The moment the sand was touched...the Holiness was corrupted and all had to be cleansed by God. He literally burned them all to dust, purified the Ark, and sealed it again. Powerful message!
I believe the sand was what remained of the Commandments. Because, let's face it, it's an ancient relic. As much as it preserved the pieces of the Commandments, it's still an ancient container. Upon touching it, it was the icing on the cake. Plus, they looked upon the face of God as sinners, which is another blow.
Yeah I agree with you, never take any items that belongs to God especially his money. I wish most people would be more obedient than just plain dunce's. 🙏
@@user-Natsu2001 I believe they were, in fact, Angels of Death. The very same Angels that visited their wrath upon Egypt's first born in the final plague.
I LOVE how Indy is actually screaming in this scene. Usually the strong male protags remains stoic in the face of danger, but even Indiana Jones screams when faces with otherwordly powers beyond understanding. Great scene
I dunno man. Even the toughest of men will scream when you have people melting around you, with lightning, pasma rays and holy fires everywhere. All that and you can't even take a look once.
My parents thought this scene would scare me as a child so ironically they told me to close my eyes too. I think hearing the screams and imagining what was happening was probably scarier than watching. But I think maybe having the same experience as the main characters made it more memorable for me.
"I was an atheist up until the moment I witnessed the wrath of God annihilate a squad of Nazis who had be captive."-Excerpt from Indy's salvation testimony
Julien Aubert, The Ten Commandments were in the arc, so when the arc was opened with ill intentions angles of death were dispatched to unleash wrath on the group for their evil deed.
He said in the beginning of the movie at his house he didn't believe in all that "superstitious hocus pocus". I think seeing smoke and rays of light come from the ark changed his mind real quick.
@@jduttskywalker Right?! If melting faces and huge flashes of light, lightening and thunder doesn't make you a believer then I don't believe anything will. Tho for me I don't need to witness God's wrath to believe in him.
I love how the power of the Ark also freed Indy and Marion of the ropes they were tied with, wihtout burning all the other clothing they had. God sort of rewarded them for respecting the Ark and not looking, showing his fairness.
I believe had Indy opened it out of curiosity, all he would have seen is sand, then the Ark would have sealed itself locked. Only reason it unleashed Hell on the Nazis was because they intended to use it for malice.
Yep Just like the Fiery Furnace with Shadrak, Ameshak and Ambendigo in scripture because they bowed their heads and closing their eyes they humbled themselves and showed resolute respect before God and for that God spared them from the flame and freed them from their bonds. Therefore God spared Indiana Jones and Marrion as well in this context.
Indeed. Angels aren’t pretty boys with fluffy wings attached to their backs. Real angels are basically eldritch abominations and don’t look even REMOTELY human!
This has got to be one of the best “0 to 100 real quick” moments in all of cinema. Remember, up until this point absolutely nothing supernatural or “other-worldly” happened in the film. Yeah, there were a couple lines about ancient power and God at the beginning of the movie, but aside from the box the Ark was in becoming charred, there was nothing extreme happening - it was a pretty straightforward (but good) adventure movie. Then all of a sudden in a matter of a 3-minute scene you have ghosts killing Nazis, people’s faces melting off, and someone’s head actually explodes. I can only imagine sitting in the movie theater during 1981, seeing this for the first time, and going “What the fuck just happened?!”
Back in 1981 we all understood the reference. "No one may look upon the Lord and live." It was so inherent to the culture, everyone knew why Indiana Jones did what he did, there wasn't an explanation necessary.
This was one of those rare times when the exposition and action built up to a massive threat, which, when it was displayed on screen, did not disappoint in the least. I think the fact that Indiana and Marion are both tied up adds to the audience's sense of powerlessness and vulnerability.
raf7550 warning label supplement, 1 don't touch God's property, 2 don't search for God's property 3. If you wanna search for my/ God's things with devilish intentions, consider your selves warned and hopefully think twice. That would be how I'd word it, but your way sounded good too.
In the book of Numbers chapter 4 verse 15 it says: And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall NOT TOUCH any holy thing, lest they die. “These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry. Later in 2 Samuel chapter 6, verse 7 it says: When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and TOOK HOLD of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God. So, if God says don't do something, that means DON'T DO IT, NO MATTER WHAT INTENTIONS, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD, YOU HAD IN YOUR HEART.
1 Samuel 6:19 - But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them.
When they discover nothing but sand in the Ark, Belloq and Dietrich are appalled, but Toht just laughs as if it's the funniest thing ever. I always found that quite chilling.
He probably laughs because he is sadistic. All that money, time, resources and manpower the have put down to find the Ark, only to open it and find worthless sand(atleast they think its worthless) is funny to Toht. Also probably because its quite ironic if it only were regular sand and completely worthless which they at first though it was.
@@as52343 well, he’s probably a hardcore Nazi and like Dietrich, found the whole “let’s dig up this JEWISH artifact” quest quite frustrating. Maybe even more than Dietrich. So it being a disaster probably amused him.
@@as52343 Toht had always felt that Hitler's hunt for magical items to help in the war as a childish waste of time and money ad something he only helped with because he was directly ordered to. Being able to rub this in the bosses face with no repercussions as well as look forward to Belloq (whom he despised, since he wasn't German) being punished for his failure made the whole thing worth it. Toht was literally just following orders; any punishments would go right over his head and he could smugly say "I told you so."
He laughed because the slate have decomposed to sand, its a sign for him that Gods commandments are abrogated, its a moment where he thinks God is a punk only to eat the dust short after. The whole bible and quran to a degree are riddled with stories like that.
When we saw this film, I remember asking my mother why they were spared and no one else. She looked at me and said softly "One does not look upon the Hand of God and live"
samuel bekele Well the original Star Wars series (1-6) are all PG except the third movie which was rated PG-13 and that movie had Anikan Skywalker decapitate Count Dooku. (Originally the scene was supposed to play with Anakin decapitating Dooku and blood shoots from the wound, but to keep it kid friendly they had to make the lightsaber cauterize the neck immediately.) Ironically both Indiana Jones and Star Wars are made by George Lucas.
They were brave men like back in their age,they didn't leave their posts even under a certain death and so they died in their stand. Americans would have dropped their guns and ran away like in the Ardennes.
+Darth Utah 66 It was actually the Lord killing all of them. the Ark of the Covenant holds the Holy Fire of the Lord as well and in the Bible it says one individual tried to put regular fire in there. the Lord viewed it as profane and the Holy Fire of the Lord came out and the Lord devoured him saying I shall only be regarded as holy.
As cheesy as it sounds, this is probably one of the most accurate visual representations of what happens when the sinful nature of man comes into contact with God's Holy and Pure presence. Exodus 33:22 refers to God putting Moses in a rock and covering Moses's face until God passes through. Yet God let's Moses catch the slightest glimpse (backside) of God.
I just love how you can see Indiana quickly thinking, using what he's studied, and coming up with a possible plan that might save their lives. He doesn't know that not looking, denying themselves the forbidden fruit of knowledge by keeping their eyes shut will work or not, but it's all they can do. And the Music! God! Such a great scene!
@@EnclaveSOC-102 Yeah those angels seem to have more in common with Old Testament depictions of angels rather than the cheerful, more forgiving pop-culture ones everyone is familiar with.
I like how the female ghost/angel seems to hone in on Toht probably sensing what a horrible evil man he is and all of sudden his mocking laughter from before turns to pure terror when it's face changes
GREAT film. Fun fact, the face-melting scene was completely improvised by the actor who played Toht. Spielberg initially said "CUT! What the hell was that?!" but the producers insisted it stay in the picture and the rest is hollywood history
They really should have put a warning label on that thing. "Caution: Opening this Ark may cause giddiness, drowsiness, immolation, burns and skin melting."
Michael Gaddass "And chances of ghosts doing that to whoever looks at them as part of God's wrath, thus sending whoever looks at them straight to Hell." Am I right?
+Michael Gaddass It did come with a warning. It's called the Bible. They were very thorough with the "do not open unless you have been given God's blessing or else it's a very painful death" details.
Johnny Doe Exactly! The only thing some up loaders got wrong was the audio seemed quieter with main screaming, which just added more intensity to the scene. I think the spirits sensed the evil agenda of the Nazi's and circled around them before becoming enraged just to check. I no longer question why Indy and Marion were spared when it's pretty clear. Yes they had their flaws too, but didn't ignore or embrace them. It's one thing to search for ancient relics but to use them for evil purposes, case in point) is quite another.
While the Nazis are instantly freaked out, Belloq is at least initially excited - for about 5 seconds he's thinking: "I'll get credit for the biggest thing in archaeology ever - oh, and I'll also have unlimited power over the world."
