Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom
Recently, I caught a viewing of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which first came out in theatres in 1985. I was just five years old then, and while I can’t quite remember when I first saw it, certain scenes have stuck with me ever since. The moment when the Thugee priest rips out a heart of a poor human sacrifice, still beating as it bursts into flames as the sacrifice entered the magma pit, left me absolutely mesmerized. And who could forget the glowing diamonds that Willie was so fixated on? (a portrayal of women in the 30s and 40s that women are only interested in pretty things and being a sex object for men. More on this later). But watching it now, I realize it wasn’t just the visuals that left an impression - it was the sound effects that really made the movie come alive. It’s a reminder of just how much the effects and score can shape the viewer’s experience.
I also came to the realization that the experience of watching a movie in the theater was, and still is, a total immersion experience and I miss that watching movies on Netflix or Amazon on my flatscreen tv at home. Yeah, all the movies are readily available for me, and I can watch whatever I want, but something is missing.
Another thing that I was musing about with my friend after the movie about how long it can take for things to really change. It’s hard to believe that it has been 40 years since “Temple of Doom” originally showed in theatres. Forty years have passed since I first viewed the movie as a kid filled with amazement and wonder at the nonstop adventure Professor Jones and his friends were experiencing on the big screen. It was pure magic. However, after viewing the movie the other day there were some things that were blatantly misrepresented. I know that George Lucas was inspired by the action films of the 30s and 40s, but even so some of the depictions are pretty off. The thuggees, who were indeed the antagonist of the movie, were always depicted in a stereotypical way as dirty, primitive-looking, their clothing was worn and tattered, and they had painted the thuggees’ faces for that extra “exotic” look. In addition, the relationship between Indiana and the female lead Willie was very over-the-top and misogynistic dramatic. The sexual tension between the two characters, especially in the bedtime scene (of course) in the castle where each one of them were betting on the other to first succumb to the other’s seduction is pretty cringe-worthy. Willie says, “I’m not that easy” in which Jones replies, “I’m not that easy, either.” and later Jones bets, “Five minutes. You’ll be back over here in five minutes.” Willie replies, “I’ll tell you in five minutes!” Alas, we will never know who gives in first because the excitement of the whole movie begins when an attempt on Indiana’s life is made by an evil thuggee. Things really haven’t aged well at all.
Forty years have passed and Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom still excites and mesmerizes audiences young and old. Even for me, the nostalgia the movie ensues is somewhat inviting. But I still have to ask myself, could this movie be produced today? Could a movie like this, even though it’s parodying movies of the 30s and 40s, where misogynism and racist views were commonplace, been able to acquire the popularity that it did 40 years ago? Was George Lucas using the fact that he was going for an “oldie” movie give him permission to film such cringe-worthy dialog? Maybe but to be honest these types of movies aren’t allowed in today’s society.
With this being said, I come to muse on the landscape of filmmaking today. Now days, most movies are mostly superhero films from Marvel and DC franchise, horror flicks, animated features, documentaries, remakes and reboots. But do these films to have as much substance and depth as films made prior to the twenty-first century? Superhero films boil down to the typical good guys vs. bad guys, horror films tend to use monsters (which in reality represent othered communities) but they’re monsters which is OK because monsters don’t exist, animated films are in themselves light-hearted entertainment and are cartoons and are a step farther from reality so anything that happens on the screen, no matter how convoluted, is acceptable. And remakes and reboots get a pass because everyone knows that they were originally written in a time when such problematic views were more accepted.
I find myself in the evenings going through the endless recommended films and tv shows that the Netflix and Amazon algorithms suggested to me. It feels like I spend hours trying to find something new and exciting to watch, but nothing is inviting, and I constantly return to the oldies, the nostalgic 80s films that I grew up with. Will there ever be another great film that isn’t too intellecutal or that only looks good to a niche audience? I really hope so. Until then, I’m stuck rewatching “The Breakfast Club.”