to think Indiana Jones is a highly unsuitable film..

[seeker]

... for anybody, never mind children. We watched it this evening, and I was amazed at the racism, the sexism - it was like something made in the 40s!

[HonoriaGlossop]

i think that's totally arguable onbatmother; not every film is a polemic (no matter how worthy the views) Not every film is about taking a moral stance. Many films can do more 'good' by giving an accurate and true portrayal without taking a position. And are often better films for it IMO

[pruners]

Message withdrawn

[sandyballs]

I'm stunned that anyone takes these films that seriously.

[BigBadMouse]

Me too sandyballs - it's all supposed to be a bit 'tongue in cheek' - anyone who can't see that must have 'issues' of their own IMO.

[ladymariner]

Have to say, I and my ds absolutely love these films, we get settled down to enjoy them for a couple of hours, then when they're over we switch the tv off and don't give them a second thought!!! Didn't realise we were supposed to analyse everything!!!

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

Good grief its a bloody film.

world is pc crazy.......

[mrsruffallo]

I think they are great films

[PeachesMcLean]

We hadn't been watching long when there was a particularly grim bit. I said
"ooh, i think this is going to be a bit much".

DS says
"nah, it's just cartoony that's all."

He's 6 and can clearly distinguish between real life and silly stuff on TV.

[stickyj]

FFS get a life. There are people dying all over the world, right now and in the time it's taken you to rant about the racism, etc etc there's kids that have died. If you are so worried about the film, spend the money that you pay for your tv licence and sponsor a child!

[dingdong05]

Stickyi, this is just a conversation. There's no need to slag evryone involved off, and tell them to get a life!
Most people like to chat, not just discuss important matters of the day!

[onebatmother]

true Honoria - I certainly would never expect Art to sacrifice itself to Justice.. but this is a product, really, I think? And so I'd expect - certainly not a polemic, which I agree is often excruciating - but an indication that the film understood that outdated attitudes were.. outdated.

And, realistically, I think that cultural artefacts rarely simply reflect 'accurately' without comment. The racist may not be The Villain with a big bad moustache, but if the film itself is not intrinsically racist, there will be many other signals in the film and the marketing of the film which will tell us that Racism is Bay-ad, for example.

Pruners, absolutely, and that is my point. None of the individuals or institutions which persisted in racism/sexism while those battles were being fought, very vocally, very publicly, can claim innocence.

[thelittlestbadger]

I thought the reason the female character was so awful in ToD was that she was trying to/had just pulled Steven Spielberg and couldn't actually act. I don't think she has been in anything else and the rather limited role was because she just wasn't up to much (like a lot of the late era Roger Moore bond girls).

Marian in Raiders mostly makes up for it anyway... ToD just isn't as good.

[Heffa]

Apparently George Lucas was more heavily involved with Temple of Doom than with Raiders or Last Crusade. I've never liked ToD as much as the other two, and as soon as I heard them all talking about Lucas' involvement on a documentary it became immediately obvious why. I haven't watched it for years (despite having the box set) because I just don't enjoy it, and I've always been a bit disturbed by some elements of it.

I'm not trying to imply that George Lucas is racist btw, just that he was very much the controlling force behind ToD.

[SueBaroo]

ToD was a big pile of stinky stuff. Utter bobbins. Worth it to see Harrison Ford half-naked and sweaty, but really, really not worth the rest of it. the other two were vastly better films, and it was always much more fun to have Nazi villains (because, like, duh)

I'm a bit reticent about the new one. I'm still not over Han Solo getting old, so if Indy does, I think a little piece of me will wither...

[lou33]

this has reminded me of a song i heard recently, which irked me

video here

lyrics here

[madness]

welll, loved the films when I first saw them and still do.

[onebatmother]

hello sue my dear, how are you?

Lou - isn't that song highlighting the pitfalls of being the Li'l Woman? (haven't watched the video)

[lou33]

i dont know, i didnt hear it that way

maybe, but it annoyed me

[JamSamBam]

it was filmed in the 80's, my uncle is in the films and i remeber him showing me his costumes.

[SueBollyKnickers]

Hello OBM. Muddling along.

[onebatmother]

ooh jamsam, that's quite cool!

that's a lovely louche name you've got there sue..

[MissGelly]

George Lucas is on the credits for writing the screenplay... if anyone is to point the finger at racism, I would assume it should go to him who penned it. (Then there is the horrible Jar Jar Binks of Star Wars that also got him accused of racism..)

I'm more appalled by Kate Capshaw's 80's poodle perm in the film, which was supposed to be set in 1935.

[crumpet]

Didn't Spielberg do a film about the slave ships? Amistad. Never saw it but thought it worth mentioning in light of "well he did a film showing he was not anti semitic but that doesn't prove anything..."

[serendippity]

ooh sorry everyone but i love, love love this film, in fact it's one of my absolute favourites
Of course it is silly, the woman screams alot and has to get rescued by big tough men and we don't all assume that everyone who lives in india eats snakes and bettles for dinner, but it's over the top and blatent on purpose i think, that is Indina Jones
There is one where the woman kicks arse actualy, Raiders of the Lost Ark i think.

[JamSamBam]

"everyone who lives in india eats snakes and bettles for dinner,"..That was my uncle!!!!!