Nor found. God had tried to keep it hidden. That's why that sandstorm that buried Tanis was not only meant to punish Shishaq and the Egyptians for taking the Ark, but God also hoped the sandstorm would bury the Ark, and keep it hidden forever.
I was 10 years old at the time and it instantly became the favorite movie of my childhood. I saw it four or five times while it was still in theaters and then dozens more on VHS over the years. I think the only movie I've viewed more times altogether may be Scarface, which was the first VHS movie I ever purchased for myself. I remember it cost me nearly 50 dollars for a double tape VHS set back in 1988. I bought it with my first paycheque from my summer job that year.
So did I; I still remember when my dad brought home the VHS tape for the first time; it instantly became one of my favourite films, and still remains so to this day. Seeing this scene for the first time ever was unforgettable!!
You know, this movie did the Ark of the Covenant justice somehow. The Bible states that the Ark was the place where God's presence was felt among the Israelite camp in Exodus. So, to simply come before the Ark and open it is a defilement of the place where God stands. And God, being the Most Holy One, does not take kindly to that and will purify any defilement. So, anyone who dares to touch the Ark was immediately smitten by God's wrath. Makes sense why despite the beauty of the angel that appeared suddenly turned into a disturbing image of death, and why the Nazis in the movie were struck by God's fire. Long story short, leave the Ark alone.
Good point, and when the beams of fire strike flow through Belloq to the Nazi soldiers, it forces them all to their knees, bowing before God whether they like it or not. Only the penitent man shall pass!
Plus there is also the fact that the people opening it and trying to harness its power intend on wiping out all of the people to whom the Ark is sacred, perhaps even with the power of the Ark itself. No wonder it (and by extension, God) was supremely pissed off.
This scene scared the crap out of me for a long time. I remember having nightmares about this scene for many years. But now when I look back on it, I kinda laugh.
When I was younger, I thought they were literally looking into Hell itself. And if it made a man like Toht scream like a girl, I could only imagine how horrible Hell would be. I could hardly sleep.
This is sort of what happens in Hell, it just happens over and over again, because Hell is a place of eternal pain, punishment, and death. But don't worry. If you believe in God, Jesus, the Crucifiction, etc., God will take you to Heaven. God loves you. He doesn't want you to fear him.
@@willalford9776 Amen 🙏 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3: 16
For me it is the sound of the sprit when it changes from a beautiful woman to absolutely terrifying presence at 3:03 & the sound it of the roar is terrifying.
Feel the exact same thing. Hans Zimmer is my favorite movie composer, but John Williams' work on this movie is genius. The whole build-up to the climax of the scene is perfect, but it's at that exact moment that I get chills
@Frost2Mann It makes sense it would be burned off. For starters it is symbol that belongs to another religion and the Abrahamic God is "jealous". The symbol is being appropriated by vicious anti semites. And if I'm not mistaken, YHWH is a Semitic diety lol
One of the best endings ever! The bad guys fate suffer their fate, and Indy and Marion are released for their chords they are bind with. Nothing like a totally epic ending for a movie.
Ezekiel 25:17 New King James Version (NKJV) 17 "I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I lay My vengeance upon them.”
3:35 Probably one of the single coolest practical fx I've ever seen. It still mesmerizes me, over 30 years later. Done with various colors of wax and a super high heat gun. Beauty.
@@andrewbevan4662 The human body would explode under immense heat. If you were to jump into lava, you would explode, not melt, like most people assume. It's simply because the body is mostly comprised of water.
I went to a thirty-fifth anniversary screening last year, and among the other patrons was someone bringing his two young sons (both looking somewhere between the ages of eight and six). After the movie ended I noticed that one of them still had tears on his face and I asked if this scene scared him. "Oh no," said his dad. "He's just sad that the monkey died."
I love Indy’s face when the Ark is opened. Seeing Belloq’s face at the sight of the fine sand is sweet: of *course* the Ten Commandments wouldn’t be intact after all this time. What did you expect? F-ing idiot. But when the machines start to overload: ohhh crap. And can we all agree that even now, this is still one of the greatest Holy F-ing Sh-! moments in cinema? Pun intended.
@@TheLatiosnlatias02 at the beginning of the movie he shows the book to the two guys explaining the ark. The guys who shielded their eyes werent being killed.
@@PJVids83 I always took it as, “Thanks for trying.” Besides his and Marion’s ropes were burned away. I think He was glad someone tried to protect the Arc and keep its power from falling into the wrong hands.
0:03 - The Island They open this Ark on 0:09 - Ark Is Transported To belloq 0:22 Belloq Sings His prayer 0:45 The Ark Of Covenant Is Opened 0:51 Everyone Gathers Closer to see what is inside the Ark of Covenant 0:57 Dietriech Takes his glove off and Grabs some of the sand inside the Ark 1:14 Toht thinks that the sand was inside the Ark the whole time and laughs 1:27 Wierd noise occurs, gods angels have arrived 1:31 Paranormal Activity Occurs 1:51 Angels Are Coming Out Of the Ark for the Germans fate 2:04 The Spirits Are Still coming everywhere 2:12 Natzi Soldiers Aren't so sure about this anymore 2:21 Marion Don't Look At it, keep your eyes shut 2:27 Spirits are flying around making paranormal whistling noises 2:40 Soldier Gets Levitated Up By One of the angel 2:52 Angel Flies Towards Belloq, Toht, and Dietriech 3:01 God's Wrath 3:03 Major Toht: AAAAAAHHH Dietriech: Uhhhhh Belloq: Gentle Aahhh 3:14 Wierd Screaming Noises and A Big sort of flame hovers above the ark 3:17 Flame thingee Lasers all of the German soldiers 3:27 A Screaming Contest 3:32 Dietriechs Head Shrinks to bone 3:34 Tohts Head Melts to Bone 3:38 Belloq Head Explodes 3:42 Clearing Up The Bodys 3:47 Indiana Jones and Marion Scream as the burning flames drift past them 3:58 All Bodies Turn to dust and get lifted to the clouds and back into the ark 4:21 They Survived 4:38 Romance
Our God wouldn't have punished Indiana Jones and Marian merely for being skeptical and not believing in Him. Nor did they have any ulterior motives regarding the ark. And their hearts were fair, degraded only by the bounds of humanity set by the Lord Himself. And so, by closing their eyes, being true and showing deference to a greater power that is the almighty, the divine, their lives were spared. Furthermore their hearts were filled with love, for one another, and they had displayed altruism, and so in contrast to the selfish, hate-filled, murderous and cruel ambitions of the nazi men present, they were allowed to continue receiving the ultimate gift of life, whilst their nazi counterparts were subjected to a swift, yet enlightening end to their mortal coil. They had failed their test, and as such did not receive the reward of continued existence; the Lord God created us, and as such has the power and just cause to end our existence at any given moment.
Isn't there a Bible story where something quite similar actually happens as well? It doesn't say their face melts off but I'm pretty sure it says a tribe dies
If they put this movie back in theaters I am certain it would blow the competition away. It would also remind movie goers what slop they are being fed and how bad the effects were compared to this.
They keep trying to put 80s movies back in theatres as remakes but just can't get it right - too many talentless corporate yes men and accountants involved in modern movies.
Can we all take a moment to give the foley sound artists their due. The sound design in this scene is some of the best in cinema. From the ark's cover being removed to the sound of the sand drifting down to the long, low thunder boiking up drom the ark...the tension in this scene is built using SOUND. Just spectacular work.
I had to come back and watch this scene again after seeing some of the "making of" footage on the Disney+ show "Light and Magic." It's episode 4 if anyone is interested. They showed how they were able to make the spirits look so otherworldly. They built them out of fabric, put them on sticks, and filmed them moving underwater. Then the footage was sped up, giving them that great floaty feel. I thought that was brilliant. It's crazy to think that this movie was filmed in 1980, when all special effects had to be made and composited manually. This movie still holds up in every way.
This is the single most traumatic scene I have ever seen at the movies when I was a kid. The melting man terrorized me so much I could not sleep that night. Now it's one of my favorite scenes.
Same with me. I credit this scene as the catalyst for my interest in the horror genre, then I read Goosebumps, and my interest in the genre was solidified.
I remember being freaked out as my parents watched _Total Recall_ and Quaid decompressing right at the start. I couldn’t even grasp what was happening simply from bumping his face on the rock.😖
2:53 I LOVE the inclusion of the medallion theme here. It conveys that sense of judgement from God, in that final moment, before unleashing horror. Its really beautiful and chilling..
Fun fact: Richard Edlund, made the special effects for this movie. Also he made: Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, E.T. the extraterrestrial, Ghostbusters and Poltergeist.
