A discussion of plot holes in rec.arts.movies.past-films has turned to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Great movie though it is, the plot is more riddled with holes than Dillinger's corpse -- why was a division of Nazi troops running around unmolested in a British protectorate; how did Indy survive while clinging to the hull of a sub (even if it didn't submerge, the crew should've spotted him from the conning tower); how did Indy and Marion get off the Nazi island with the Ark; and why did Indy have a two-man plane waiting just over the hill from the Hovito temple at the beginning.

That last one raises some interesting questions about Dr. Jones' character.

First, let's consider what we know of him. He's supposedly an accredited archaeologist, but in Temple of Doom a character accuses him of being a grave robber, and notes that several countries have kicked him out and threatened dire punishments if he ever returns. Nothing we see in the movies disproves the accusations. In fact, Jones' archaeological techniques match Belloq's description of the Nazis' -- of using "a bulldozer to find a china cup". Dr. Jones has no interest in learning about ancient cultures -- he just wants to find the loot, even if he destroys whole structures in the process.

The film's also show us that he's quite a lothario -- we see him with three women over the course of four years, two of whom he definitely slept with (making him extremely promiscuous by the standards of the time). His classes attract a large number of female students who gaze at him with googly eyes. Near the beginning of Raiders we see a girl in one of his classes with "I love you" painted on her eye lids, which disconcerts Dr. Jones in the middle of his lecture. Upon first viewing we assume he's caught off guard by a student having a crush on him, but that seems unlikely in retrospect. And then consider what we learn about his relationship with Marion later in the film:

MARION: You son-of-a-bitch! You know what you did to me, to my life? This is your handiwork.

INDY: I never meant to hurt you.

MARION: I was a child!

INDY: You knew what you were doing.

MARION: I was in love.

INDY: I guess that depends on your definition.

MARION: It was wrong. You knew it.

Dr. Jones is clearly a sexual Neanderthal who seduces women and tosses them aside once he's had his fun. So when viewing the classroom scene we must ask ourselves, does the student simply have a crush, or is there more to it. Perhaps she's another notch on Jones' headboard, and he's disconcerted because she can't take the hint the he's done with her.

This might also explain why in Raiders Indy is teaching at a California college, but by The Last Crusade he's in New York. Perhaps his college grew tired of his peccadilloes and gave him the boot. Or alternatively, maybe they grew tired of him skiving off classes without any notice to head to South America on a treasure hunting expedition.

Which brings us back to the initial question -- what was that plane doing there, just over the hill from the Hovito temple? We know Jones didn't fly there since (A) we see him and his companions trekking through the jungle a lot farther than the distance from the plane, and (B) the plane only had room for Jones and the pilot. So that means Jones had to know the location of the temple in advance and told the pilot where to meet him, and that he had no intention of taking his companions along after he got the idol. The obvious conclusion to draw is that he knew in advance that the area was filled with booby traps and wanted companions along to use as catspaws to trigger them. If any of his men survived the temple, they'd be left for a Hovito stewpot.

In light of these facts, we must also reconsider the actions of Alfred Molina's character, Satipo, who betrayed Jones in the temple. To a viewer who accepts Spielberg's manipulative telling of the story, Satipo is a rat bastard who betrayed Jones. But obviously he twigged to Jones' plan and decided to beat him to the punch.

Thankfully there was a reputable archaeologist on the scene, who, though he failed to save poor Satipo, stopped Jones from stealing the Hopito's rightful property and heritage. If Belloq hadn't been foolish enough to take a Nazi grant for his expedition, he'd be the hero of the movie. As it is, the only thing Jones has going for him is that he hates Nazis, which isn't a particularly high bar.

NEXT WEEK: E.T.: friendly alien, or advance scout for an invasion fleet?