Raiders of the Lost Ark Politics Quotes

Americans have a deep-seated mistrust of their government, as Indy evinces here. The film also makes it clear that Indy is a mercenary working for the government: He's not an official agent. That in and of itself seems to reflect the high value Americans place on individualism, which ironically makes Indy more "American" than the army guys who hire him.

We get a little Third World commentary here: acknowledging the exploitation of the local natives by a European power that couldn't give two figs for their welfare. We don't know what the accident rate is on that dig, but we're betting the Egyptians get it much worse than the Germans.

Sallah draws a quiet distinction here by mentioning that the only smart guy is French, and by default, that the Germans are uniformly stupid. It separates the villains along national lines, suggesting that Belloq might not be as bad as the company he keeps.

Belloq is pretty quick to separate himself from the Nazis here, even going so far as to call them evil. You're probably not buying it, and neither is God. Belloq is lying to himself in order to excuse his behavior; he's an opportunist who aligns himself with whoever's in power at the moment. In the world of politics, you often have to tell yourself pretty stories like that in order to reach your goals. Just ask Vichy France.

Similarly, the Nazis don't think too much of this snooty Gaul whom they have to work with to get their mitts on the Ark. They take this special moment to put him in his place. And since the Nazis are sexist as well as racist, they subtly compare him to a woman. Franco-German relations may have reached a new low.

Dietrich, goose-stepping automaton that he is, stresses the political implications of the struggle here: The Nazis want the Ark to help them take over the world. It says more that Dietrich doesn't think of the Ark in any other terms, reducing its holy qualities to the level of a bomb or tank.

The Nazi calls it like he sees it: lording over an all-black ship's crew with a sneer and a casual rattle of the saber to let them know he means business. Look closer and you'll spot some familiar class and race tensions peeking out of his dialogue.

Belloq speaks to Dietrich in terms the German can understand: not "hey we get to talk to God!" but "your leader is going to be so cranky if this isn't genuine!" That's how you coerce people into doing what you want: a great example of political leverage in action.

Indy's not as good at leverage as Belloq, but he understands that you have to speak to the Nazis on their own level. Threaten Dietrich with political fallout rather than appeal to his good graces. Nothing like mentioning "Der Fuhrer" to get a Nazi's attention. It's more likely to get Indy what he wants, and it might have worked if Belloq weren't onto his reindeer games.

We come full circle, as Indy once again voices his distrust and contempt for the government of his country. Way to keep it real, big guy. We know you're an American now.