This scene really makes me, tear up. This movie is incredibly nostalgic to me. From the music, to the effects from 1981, it all just works. Idk how to explain it. But i think this is THE best, most iconic movie scene of all time.
yup- I cry when I see this, too. It's been my favorite movie of all time since the day it came out when I saw it as a little kid. Nothing has even come close. It checks more boxes for me than any other movie.
Brilliantly played by the late actor Ronald Lacey. Sadly he passed away 5/15/1991 at age 55 from terminal bowel cancer. So sad and so young. He probably still could’ve had a career. May he RIP.
That's probably the most unsettling bit of it all, as you can still hear Toht gurgling as all that's left on his skull is just _blood._ Not that he didn't deserve it. He did. But still, that's... eugh. And not to mention Oberst Dietrich shriveling up and collapsing in on himself, and Belloq burning as his head explodes...
I just realized in my bible reading in this year of 2022 SO many years after this movie was made that Jehovah God/Yahweh said that he would actually do the very same thing to any who came against his people to harm them and I immediately had to come back and watch this scene from Indiana Jones Raiders Of The Lost Ark to get a visual. Zechariah 14:12: "And this is the scourge with which Jehovah will scourge all the peoples who wage war against Jerusalem:+ Their flesh will rot away while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot away in their sockets, and their tongues will rot away in their mouths." That definitely caught my attention. Although in this scene their faces actually melted/rotted. This is one of my favorite movies. I love Indiana Jones. The religious accuracy of these movies is pretty true. They used God's actual personal name Jehovah in the Last Crusade movie.
There's also an allusion to the closing of eyes during the opening of the Ark in Indian folklore as well. Here is how it goes. A man and his family had the worst of luck in their business in a city and were on the point of becoming homeless. However, they were kind and good people, always ready to help, which many people took advantage of and caused their current predicament. The man was an atheist, but his wife believed in God. Out of options, he agreed to his wife's request to see God. They went to the temple in the middle of the city and requested the priest an audience with God. The priest, knowing of the man's good nature agreed, but with a condition: That only the man was to enter the temple and the doors would be closed behind him so that he would be alone with God. Kneeling in front of the diety, the man after some hesitation asked. "Lord, my wife says this is all a test to see how I can rise above it, and have a better life for me and my family. I am not sure if it's true or not, but I ask you to show me a way. I have helped people, some of whom deserve it and some don't. But I have always done it in a selfless way, not thinking of profit and certainly not out of greed. Hence, request you to please help me" he implored, looking at the diety. The diety remained immovable and impassive, but the man's patience had run out. Dejectedly, he and his wife made it back home and got into bed. During his sleep, he had a dream where God appeared before him. "My son, I understand you have sought an audience with me, regarding your troubles. Let me ask you this. A man who has love for everyone, who helps friends and strangers alike with no malice, greed, or selfishness in heart, yet has no belief in God, but decides to approach me for help? Can you give me a reason for your non-belief and why you would come now of all times?" The man answered, "My Lord, I have a very good reason for not believing. Years ago, when my mother was ill, I moved from person to person, asking for help, even at one point asking for your help, but nothing. I have lost my mother due to the lack of assistance from God and man alike. Which is why I took a decision to stop believing in God, and also help people in need. The reason being I didn't want to become the man I did not receive help from, for that was never in my nature. My mother's death instead strengthened by belief of helping people in need. However, I also believed that when every person in life will die at some point, why pray to God for it? When you leave this place, all that will be left is a good image of me in the eyes of the people I helped, and that happiness and remembrance is enough for me. I was of this opinion until I had a family of my own. Seeing my wife and children suffering is something I could not bear to see. Also, though I don't believe in God, I have never challenged my wife's beliefs. My only wish is for my family to live happily and prosper, not to see them in a state of poverty or out on the streets in the cold". God pondered for a moment and then said, "Hmm, you have a valid point. Tomorrow, at dawn, please pack up and leave this city, but on one condition: Do NOT, in any circumstance, be it someone calling, someone stopping you to talk or out of curiosity, turn around and look behind you. Only when you have reached the end of the city limits and nearing the next city can you look. I ask you to have that faith in me and follow my advice." The man found this strange, but when he woke up in the early hours of the morning, he told his wife all about the dream. Agreeing to the condition, he and his family set off with their belongings, walking at a brisk pace. People started looking at them and started calling them, asking questions, they heard people calling from behind, people trying to slow them down to ask questions or asking the reason for leaving. The group found this extremely strange, but all through this, the man kept his word to God and continued walking until the city outskirts, finally nearing a town. When he finally crossed the line showing the city limit, he and his family turned to look. What they saw made their hair stand up on end and shivers run down their spine. Standing in front of them, just behind the city limits, was a humanoid person, disheveled and dirty, with long and matted hair, torn clothes, with long sharp fingernails and teeth like a demon, and red glowing eyes, staring at them with a mixture of sadness and anger. Upon staring at them for a moment, it turned around and headed back into the city. The man and his family realized that they were staring at the literal embodiment of bad luck, temptation, and poverty. The man realized that God had listened to his prayer, which firmly re-established his faith in God. The family then moved into the other city and started anew and to the man's surprise, his business boomed and his family's life became much better. Despite his initial lack of belief in him, God came through to help in his moment of need, and the man never forgot that lesson for the rest of his life, nor did his family.
I'm not going to lie, when I first saw this as a kid, I shut my eyes immediately when Indy told Marion to do the same; I thought whatever was in the Ark would manage to come through the TV screen and kill me if I dared look at it. It wasn't until about two years later before I was brave enough to watch this with my eyes open.
This scene absolutely terrafied me as a kid and if I watched raiders on video I had to look away myself when the angel turns angry in Toht's face it scared me that much, even outside of the world of the film I was heeding the warning not to look directly at it just like Indy had directed.
Temple of doom is good in my opinion and crystal skull wasn't that bad in my opinion but don't worry it's only my opinion but raiders and last crusade are the best ones of course
It makes, you know what, maybe Indy should have just let the Nazis have it. Hitler probably would have had it opened in Berlin in front of a whole army of Nazi soldiers. Think of how that would have gone.
The whole point of why Indy got recruited to go track down the ark was because they found out Hitler recruited the nazis (Toht and Diedrich) to find it so that way Hitler can make himself and the rest of his Nazi clique invincible and untouchable and so they had Indy go seek it so the nazis don’t . Basically to rescue it and the reason Indy and Marion shut their eyes during the whole event was because he knew how it all worked and the dangers to opening it and screwing with it like the nazis did and you can look in the ark which Indy knew so that’s one of the top reasons Indy and Marion got spared
This movie still hails over 40 years later. It was INSANELY great for its time in 1981. The overall production and not one empty minute with most minutes intense. Watched it once again since i was a kid and remembered how mesmerizing it was!🤤
I love Thots laughter when he sees the sand. It really shows that he never really cared about history, treasures or eaven the third regim. He was the only bad guy who was in It for the thrill of It. Every sacrifice being for a box of sand was hillarious to him.
The unearthly whistling sounds that the supernatural entities (avenging angels?) start making at 2:37 really add to the intensity of this scene...I consider this scene one of the best - and most memorable - in the history of American cinema.
Matt Gerrish but the nazis probably didn't know that or like I said, were too stupid to survive. Face it, if you knew you were gonna die in 5 weeks or 30 seconds, wouldn't you try to fight fate?
RIP cinematographer Douglas Slocombe. You did at least two things anyone can hope to do… Help create something as long lasting as a movie like Raiders and also live to 103.
Now I realized what the scene means: - The sand inside the Ark were actually the two tablets of Ten Commandments of God carried by Moses in the Book of Exodus. - The spirits that flying around the Nazis are the angels of death which the same being that killed the first born sons in Egypt as the last Plague(Book of Exodus). - Belloq, Dietrich and Toht's gory deaths was foreshadow in previous scenes like Dietrich smashes a watermelon into pulp which his head turns into a pulp, Toht burns his right hand while trying to get a burned amulet which his face got melt by the power and Belloq insults God about the Aryan race are superior to everyone even the Lord himself, seal his fate as he dressed as Levite priest(since Levite priests are the only ones to see and open the Ark according from the Bible) to mock him only to got blown his own head because of the power they seek destroyed them. - Indiana Jones and Marion were spared by the Lord's wrath because Indy made a smart decision not to destroy the Ark with a rocket launcher(Had he do it, the Ark will exploded and destroyed everyone or a continent more powerful than the 2 atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and surrendered. Also, he did follow what the Imam said of the warning and consequences of the Ark being disturbed or open in the earlier scene. Meaning, he and Marion were saved by the gracious of the Lord, by releasing them from the ropes they were tied. And to conclude, it was a great foreshadow of the downfall of the Nazi regime/Third Reich for not just create the Holocaust that killed the Jews and other minorities but also they use the Christian religion mixed with Nazi ideology as their superiority towards the people, religions and the Lord which led the destruction of Berlin, the heart of the Nazi Reich.
