones and Dr. Elsa Schneider run past a sign that reads:  "Calle di S.ta Lucia."

Here are two frames (one is more legible, and one shows the characters a bit better):

"Calle di S.ta Lucia" means "St. Lucia's Lane."  St. Lucia is the patron saint of sight, and her name is related to words for light (such as luce in Italian and lux in Latin).  Taken with "lane," this seems to indicate that the characters are on their way - travelling along the path, as it were - to the illumination that occurs at the end of the film.  Since, however, Elsa certainly doesn't find illumination and Indiana Jones doesn't answer what he's found (instead, he quibbles about being called "Junior" again), the sign actually seems to apply more to Dr. Jones, Sr. or even to the audience.

Flowers in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

About a week ago, I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  For the first time, I noticed some significance in what characters are wearing flowers.

The rest of this post contains spoilers.

The film opens with Jones as a teenager.  He tries to reclaim the Cross of Coronado from treasure hunters but fails, and it's given over to the character listed as "Panama Hat" in the credits.  One of the significant things about him is that he's wearing a red flower (I don't know flowers, so I can't be more specific):

Additionally, the framing here - especially the rack focus from Young Indy and the sheriff to Panama Hat as he steps into view - ensures that attention is drawn to him (and to a lesser degree his flower).

Along with explaining facets of Indy's character (including his hat and whip), this whole sequence differentiates between those who seek artifacts for wealth and personal gain (like Panama Hat) and those who don't (like Indy, who insists that the Cross of Coronado "belongs in a museum").  I think to some degree, the flower that Panama Hat is wearing indicates this selfishness throughout the movie.  Or at the very least, flowers indicate characters who you shouldn't be so quick to trust.

Only a few minutes later, Walter Donovan is introduced, and he's wearing a red flower - just like Panama Hat:

Donovan's flower indicates both of these aspects - Donovan is seeking the Grail for himself (unlike Indy, who seeks the Grail for the sake of his father - first finding and then saving him), and he's not a character to be trusted.  Later he says, "Didn't I warn you not to trust anybody, Dr. Jones," including himself in the "anybody."

After Indy and Brody get to Venice, they meet Dr. Elsa Schneider.  While walking to the library where she and Dr. Jones (that is, Indy's father) were researching, Indy himself steals a flower to give to her:

Elsa's actual interest in pursuing the Grail is harder to determine than either Donovan's or Indy's.  At times, it seems like she's after it for herself (like when she's trying to reach it after it's crossed the seal and the floor is breaking apart), but at other times, she seems more interested just in the endeavor to find it (like when they're looking through the tombs to find the second marker).

Regardless, she's also not a character to be trusted when she's first introduced.  Indy does and later finds that she's in league with the Nazis.

And finally, there's Kazim from the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword:

He's almost the opposite of both Elsa and Donovan because at first it appears that he's a bad guy (knocking out Brody and chasing Indy and Elsa through the tombs and the canals), but he actually turns out to help Indy by telling him where his father is and later distracting the Nazis as they're travelling to the Canyon of the Crescent Moon.

He's also opposite them because he's not seeking the Grail for himself.  In fact, he's not even seeking the Grail; he's trying to protect it.  After Panama Hat sets the standard, the characters in the movie who are wearing flowers generally turn out to be self-seeking and untrustworthy, except for Kazim.