"And I suddenly remembered my Charlemagne..."

[tree_and_leaf]

Last night I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, in German, which is a curious experience. The dubbing is fairly well done, but there are a few changes of emphasis - the most obvious being the scene where Indy and his dad have been captured in the Austrian castle, Ilsa kisses him, with the words 'That's how we say goodbye in Austria', and the SS bloke says 'And this is how we say goodbye in Germany', and hits him. In the German, he says something like 'This is how the SS says goodbye.'

It's such a splendid film, though - and the rather free way it handles mediaeval history and literature (not to mention geography!) is not inappropriate, given the myriad sources from which the various versions of the Grail legend coalesced. (Although I admit I am biased in favour of a film in which mediaevalism is represented by Sean Connery!) Theologically, it's a lot better than one might expect.

Am going to see the new film on Wednesday night; have very low expectations, but after two hours of an academic planning meeting, I'm sure it can't fail to be an improvement on that

Comments

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

I watched The Last Crusade (in English) last night, and was having thoughts about the geography of things. When they catch the airship, do we know the destination? At one point I thought they were going to the USA to head back to north Africa... I was also trying to work out where they crashlanded...

Fantastic film though, and I am really excited about the new one. It has been 'in production' for so long (I remember it when I first bought SFX back in about 1994) that I doubted it would actually happen.

Hmm, I no longer have an archaeology icon...

[tree_and_leaf]

I can't work out the geography at all. 'Hatay' seems to be unable to decide whether it's in north Africa or Asia Minor (which would be more plausible) - but how they managed to crash there, as I think is implied, in an airship from Berlin, beats me. I don't think we were ever explicitly told where the airship was heading, though.

[anna-in-the-sky.livejournal.com]

The dubbing bothers me to no end. So much gets lost in translation. It's usually not that bad with movies, because they seem to take more time and put more effort into it, but with TV series, especially comedies, it's often so much better and funnier in the OV. I wished we just had subtitles, but, oh well...

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes, I always find dubbing really disconcerting, though in this case it seemed well done. They use subtitles in Scandinavia, I think.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

I think my favorite part in the whole movie is when Indy realizes what "a penitent man may pray" and goes down on his knees. My second favorite is when Indy chooses the plain olive wood cup and is told "you have chosen...wisely." Wonderful.

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

I love the leap of faith when he steps out into blank air and the camera swings round to show him on the bridge. Never fails to make me dizzy. I love all of the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, although I feel so sorry for the old knight at the end. I think he must have felt a little betrayed when what he had kept safe for so long vanished into a crack and the temple destroyed.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes, the bridge sequence always takes my breath away, too.

The poor old knight - though he didn't look too upset. A certain sense of relief, possibly? I think he was rather tired of his task.

[tree_and_leaf]

Both great moments! I also really like the conversation between Indy and his father after Ilsa has been killed (Ilsa and Donovan are both destroyed because in their different ways they fail to see that the important point about the Grail is not the object itself but what it points to); and I find the scene where Indy heals his father (and Marcus crosses himself) very moving, too.

[sacred-sarcasm.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do love Indiana Jones! They were probably my first experience of a cultish/fannish way of watching. My dad was an absolute nut for them, my mum hates them and thought the were unsuitable for me (I was about 10 at the time, I think. She probaby had a point because i was shown Temple of Doom when I was about 6 - it was on TV and dad didn't qute notice I was watching it with him rather than playing with my toys - and I didn't sleep for a week). So we spent pleasant Saturday afternoons while she did the week's shopping, sitting at home 'tidying the lounge' whilst watching Indy and quoting bits.

a film in which mediaevalism is represented by Sean Connery!
Have you seen First Knight? A rather less successful attempt to fit Sean Conner into the arthur/grail mythos.





a film in which mediaevalism is represented by Sean Connery!

[tree_and_leaf]

The opening of the Ark sequence in 'Raiders' traumatised me as a child; I don't remember 'Temple of Doom ' making all that much of an impression, other than vague memories of the sequence on the mine cart.

Have you seen First Knight? A rather less successful attempt to fit Sean Conner into the arthur/grail mythos.


No; apart from anything else, I think I'd have trouble suspending my belief as to how one could possible prefer Richard Gere to Sean Connery! (like 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", really).

[sacred-sarcasm.livejournal.com]

It was the bit where everyone's chanting as they lower the girl into the firey pit that stuck with me. (Actually, I wonder now I put it like that whetehr it didn't scare me partly because it sparked some resonance with what I'd been told hell was like... oh, what joy a religious upbringing can be!)

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Last Crusade is one of my favourite films, period. I must admit there is a part of me that is really looking forward to the new one, but the rational rest of my brain is pointing out that it simply won't be the same as when I saw the trilogy as a child and fell madly in love with the secret lives of academics. ;)

And, yes, I still hope that someday academia will be just like Indiana Jones. Sad, but true.

[tree_and_leaf]

IAWT, on all counts!

(I would like to know how Jone's senior's life's research all fitted into one Moleskine, though. Maybe it's charmed?)

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Now that is a crossover waiting to happen. Dr Jones Sr., secretly a member of a wizarding university?

[gramarye1971]

*snickers* Well, that's one way to adapt subtitles to the viewing audience.

I was out with some friends this weekend, and we went to a Lego store in this really posh mall nearby. They were selling Lego kits that were tie-ins to the new movie -- but they also had this adorable kit that my roommate immediately bought. Lego!Sean Connery is now my new best friend.

[tree_and_leaf]

That's completely and utterly adorable and I want one!