The same Angels of Death were also sent to Sodom and Gomorrah. In the story, Lot's wife stared at the Angels of Death despite warnings from the angels. This ended up turning her into Salt and killing her.
No he didn't. He distinctly says, "Marion, don't look at it. Shut your eyes, Marian, and don't look at it-no matter what happens.". He NOT once addresses the audience, only the character of Marian. NO FOURTH WALL WAS "kind of" anything....
![T-800 CSM 101 Arrival | Terminator 2: Judgment Day [Remastered]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XPtVZ69lomk/mqdefault.jpg)
Archangel Gabriel: "Sir, some guy named Belloq and the Nazis are opening the Ark."
God: "Excuse me for a moment."
“Now I gotta get up from my favorite chair, do some smiting, I swear to Me these people...”
Yea, I guess it's a good idea to...."KEEP YOUR EYES SHUT!"
What happens if you pour water from the Grial (the real one) into the Ark? it gets neutralized and unable to kill?
@@terrencebunce1964 is ANY MAN SO WORTHY TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD AND NOT DIE???
@@bxundxm GOD WOULD JUST REFILL THE CUP
The moment the sand was touched...the Holiness was corrupted and all had to be cleansed by God. He literally burned them all to dust, purified the Ark, and sealed it again. Powerful message!
explain what u mean when u say the sand touched...
i sense a deeper meaning
@@thtniqqa9274when belloq touched the sand. He tainted it with his heart of sin as well as his intent for evil.
I believe the sand was what remained of the Commandments. Because, let's face it, it's an ancient relic. As much as it preserved the pieces of the Commandments, it's still an ancient container. Upon touching it, it was the icing on the cake. Plus, they looked upon the face of God as sinners, which is another blow.
@@Oi325 It would have happened if *anyone* touched it. Even the purest heart has some evil in it.
Not the sand...the Bible says that if you even touch the Ark with your bared hands you´re dead.
Moral of the story: If god tells you not touch his stuff...DONT TOUCH HIS STUFF! 😐
Yeah I agree with you, never take any items that belongs to God especially his money. I wish most people would be more obedient than just plain dunce's. 🙏
I think that should be obvious
I agree leave gods stuff alone 👍
Like a certain tree of knowledge
I love those angels, and sometimes they can become death angels if you mess with the lord's Ark .
This scene is brilliant because this is definitely something the Old Testament God would do.
Back in the day when G-d was still a real man. **g**
@@benjamingoldstein1111 Careful, Goldstein; lest you reap what you sow.
@@Hez0 the moral of the story is that if you mess with the Lord’s ark, those angels can become angels of death
@@user-Natsu2001 I believe they were, in fact, Angels of Death. The very same Angels that visited their wrath upon Egypt's first born in the final plague.
@@cosmonautchimp3649 also this scene scared the three villains
I LOVE how Indy is actually screaming in this scene. Usually the strong male protags remains stoic in the face of danger, but even Indiana Jones screams when faces with otherwordly powers beyond understanding. Great scene
Yes not actually the typical strong male lead to be frank, I think Indy differs quite a bit from most of the time
I also think the heat from the fire has something to do with it.
I dunno man. Even the toughest of men will scream when you have people melting around you, with lightning, pasma rays and holy fires everywhere. All that and you can't even take a look once.
@Alexander Supertramp but really, wouldn’t *you* scream if you were thrown into a pit filled with cobras?
He also screamed in pain after getting hit in the chin by a mirror
My parents thought this scene would scare me as a child so ironically they told me to close my eyes too. I think hearing the screams and imagining what was happening was probably scarier than watching. But I think maybe having the same experience as the main characters made it more memorable for me.
As the late Sir Christopher Lee put it: "More often what you don't see is far more powerful, frightening and suggestive then what you do see."
That’s hilarious!
That’s pretty cool ngl
next time when you see the movie watch it its amazing
When I was little I was told to shut my eyes too during this scene
"I was an atheist up until the moment I witnessed the wrath of God annihilate a squad of Nazis who had be captive."-Excerpt from Indy's salvation testimony
Dockboy90 I’m already a Christian, and I’d start believing all over again if I saw- or heard- that.
where did you find that quote?
Putting God in a box is not a religion. More a superstition created by priests to exploit people fear for money. The true God is elsewhere.
Julien Aubert,
The Ten Commandments were in the arc, so when the arc was opened with ill intentions angles of death were dispatched to unleash wrath on the group for their evil deed.
For all the atheist if God didn't send an angel to touch you on your forehead you wouldn't wake up in the morning..
I love the slow build, as Indy realizes what's coming even though he can't quite believe it himself.
yeah
He said in the beginning of the movie at his house he didn't believe in all that "superstitious hocus pocus". I think seeing smoke and rays of light come from the ark changed his mind real quick.
That little voice in his head saying maybe you should close your eyes for this...her too
@@jduttskywalker Right?! If melting faces and huge flashes of light, lightening and thunder doesn't make you a believer then I don't believe anything will. Tho for me I don't need to witness God's wrath to believe in him.
He mentioned Sunday school early in the film. He couldn't believe his eyes as he realized that what they taught him back then was true all along.
It’s amazing how God rewarded Indy and Marion with freeing them and sparing them in exchange for not looking at the power of the Ark.
Ala Sodom and Gomorrah.
Hell of a reward…
“Nah, you guys are chill, so I’m not going to make you explode”
It belongs in a museum!
@@537monster Heaven, you mean.
The old testament God did not mess around..
I love how the power of the Ark also freed Indy and Marion of the ropes they were tied with, wihtout burning all the other clothing they had. God sort of rewarded them for respecting the Ark and not looking, showing his fairness.
I believe had Indy opened it out of curiosity, all he would have seen is sand, then the Ark would have sealed itself locked.
Only reason it unleashed Hell on the Nazis was because they intended to use it for malice.
Yep Just like the Fiery Furnace with Shadrak, Ameshak and Ambendigo in scripture because they bowed their heads and closing their eyes they humbled themselves and showed resolute respect before God and for that God spared them from the flame and freed them from their bonds. Therefore God spared Indiana Jones and Marrion as well in this context.
Praise God
And because he knew their hearts were pure unlike Belloq and the Nazis.
@@Benfiester You mean Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hebrew names Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah). ;-)
The concept of angels of death taking a more rotten, horrid form when dealing with evil is such a cool idea i wish media did more.
They were probably saying “Auschwitz, the meaning of pain, the way that I want you to die!”
Indeed.
Angels aren’t pretty boys with fluffy wings attached to their backs.
Real angels are basically eldritch abominations and don’t look even REMOTELY human!
@@DamontheDemon7Angels can look lile anything.
I prefer the look of them on the ark itself, those two statues, that looks cool af
Angels can be destructive soldiers of God e.g Sodom and Gomorrah.
This has got to be one of the best “0 to 100 real quick” moments in all of cinema. Remember, up until this point absolutely nothing supernatural or “other-worldly” happened in the film. Yeah, there were a couple lines about ancient power and God at the beginning of the movie, but aside from the box the Ark was in becoming charred, there was nothing extreme happening - it was a pretty straightforward (but good) adventure movie. Then all of a sudden in a matter of a 3-minute scene you have ghosts killing Nazis, people’s faces melting off, and someone’s head actually explodes.
I can only imagine sitting in the movie theater during 1981, seeing this for the first time, and going “What the fuck just happened?!”
There was that cargo hold scene with the rat.
No argument here, I can just imagine the looks on people's faces after they first saw this.
What about the staff of RA?
That is a weird way to write 1943 😂
Back in 1981 we all understood the reference. "No one may look upon the Lord and live." It was so inherent to the culture, everyone knew why Indiana Jones did what he did, there wasn't an explanation necessary.
He chose ... poorly.
lookielouE1705 hahahaha that was great
Wrong movie
right series
You mean THEY chose...poorly.
I understood that reference.
This was one of those rare times when the exposition and action built up to a massive threat, which, when it was displayed on screen, did not disappoint in the least. I think the fact that Indiana and Marion are both tied up adds to the audience's sense of powerlessness and vulnerability.
Loved that thunderclap when the lid of the Ark slammed shut. It's like God was telling Indy and Marion, "It's OK, kids. You can open your eyes now."
Don't forget that God also cut their ropes loose.
It's true man
I thought it was something more like a warning as if god was saying "don't dare touch my stuff ever again" it's an intimidating touch if you ask me.
After the slam, It seems to have a voice through the thunderclap: Saying, "Keep closed and don't disturb!"
@@theintamindude You mean God, and while there's an air of finality about it, He knew that Indy never had any intention of opening it himself.
