Fanspot
Temple of the Holy Grail
“- Which one is it?
– You must choose. But choose wisely. For as the True Grail will bring you life — the False Grail will take it from you.”
Walter Donovan (Julian Glover) and the knight (Robert Eddison)
After freeing Marcus (Denholm Elliott), Indiana Jones, his father and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) go to the Temple of the Holy Grail. This one is hidden in the desert.
On the spot, Donovan (Julian Glover) and Elsa (Alison Doody) sacrifice some of their men to foil the temple’s traps. When they become aware of the four men’s presence, Donovan forces Indiana to go after the Grail by shooting his father in the stomach.
Constrained but well informed thanks to his father’s research, Indiana manages to reach the room where various cups, including the Grail, are displayed and guarded by the knight, the last of the three brothers (Robert Eddison).
Quickly joined by Donovan and Elsa, the knight warns them to choose wisely or the false grail will kill them. Donovan drinks from a cup designated by his collaborator. A fatal choice, the man dies quickly by becoming dust.
Remembering that Jesus was a carpenter, Indiana Jones chose the most modest cup and passed the test. He manages to save his father. The knight warned them not to take the relic outside the temple. Elsa does not obey, causing an earthquake. This creates a huge crater in which the young archaeologist slips and dies. Indiana tries to retrieve the Grail before his father talks him out of it and they exit the building.
Outside, Henry Jones Sr. explains to Sallah that Indiana’s name is really Henry Jones Jr. His son chose the nickname Indiana as a tribute to the dog they had, which can be seen at the beginning of the film in the family home.
For the anecdote, George Lucas owned an Alaskan Malamute dog named Indiana which served as inspiration for Chewbacca in Star Wars, but also for the name of his archeologist hero.
Although the monument became famous in 1989 thanks to the film, it had made its appearance in pop culture long before that. Indeed, the facade was illustrated as the refuge of the Emir Ben Kalish Ezab in the album Coke en Stock of the adventures of Tintin, published in 1958. Steven Spielberg is a big fan of Tintin. He also signed with Peter Jackson Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn in 2011.
Steven Spielberg has always considered Indiana Jones to be a more adventurous James Bond. It is therefore normal to find six actors of the 007 saga in the credits of this opus: Sean Connery, John Rhys-Davies, Alison Doody, Julian Glover, Stefan Kalipha and Pat Roach.
The Treasury
Named Khazneh or The Treasury, the building is a tomb whose facade is carved in sandstone.
Dating from the first century BC, it is nicknamed “Pharaoh’s treasure”. This funerary monument would be, according to the archaeologists, dedicated to the king Arétas IV, died in 40 after Jesus-Christ.
Its construction remains a mystery. The theory of a scaffolding is unlikely because wood was rare in this region. One hypothesis suggests that the structure was dug from horizontal tunnels raised from the roof to the floor, over a period of about five years.
Several bullet holes can be seen on the massive urn at the top of the building because the Bedouin who lived in the area thought it contained a valuable treasure and therefore tried to break through it.
Since 1985, the site is protected and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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By Damien Duarte
Passionné par la culture pop depuis son enfance, ses références vont de Donald Duck à Batman en passant par Marty McFly. Fantripper dans l'âme, voyager sur les traces de Ghostbusters, James Bond ou des héros de romans comme Cotton Malone fait partie d'un séjour idéal et réussi !