This article is dedicated to the memory of my father, Paul, who taught me that movies can such a transformative and meaningful impact for generations.
When Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade premiered in May 1989, it was believed to be the final entry of what was then the Indiana Jones Trilogy. Indy, his father and his friends defeated the Nazis once again, rode off into the sunset and the music swelled as their adventures concluded. However, at the movie’s core is Indy’s search for his missing father, the quest to find the holiest of all relics and the reconciliation of years of frustration and animosity in order to etch their names into immortality.
Harrison Ford’s iconic portrayal of Indiana Jones has become a new archetype for anti-heroes in the 21st Century; Chris Pine’s portrayal of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek reboot series is directly pulled from Ford as is Chris Pratt’s performance as Star Lord in the original Guardians of the Galaxy film but what is equally iconic is the performance of Sean Connery as Henry Jones, Sr in The Last Crusade. Prior to his casting, Connery initially turned down the role as the publicity he had to endure as James Bond took a toll on his wellbeing but as a self-proclaimed student of history, Connery was able to insert his own suggestions for the character and truly made the Medieval Literature professor his own during development of the film. Director Steven Spielberg had always wanted to work with Connery as the director had aspired to direct a James Bond film but was repeatedly turned down by producer Albert Broccoli. In fact, the entire Indiana Jones franchise spawned from the idea that George Lucas was going to make film that was better than James Bond but had no interest in directing it following his experience on the original Star Wars film but gladly turned the reins over to Spielberg. The result of this initial idea eventually became Raiders of the Lost Ark and further cemented Spielberg’s reputation as the best director in Hollywood.
As the Star Wars franchise concluded its original trilogy in 1983, the Indiana Jones series gladly stepped in to fill the void with the release of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom but the results were lackluster to say the least. While the film is technically a prequel, it attempts to build on many of the elements introduced in Raiders even retaining the famous shooting gag from that film but Indy finds an empty holster and is forced to find hand-to-hand with armed swordsmen. While the filmmakers were trying to create a serialized, standalone entry for the series, audiences were not hip to idea as even Spielberg has noted his dissatisfaction for the finished product. Critics were quick to point out that the film was much more violent than its predecessor as Temple of Doom infamously includes scenes of beating hearts being ripped out of chests, child slavery, torture and let’s not forget about the dinner scene that includes eating baby snakes, bug guts and monkey brains. In another entry of Hollywood lore, Spielberg lobbied the Motion Picture Association of America to create a new rating in between the PG and R ratings that would be more appropriate for movies that fall into that category and that rating was PG-13. Due to the lukewarm reception of Temple of Doom, Spielberg sought to properly end the trilogy and make a new sequel that would invoke the feelings from Raiders while offering new character depths and thrilling action sequences that had quickly become a trademark of the series.
On the surface, The Last Crusade does not seem like a dad adventure but it quickly becomes one as Henry Jones, Sr. arrives at the beginning of the film’s second act as he is being held captive by the Nazis in their search of the Holy Grail. Following Indy’s rescue of his father, they are quickly recaptured by the Nazis and it’s during the villain reveal that Senior informs his son that the woman who captured them slept with Senior and then with Junior at which Indy’s father hilariously quips “She talks in her sleep”, a line that was improvised by Connery during filming and remained in the final cut. Finding out that you’re eskimo brothers with your father must be a startling revelation but following another escape via motorcycle, Senior directs his son to drive them to Berlin in order to retrieve his Grail Diary, the book that contains all of Senior’s research on the history of the Holy Grail and is essential for their journey but it’s revealed that Senior has been obsessed with finding the Grail for decades to the detriment of the relationship with his son as well as the health of his wife who passed away some time before the events of the film and further drove a wedge between father and son. After they’ve retrieved the Diary, Indy and his father finally have a chance to sit down and have an actual conversation, probably their first one in a man-to-man context rather than father and son and Indy views this as an opportunity to air his grievances to his father until he realizes that while his father may have been cold at times, he allowed Indy to do what he wanted, study what he wanted and go where he wanted. They clearly have differing point of views on Indy’s childhood but Indy is able to recognize that he is not going to change his father as this stage of his life and accepts him for who he is and what he believes in that moment. Some time passes but the group find their way to Alexandretta and discover that the Nazis have found the temple of the Grail before they have so in an effort to motivate Indy to retrieve the Grail, his father is shot and ordered to retrieve it and heal his father. After a series of trials that test Indy’s faith, he is able to retrieve the Grail and saves his father but as their mutual lover attempts to leave with the Grail, the temple begins to collapse and in a moment that totally heals their relationship, Senior finally calls his son Indiana. For the entirety of their time together in the film, Senior only calls his son Junior and repeatedly asks his father to not call him that. I can’t imagine what it is like to be a junior but to hear actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. put it, being named a junior means that you’re a statue of that which walked before you and Indy’s whole arc has been about forging his own legacy free from his father complete with his own name. As the Grail is lost and the temple collapses, Senior offers a final bit of fatherly advice that life isn’t about the prizes won but what is worthy of saving is the knowledge and wisdom that comes from discovery and pain. In the film’s closing moments, Senior defers to his son to exit the canyon, the famed John Williams music plays as the group rides off into the sunset to return home and continue their renewed relationship.
While The Last Crusade does not dive into the minutiae of Indy’s relationship with his father, it does hit the broad strokes very well. The film’s opening prologue, starring River Phoenix as a young Indiana Jones, shows the young Boy Scout retrieving another artifact but having it snatched away by a literal mustachioed villain. It also shows a brief interaction between father and son as the elder Jones shoos his son away while he is working on his Grail Diary and reciting a quiet prayer for illumination during his work. It immediately sets the tone for their relationship and offers a glimpse into what their home life has been like as Mrs. Jones has likely passed away at this point in the timeline. Indy also offers his own insights to his father and even refers to him as “Attila the Professor” noting that his father has a reputation of being a hard teacher and one that students hope to avoid in their studies and notes that his father rarely does fieldwork and mostly stays home. As their relationship grows during the film, Indy’s perception of his father has changed as they become equals at the end having gained each other’s respect and admiration.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade worked to establish the rules of a film trilogy by introducing the character’s past and providing a satisfying conclusion to the adventures. The Last Crusade would become the highest grossing film of 1989 and of the series at that time and would cement the franchise as the example of how to execute the perfect film trilogy that would shape the direction of many franchises for decades. The film also gave Sean Connery another film that offered an iconic character and offered estranged sons everywhere a chance to reconcile with their fathers.
Featured Image Credit: IMDb