If God says "Hey don't touch my stuff," then YOU DON'T TOUCH HIS STUFF.
raf7550 warning label supplement, 1 don't touch God's property, 2 don't search for God's property 3. If you wanna search for
my/ God's things with devilish intentions, consider your selves warned and hopefully
think twice. That would be how I'd word it, but your way sounded good too.
raf7550 yeah Nazis let this be a lesson never overthink these things
In the book of Numbers chapter 4 verse 15 it says: And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall NOT TOUCH any holy thing, lest they die.
“These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry. Later in 2 Samuel chapter 6, verse 7 it says: When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and TOOK HOLD of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God. So, if God says don't do something, that means DON'T DO IT, NO MATTER WHAT INTENTIONS, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD, YOU HAD IN YOUR HEART.
If The ark really is there at Tanis, Than I believe it is something that was not to be disturbed.-Salla.
1 Samuel 6:19 - But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them.
When they discover nothing but sand in the Ark, Belloq and Dietrich are appalled, but Toht just laughs as if it's the funniest thing ever. I always found that quite chilling.
He probably laughs because he is sadistic. All that money, time, resources and manpower the have put down to find the Ark, only to open it and find worthless sand(atleast they think its worthless) is funny to Toht. Also probably because its quite ironic if it only were regular sand and completely worthless which they at first though it was.
It’s like he wasted his time and the lives of his soldiers lost for nothing, until…….
@@as52343 well, he’s probably a hardcore Nazi and like Dietrich, found the whole “let’s dig up this JEWISH artifact” quest quite frustrating. Maybe even more than Dietrich. So it being a disaster probably amused him.
@@as52343 Toht had always felt that Hitler's hunt for magical items to help in the war as a childish waste of time and money ad something he only helped with because he was directly ordered to. Being able to rub this in the bosses face with no repercussions as well as look forward to Belloq (whom he despised, since he wasn't German) being punished for his failure made the whole thing worth it. Toht was literally just following orders; any punishments would go right over his head and he could smugly say "I told you so."
He laughed because the slate have decomposed to sand, its a sign for him that Gods commandments are abrogated, its a moment where he thinks God is a punk only to eat the dust short after.
The whole bible and quran to a degree are riddled with stories like that.
When we saw this film, I remember asking my mother why they were spared and no one else. She looked at me and said softly "One does not look upon the Hand of God and live"
Your mother is very smart
“you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Exodus 33:20
@John Cartwright His wife, and perhaps!
@@rosyclown yeah, no (except for Indy and Marion)
Yes.
One of the absolute best scenes in the history of cinema.
And also the scariest
Not one of..
The absolute best bar none still holds up 40 years later
The Idol part was the best
Until u watch BBT and come back to this
You're absolutely correct
Like many religions, he thinks that wearing the correct garb and speaking the right words will be enough to appease God.
Haha,yep.
Amy Soderstrom but God knew he was evil,therefore Rene was killed
U think god will save u Rene?! I think not!
Ye nazi that coming
I'm a Christian and I find your statement very true
Well put sir, well put
Ironic that Toht was originally going to burn Marion's face in the beginning of the movie and then at the end his face melts off.
I never noticed that! Brilliant observation! 👏
The mirror continues with indiana his first scene was with sand and we find sand in the arch in the end
Tiny subtle things that are put in movies that you don’t notice 🤔
Yes. When that angel or sprit being so beautiful turns from that beauty to a demonic force he is absolutely gripped by fear. It’s incredible.
@@NoName-jq7tj to be honest, angels can be terrifying too
John Williams just nailed it here.
I know, I love the TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT sounds. So scary.
BEHHHH BEHH BEH
John Williams ALWAYS nails. He is the Master.
In that case, more like "melted" it there. LoL
I went to a london Philharmonic orchestra concert recently of all John Williams best movie scores. Epic.
Fun Fact: This movie is rated PG.
Your kidding... Some dude gets his brains blown out and it's rated PG?
samuel bekele Yep, look it up.
Man... People didn't pussyfoot back in the day.
samuel bekele Well the original Star Wars series (1-6) are all PG except the third movie which was rated PG-13 and that movie had Anikan Skywalker decapitate Count Dooku. (Originally the scene was supposed to play with Anakin decapitating Dooku and blood shoots from the wound, but to keep it kid friendly they had to make the lightsaber cauterize the neck immediately.) Ironically both Indiana Jones and Star Wars are made by George Lucas.
Connor Clemmons lol
and then a nazi soldier comming from the bathroom: hey guys, how is the ark thing...hey where is everyone??
Yeah but what if god burned you to ash on the crapper
@@ShadowBoss0001 then you had some really shitty luck 😂😅
@@ShadowBoss0001 😐😐😐😐
I Dont Want To Know
I always thought it would be a nice touch if at least one soldier had had the sense to prostate himself.
They were brave men like back in their age,they didn't leave their posts even under a certain death and so they died in their stand. Americans would have dropped their guns and ran away like in the Ardennes.
I love how Toht screams like a little girl the exact moment shit goes down.
More like Belloq, maybe, complete with exploding head. lucasisking
and does nothing and stands there while the angels of death kill everyone
+Darth Utah 66 It was actually the Lord killing all of them. the Ark of the Covenant holds the Holy Fire of the Lord as well and in the Bible it says one individual tried to put regular fire in there. the Lord viewed it as profane and the Holy Fire of the Lord came out and the Lord devoured him saying I shall only be regarded as holy.
Me too!
I think he's a play on Heinrich Himmler, who was a little bitch.
As cheesy as it sounds, this is probably one of the most accurate visual representations of what happens when the sinful nature of man comes into contact with God's Holy and Pure presence.
Exodus 33:22 refers to God putting Moses in a rock and covering Moses's face until God passes through. Yet God let's Moses catch the slightest glimpse (backside) of God.
The entire movie was building up to this moment, and the payoff was better than any of us thought.
Agreed!
The movie was made as a Jewish man’s revenge fantasy. The satisfying feeling of this scene shows he got exactly what he set out to do.
I just love how you can see Indiana quickly thinking, using what he's studied, and coming up with a possible plan that might save their lives. He doesn't know that not looking, denying themselves the forbidden fruit of knowledge by keeping their eyes shut will work or not, but it's all they can do. And the Music! God! Such a great scene!
and he seems to be processing in like 20 seconds beforehand that "oh shit, all of this Abrahamic religious stuff is REAL" 😅
This is one of the most spectacular and terrifying scenes in film history.
The way the spirit goes from beautiful to evil as the music kicks in is phenomenal
Not evil, just wrathful
@@alicegraham1571 wrathful and angry
@@EnclaveSOC-102 Yeah those angels seem to have more in common with Old Testament depictions of angels rather than the cheerful, more forgiving pop-culture ones everyone is familiar with.
I like how the female ghost/angel seems to hone in on Toht probably sensing what a horrible evil man he is and all of sudden his mocking laughter from before turns to pure terror when it's face changes
You know what’d be ironic?
If that spirit was someone Toht murdered in his time as a Nazi, and now she’s getting her post-mortem revenge.
@@joshuastrittmatter4188 That'd be pretty fun, but these are not spirits of dead humans; they are angels.
THESE EFFECTS BEAT CGI BY A LONG SHOT!
CDHfilms they beat the absolute dog shit out of CGI. I think stuff like this is more convincing than any crap out nowadays.
Good practical effect will beat any bad cgi any time, good cgi on other hand.
CGI is bollocks
CDHfilms especially when you know they used real figures and sculptures
These effects still hold up today, and that’s amazing.
GREAT film. Fun fact, the face-melting scene was completely improvised by the actor who played Toht. Spielberg initially said "CUT! What the hell was that?!" but the producers insisted it stay in the picture and the rest is hollywood history
Ronald Lacey
Amazing he could do that on command!
So it was Ronald Lacey's idea, That MF
They really should have put a warning label on that thing.
"Caution: Opening this Ark may cause giddiness, drowsiness, immolation, burns and skin melting."
Michael Gaddass There was, but it was in ancient hebrew :-(
qetoun
Should have used a pictogram then. XD
Michael Gaddass "And chances of ghosts doing that to whoever looks at them as part of God's wrath, thus sending whoever looks at them straight to Hell." Am I right?
+Michael Gaddass It did come with a warning. It's called the Bible. They were very thorough with the "do not open unless you have been given God's blessing or else it's a very painful death" details.
mekkio77 good point, that should be enough to protect the manufacture from the above liability.
One of the greatest scenes in cinema history. Still has the power to shock after 40 years. Masterpiece of a movie
I lov3 this flick. It was th3 first Indiana Jon3s movi3 I saw. I proudly hav3 all 5 of th3m
"Yeah, ooo, ahhh, that's how it always starts. But then later there's running and screaming."
-Ian Malcolm
Nazis: not even God can stop us!
God: Aw, that’s so cute....
More like... "Don't underestimate me"
@@sbarrow06 Or "you underestimate my power"
More like.
God: Oh, really?
remind me of the quote in Two Stupid Dogs where after "that was cute" was "BUT IT"S WROOOONG"
god : oh really fun then see if you open the ark I'll stop you in your tracks and make you pay for opening my ark
2:55 "It's beautiful!" It won't be in 5 seconds.
Johnny Doe Exactly! The only thing some up loaders got wrong was the audio seemed quieter with main screaming, which just
added more intensity
to the scene.
I think the spirits sensed the evil agenda of the Nazi's and circled around them before becoming enraged just to check.
I no longer question why Indy and Marion
were spared when it's
pretty clear. Yes they
had their flaws too, but didn't ignore or embrace them.
It's one thing to search for ancient relics but to
use them for evil purposes, case in point) is quite another.
While the Nazis are instantly freaked out, Belloq is at least initially excited - for about 5 seconds he's thinking: "I'll get credit for the biggest thing in archaeology ever - oh, and I'll also have unlimited power over the world."
2:54 Belloq: It's beautiful!
3:00 You were saying
He spoke too soon.
Even more excited than me goin to see Santa at the mall Christmas ‘86
God made it PERFECTLY CLEAR that the Ark of the Covenant is NEVER to be opened!
I thought that it was also never to be touched at all
@@A1171-w3u
Not even looked at.
@@PhilipMReeder also no longer necessary. Mankind is his Ark now. Bit of a downgrade if you ask me, but I'm not God.
Now I know what Sallah meant when he said the ark was not to meant to be disturbed.
Nor found. God had tried to keep it hidden. That's why that sandstorm that buried Tanis was not only meant to punish Shishaq and the Egyptians for taking the Ark, but God also hoped the sandstorm would bury the Ark, and keep it hidden forever.
Since I was a kid, this scene has always intrigue me to the deepest level. Really makes you feel as you are witnessing something you shouldn't.
I did Nazi that coming...
Littlekiraneko Best comment ever!
Littlekiraneko HAHAHAHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA, omg! So funny joke! Keep em coming!!!
Hah!! You're funny.
Littlekiraneko i was gonna say that -.-
Took me a second, but I understood it XD
This scene gives me chills and goosebumps. The music, the spirits - amazing!
"Do not say, "I will repay evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you."
Proverbs 20:22
what a movie! i saw it thousand of times when i was a kid!
I told you a billion times not to exaggerate.
I was 10 years old at the time and it instantly became the favorite movie of my childhood. I saw it four or five times while it was still in theaters and then dozens more on VHS over the years. I think the only movie I've viewed more times altogether may be Scarface, which was the first VHS movie I ever purchased for myself. I remember it cost me nearly 50 dollars for a double tape VHS set back in 1988. I bought it with my first paycheque from my summer job that year.
So did I; I still remember when my dad brought home the VHS tape for the first time; it instantly became one of my favourite films, and still remains so to this day. Seeing this scene for the first time ever was unforgettable!!
You know, this movie did the Ark of the Covenant justice somehow. The Bible states that the Ark was the place where God's presence was felt among the Israelite camp in Exodus. So, to simply come before the Ark and open it is a defilement of the place where God stands. And God, being the Most Holy One, does not take kindly to that and will purify any defilement. So, anyone who dares to touch the Ark was immediately smitten by God's wrath. Makes sense why despite the beauty of the angel that appeared suddenly turned into a disturbing image of death, and why the Nazis in the movie were struck by God's fire. Long story short, leave the Ark alone.
Good point, and when the beams of fire strike flow through Belloq to the Nazi soldiers, it forces them all to their knees, bowing before God whether they like it or not. Only the penitent man shall pass!
Plus there is also the fact that the people opening it and trying to harness its power intend on wiping out all of the people to whom the Ark is sacred, perhaps even with the power of the Ark itself. No wonder it (and by extension, God) was supremely pissed off.
Plus, in the Bible, God did kill people who looked into the Ark.
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. - Exodus 33:20
🙏
The Bible sounds like cosmic horror
Those you-know-whats experienced the worst "cosmic horror" of their lives!
This scene scared the crap out of me for a long time. I remember having nightmares about this scene for many years. But now when I look back on it, I kinda laugh.
I still get scared, haha! Its a very tense scene that journeys into the Beyond.
Icebears4ever Same
is it wrong that i laughed the first time I saw it?
This is why I'm hear to finally put this childhood demon to sleep lool
It gave me goosebumps
When Indy said “Keep your eyes shut!” I think he was talking to the audience lol.
For real, this is an absolutely nightmarish scene for a Pg rated movie.
When I was younger, I thought they were literally looking into Hell itself. And if it made a man like Toht scream like a girl, I could only imagine how horrible Hell would be. I could hardly sleep.
This is sort of what happens in Hell, it just happens over and over again, because Hell is a place of eternal pain, punishment, and death. But don't worry. If you believe in God, Jesus, the Crucifiction, etc., God will take you to Heaven. God loves you. He doesn't want you to fear him.
@@willalford9776 Amen 🙏 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3: 16
“ A girl“ more like a newborn baby that has just been pushed out by their mother
I think he saw what he had coming.
Quite the opposite
Made nearly 40 years ago but this scene is still so atmospheric and quite awe-inspiring. That buzzing sound at 1:45 still chills my blood.
Truly sounds otherworldly
For me it is the sound of the sprit when it changes from a beautiful woman to absolutely terrifying presence at 3:03 & the sound it of the roar is terrifying.
Feel the exact same thing. Hans Zimmer is my favorite movie composer, but John Williams' work on this movie is genius.
The whole build-up to the climax of the scene is perfect, but it's at that exact moment that I get chills
So true - for me, also it was that pulsing, menacing growl the Ark makes when it starts burning off the swastika in the hold of the Bantu Wind...
@Frost2Mann It makes sense it would be burned off.
For starters it is symbol that belongs to another religion and the Abrahamic God is "jealous".
The symbol is being appropriated by vicious anti semites.
And if I'm not mistaken, YHWH is a Semitic diety lol
I love how this movie randomly shifts gears and becomes a horror movie within a few minutes lol
One of the best endings ever! The bad guys fate suffer their fate, and Indy and Marion are released for their chords they are bind with. Nothing like a totally epic ending for a movie.
"... and you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you!"
Ezekiel 25:17
New King James Version (NKJV)
17 "I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I lay My vengeance upon them.”
3:01 is where and when beautiful becomes the wrath. Just Mind-Blowing.
Especially 3:50
Literally
3:35 Probably one of the single coolest practical fx I've ever seen. It still mesmerizes me, over 30 years later. Done with various colors of wax and a super high heat gun. Beauty.
they did, then sped the film up to get the right effect
And all it took was a hairdryer pointed at the wax figure for it to make that effect.
.. great sequence but would skin & flesh melt like wax?.. wouldn't it just burn?
@@andrewbevan4662 The human body would explode under immense heat. If you were to jump into lava, you would explode, not melt, like most people assume. It's simply because the body is mostly comprised of water.
I went to a thirty-fifth anniversary screening last year, and among the other patrons was someone bringing his two young sons (both looking somewhere between the ages of eight and six). After the movie ended I noticed that one of them still had tears on his face and I asked if this scene scared him. "Oh no," said his dad. "He's just sad that the monkey died."
I love Indy’s face when the Ark is opened. Seeing Belloq’s face at the sight of the fine sand is sweet: of *course* the Ten Commandments wouldn’t be intact after all this time. What did you expect? F-ing idiot.
But when the machines start to overload: ohhh crap.
And can we all agree that even now, this is still one of the greatest Holy F-ing Sh-! moments in cinema?
Pun intended.
@@TheLatiosnlatias02 at the beginning of the movie he shows the book to the two guys explaining the ark. The guys who shielded their eyes werent being killed.
As my Dad always said, "God's just cleaning it."
He’s scrubbing it VERY well
And He didn't even leave a mess.
Wiped clean by the Wrath of God
*Bleach*
(3:11-3:40)
See?... This is what happens when you screw around with forces beyond your understanding or control.
Yep
true never mess with the lord's powers
Tell that to John Hammond.
+jazmine smith or Chuck Norris's
lol, says the character who routinely plays around with 7 magic balls and a dragon that can alter the fabric of reality itself hahahaha
Not many films have an ending as incredible as the opening of the film.
4:28 - "I... feel like I need to go to church."
"Yeah, let's do that. Quickly."
Alex Tocqueville right behind you.
That thunder was a nice touch. That was God saying "You're welcome Indy".
Nah, I took that thunderclap to mean, "I will not be mocked."
@@PJVids83 I always took it as, “Thanks for trying.” Besides his and Marion’s ropes were burned away. I think He was glad someone tried to protect the Arc and keep its power from falling into the wrong hands.
0:03 - The Island They open this Ark on
0:09 - Ark Is Transported To belloq
0:22 Belloq Sings His prayer
0:45 The Ark Of Covenant Is Opened
0:51 Everyone Gathers Closer to see what is inside the Ark of Covenant
0:57 Dietriech Takes his glove off and Grabs some of the sand inside the Ark
1:14 Toht thinks that the sand was inside the Ark the whole time and laughs
1:27 Wierd noise occurs, gods angels have arrived
1:31 Paranormal Activity Occurs
1:51 Angels Are Coming Out Of the Ark for the Germans fate
2:04 The Spirits Are Still coming everywhere
2:12 Natzi Soldiers Aren't so sure about this anymore
2:21 Marion Don't Look At it, keep your eyes shut
2:27 Spirits are flying around making paranormal whistling noises
2:40 Soldier Gets Levitated Up By One of the angel
2:52 Angel Flies Towards Belloq, Toht, and Dietriech
3:01 God's Wrath
3:03 Major Toht: AAAAAAHHH
Dietriech: Uhhhhh
Belloq: Gentle Aahhh
3:14 Wierd Screaming Noises and A Big sort of flame hovers above the ark
3:17 Flame thingee Lasers all of the German soldiers
3:27 A Screaming Contest
3:32 Dietriechs Head Shrinks to bone
3:34 Tohts Head Melts to Bone
3:38 Belloq Head Explodes
3:42 Clearing Up The Bodys
3:47 Indiana Jones and Marion Scream as the burning flames drift past them
3:58 All Bodies Turn to dust and get lifted to the clouds and back into the ark
4:21 They Survived
4:38 Romance
And their corrupt perverted spirits are cast into the white hot furnace of hell
Thank you for this superb breakdown 🥳
Seriously, this one of the best endings in cinema history!
Notice it doesn't start until AFTER Belloq says "It's beautiful!"...as in "They DARE LOOK UPON the GREATNESS of the LORD!!!?"
This scene is still so beautiful and so brutal to watch at the same time.
Our God wouldn't have punished Indiana Jones and Marian merely for being skeptical and not believing in Him. Nor did they have any ulterior motives regarding the ark. And their hearts were fair, degraded only by the bounds of humanity set by the Lord Himself.
And so, by closing their eyes, being true and showing deference to a greater power that is the almighty, the divine, their lives were spared. Furthermore their hearts were filled with love, for one another, and they had displayed altruism, and so in contrast to the selfish, hate-filled, murderous and cruel ambitions of the nazi men present, they were allowed to continue receiving the ultimate gift of life, whilst their nazi counterparts were subjected to a swift, yet enlightening end to their mortal coil. They had failed their test, and as such did not receive the reward of continued existence; the Lord God created us, and as such has the power and just cause to end our existence at any given moment.
Isn't there a Bible story where something quite similar actually happens as well? It doesn't say their face melts off but I'm pretty sure it says a tribe dies
Moral of the Story: Believe in God, Don’t be a Nazi, DO NOT touch his Stuff.
This sound like something from the Bible itself.
JonnyBee- Wow! That was better than most of the sermons and homilies I have heard. Seriously, you nailed it.
Better than almost any homily I’ve ever heard.
If they put this movie back in theaters I am certain it would blow the competition away. It would also remind movie goers what slop they are being fed and how bad the effects were compared to this.
They keep trying to put 80s movies back in theatres as remakes but just can't get it right - too many talentless corporate yes men and accountants involved in modern movies.
@@josephstewart2821 liberals have overrun the film industry
When I see Toht picking up the dust and laughing hysterically.
"Fools mock, but they shall mourn" - Ether 12:26.
I like the detail that the angels float around everyone but Indiana and Marion because they have their eyes closed. thus showing respect.
Nostalgia Critic said it best; back when PG actually meant Parental Guidance. Now it might as well stand for "Practically G"
Can we all take a moment to give the foley sound artists their due. The sound design in this scene is some of the best in cinema. From the ark's cover being removed to the sound of the sand drifting down to the long, low thunder boiking up drom the ark...the tension in this scene is built using SOUND.
Just spectacular work.
I love how they take turns screaming.
I had to come back and watch this scene again after seeing some of the "making of" footage on the Disney+ show "Light and Magic." It's episode 4 if anyone is interested. They showed how they were able to make the spirits look so otherworldly. They built them out of fabric, put them on sticks, and filmed them moving underwater. Then the footage was sped up, giving them that great floaty feel. I thought that was brilliant. It's crazy to think that this movie was filmed in 1980, when all special effects had to be made and composited manually. This movie still holds up in every way.
This is the single most traumatic scene I have ever seen at the movies when I was a kid. The melting man terrorized me so much I could not sleep that night. Now it's one of my favorite scenes.
Same with me. I credit this scene as the catalyst for my interest in the horror genre, then I read Goosebumps, and my interest in the genre was solidified.
Funny how that works,i still hate going in the ocean because Jaws is waiting for me!
I remember being freaked out as my parents watched _Total Recall_ and Quaid decompressing right at the start. I couldn’t even grasp what was happening simply from bumping his face on the rock.😖
His initial scream was flipping on point.
Did Judge Doom's reveal traumatize you too?
2:53 I LOVE the inclusion of the medallion theme here. It conveys that sense of judgement from God, in that final moment, before unleashing horror. Its really beautiful and chilling..
Fun fact: Richard Edlund, made the special effects for this movie. Also he made: Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, E.T. the extraterrestrial, Ghostbusters and Poltergeist.
he also worked on the effects in Die hard
Thanks for the fun fact. Poltergeist did cross my mind when I saw the angels of death flying around.
Such an amazing array of talent in those films. That’s why they will be beloved for all time.
I thought that the ghost effects looked familiar.
Love how majestic the music is just before the angel becomes a monster!
... I'd say they become angel of death...
This must be one of the most terrifying movie sequences ever... and it always gives me goosebumps.
This scene really makes me, tear up. This movie is incredibly nostalgic to me. From the music, to the effects from 1981, it all just works. Idk how to explain it. But i think this is THE best, most iconic movie scene of all time.
this is probably my favorite action/adventure movie of all time.
yup- I cry when I see this, too. It's been my favorite movie of all time since the day it came out when I saw it as a little kid. Nothing has even come close. It checks more boxes for me than any other movie.
I'm crying right now...
You can actually hear Toht drowning in his own blood!
Brilliantly played by the late actor Ronald Lacey. Sadly he passed away 5/15/1991 at age 55 from terminal bowel cancer. So sad and so young. He probably still could’ve had a career. May he RIP.
That's probably the most unsettling bit of it all, as you can still hear Toht gurgling as all that's left on his skull is just _blood._ Not that he didn't deserve it. He did. But still, that's... eugh.
And not to mention Oberst Dietrich shriveling up and collapsing in on himself, and Belloq burning as his head explodes...
Yeah.......... it's _awesome!_
Without question; One of the greatest moments in film!
I love it when he says "it's beautiful!" Five seconds later he's like oh crap! That's what happens when you disrespect God!
I see it as more arrogant. God told them something & they didn’t listen
When the Angel of Death snarls and stares you right in the face; you're toast (literally).
I just realized in my bible reading in this year of 2022 SO many years after this movie was made that Jehovah God/Yahweh said that he would actually do the very same thing to any who came against his people to harm them and I immediately had to come back and watch this scene from Indiana Jones Raiders Of The Lost Ark to get a visual. Zechariah 14:12: "And this is the scourge with which Jehovah will scourge all the peoples who wage war against Jerusalem:+ Their flesh will rot away while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot away in their sockets, and their tongues will rot away in their mouths." That definitely caught my attention. Although in this scene their faces actually melted/rotted. This is one of my favorite movies. I love Indiana Jones. The religious accuracy of these movies is pretty true. They used God's actual personal name Jehovah in the Last Crusade movie.
There's also an allusion to the closing of eyes during the opening of the Ark in Indian folklore as well. Here is how it goes.
A man and his family had the worst of luck in their business in a city and were on the point of becoming homeless. However, they were kind and good people, always ready to help, which many people took advantage of and caused their current predicament. The man was an atheist, but his wife believed in God. Out of options, he agreed to his wife's request to see God. They went to the temple in the middle of the city and requested the priest an audience with God. The priest, knowing of the man's good nature agreed, but with a condition: That only the man was to enter the temple and the doors would be closed behind him so that he would be alone with God. Kneeling in front of the diety, the man after some hesitation asked. "Lord, my wife says this is all a test to see how I can rise above it, and have a better life for me and my family. I am not sure if it's true or not, but I ask you to show me a way. I have helped people, some of whom deserve it and some don't. But I have always done it in a selfless way, not thinking of profit and certainly not out of greed. Hence, request you to please help me" he implored, looking at the diety.
The diety remained immovable and impassive, but the man's patience had run out. Dejectedly, he and his wife made it back home and got into bed. During his sleep, he had a dream where God appeared before him. "My son, I understand you have sought an audience with me, regarding your troubles. Let me ask you this. A man who has love for everyone, who helps friends and strangers alike with no malice, greed, or selfishness in heart, yet has no belief in God, but decides to approach me for help? Can you give me a reason for your non-belief and why you would come now of all times?"
The man answered, "My Lord, I have a very good reason for not believing. Years ago, when my mother was ill, I moved from person to person, asking for help, even at one point asking for your help, but nothing. I have lost my mother due to the lack of assistance from God and man alike. Which is why I took a decision to stop believing in God, and also help people in need. The reason being I didn't want to become the man I did not receive help from, for that was never in my nature. My mother's death instead strengthened by belief of helping people in need. However, I also believed that when every person in life will die at some point, why pray to God for it? When you leave this place, all that will be left is a good image of me in the eyes of the people I helped, and that happiness and remembrance is enough for me. I was of this opinion until I had a family of my own. Seeing my wife and children suffering is something I could not bear to see. Also, though I don't believe in God, I have never challenged my wife's beliefs. My only wish is for my family to live happily and prosper, not to see them in a state of poverty or out on the streets in the cold".
God pondered for a moment and then said, "Hmm, you have a valid point. Tomorrow, at dawn, please pack up and leave this city, but on one condition: Do NOT, in any circumstance, be it someone calling, someone stopping you to talk or out of curiosity, turn around and look behind you. Only when you have reached the end of the city limits and nearing the next city can you look. I ask you to have that faith in me and follow my advice." The man found this strange, but when he woke up in the early hours of the morning, he told his wife all about the dream. Agreeing to the condition, he and his family set off with their belongings, walking at a brisk pace. People started looking at them and started calling them, asking questions, they heard people calling from behind, people trying to slow them down to ask questions or asking the reason for leaving. The group found this extremely strange, but all through this, the man kept his word to God and continued walking until the city outskirts, finally nearing a town.
When he finally crossed the line showing the city limit, he and his family turned to look. What they saw made their hair stand up on end and shivers run down their spine. Standing in front of them, just behind the city limits, was a humanoid person, disheveled and dirty, with long and matted hair, torn clothes, with long sharp fingernails and teeth like a demon, and red glowing eyes, staring at them with a mixture of sadness and anger. Upon staring at them for a moment, it turned around and headed back into the city. The man and his family realized that they were staring at the literal embodiment of bad luck, temptation, and poverty. The man realized that God had listened to his prayer, which firmly re-established his faith in God. The family then moved into the other city and started anew and to the man's surprise, his business boomed and his family's life became much better. Despite his initial lack of belief in him, God came through to help in his moment of need, and the man never forgot that lesson for the rest of his life, nor did his family.
That sounds similar to what God did to Jericho
I'm not going to lie, when I first saw this as a kid, I shut my eyes immediately when Indy told Marion to do the same; I thought whatever was in the Ark would manage to come through the TV screen and kill me if I dared look at it. It wasn't until about two years later before I was brave enough to watch this with my eyes open.
You are not the only one!
This scene absolutely terrafied me as a kid and if I watched raiders on video I had to look away myself when the angel turns angry in Toht's face it scared me that much, even outside of the world of the film I was heeding the warning not to look directly at it just like Indy had directed.
I bet the horrible thing they saw when opening the Ark that made them melt was the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Best comment down here so far LOL
Andrew Durand or temple of doom.
Andrew Durand I like you.
Don't look at it! Keep your eyes shut!
Temple of doom is good in my opinion and crystal skull wasn't that bad in my opinion but don't worry it's only my opinion but raiders and last crusade are the best ones of course
I admit this scene was a lot more satisfying than it should have been. Seeing the power of god strike down and melt nazis.
It makes, you know what, maybe Indy should have just let the Nazis have it. Hitler probably would have had it opened in Berlin in front of a whole army of Nazi soldiers. Think of how that would have gone.
The whole point of why Indy got recruited to go track down the ark was because they found out Hitler recruited the nazis (Toht and Diedrich) to find it so that way Hitler can make himself and the rest of his Nazi clique invincible and untouchable and so they had Indy go seek it so the nazis don’t . Basically to rescue it and the reason Indy and Marion shut their eyes during the whole event was because he knew how it all worked and the dangers to opening it and screwing with it like the nazis did and you can look in the ark which Indy knew so that’s one of the top reasons Indy and Marion got spared
Almost 40 years later, and still one of the best death scenes in cinema! 😃
I think in the Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper stole Raiders of the Lost Ark with 21 additional seconds!
This movie still hails over 40 years later. It was INSANELY great for its time in 1981. The overall production and not one empty minute with most minutes intense. Watched it once again since i was a kid and remembered how mesmerizing it was!🤤
I love Thots laughter when he sees the sand. It really shows that he never really cared about history, treasures or eaven the third regim. He was the only bad guy who was in It for the thrill of It.
Every sacrifice being for a box of sand was hillarious to him.
Toht had bats in his belfry.
The unearthly whistling sounds that the supernatural entities (avenging angels?) start making at 2:37 really add to the intensity of this scene...I consider this scene one of the best - and most memorable - in the history of American cinema.
3:00 The avenging angels are like, "You really thought you could harness the power of the Lord you idiots?!?"
LOL
***** The Nazis seriously never learn
the black hat dude: I'm just gonna stand there and scream while the angels kill us
Darth Utah 66 There's no escaping God or angels and he knew that. Either that or he was too terrified to move.
Matt Gerrish but the nazis probably didn't know that or like I said, were too stupid to survive. Face it, if you knew you were gonna die in 5 weeks or 30 seconds, wouldn't you try to fight fate?
RIP cinematographer Douglas Slocombe. You did at least two things anyone can hope to do… Help create something as long lasting as a movie like Raiders and also live to 103.
I love it how their ropes got disintegrated too. It's like the big guy said: "You did me a solid! Let me help ya out."
Now I realized what the scene means:
- The sand inside the Ark were actually the two tablets of Ten Commandments of God carried by Moses in the Book of Exodus.
- The spirits that flying around the Nazis are the angels of death which the same being that killed the first born sons in Egypt as the last Plague(Book of Exodus).
- Belloq, Dietrich and Toht's gory deaths was foreshadow in previous scenes like Dietrich smashes a watermelon into pulp which his head turns into a pulp, Toht burns his right hand while trying to get a burned amulet which his face got melt by the power and Belloq insults God about the Aryan race are superior to everyone even the Lord himself, seal his fate as he dressed as Levite priest(since Levite priests are the only ones to see and open the Ark according from the Bible) to mock him only to got blown his own head because of the power they seek destroyed them.
- Indiana Jones and Marion were spared by the Lord's wrath because Indy made a smart decision not to destroy the Ark with a rocket launcher(Had he do it, the Ark will exploded and destroyed everyone or a continent more powerful than the 2 atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and surrendered. Also, he did follow what the Imam said of the warning and consequences of the Ark being disturbed or open in the earlier scene. Meaning, he and Marion were saved by the gracious of the Lord, by releasing them from the ropes they were tied.
And to conclude, it was a great foreshadow of the downfall of the Nazi regime/Third Reich for not just create the Holocaust that killed the Jews and other minorities but also they use the Christian religion mixed with Nazi ideology as their superiority towards the people, religions and the Lord which led the destruction of Berlin, the heart of the Nazi Reich.
The same Angels of Death were also sent to Sodom and Gomorrah. In the story, Lot's wife stared at the Angels of Death despite warnings from the angels. This ended up turning her into Salt and killing her.
@@brendanfrost2475 Isaiah 37:36
I guess you can say they did *nazi* that coming.
Lmao, good one...very creative! :D
I see, you saw the Michael J. Fox Show too ;)
LoL...
soulstormyweather Creative??? Watch Rawr5649's comment :)
Nazrat84 YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!
I think the Indiana was so serious when he said “Keep your eyes shut” he kinda broke the fourth wall. Some of us may kinda wish we listened.
No he didn't. He distinctly says, "Marion, don't look at it. Shut your eyes, Marian, and don't look at it-no matter what happens.". He NOT once addresses the audience, only the character of Marian. NO FOURTH WALL WAS "kind of" anything....
@@dlperk5035 Still. I was one that listened to the advice lol 😅
No, he was warned by several people before this that the Ark was dangerous.
Ironically, when my mom showed my little brother this, she had him keep his eyes shut, so he felt the scene just like Indy and Marion.
I sat in the theater in 1981 with my jaw on the ground during this scene. To this day this movie is my very favorite.