How did Indy know to keep his eyes closed?
Was this explained in the movie?
sharei think it was something about it was forbidden by god to look inside the covenant
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MovieChat Forums > Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Discussion > How did Indy know to keep his eyes close...
He and Marcus Brody know the Bible story about the ark.
shareWhat I always wondered is that if the Ark was willing to kill anything with visible eyes, would it have taken out ALL life in that area, like rats and bugs as well? They can't close their eyes, or don't know that they should.
We actually did see a rat being killed by the Ark while it was still aboard the uboat (the scene where the eagle and swastika on the crate are being burned away).
shareI don't think the rat was killed, simply stunned or something with a ultra-high pitch ultrasonic blast, or it felt the Ark's "anger" as it burned away the evil symbol on its container. In any case, I've often wondered what that power was that was "torturing" the rat.
When Indy and Brody were showing the Federales a picture of the Ark earlier in the movie, the depiction showed rays of light shooting out of it taking down the army in front of it. Maybe Indy figured if you didn't see the light, it wouldn't harm you.
I think you got it.
shareI do remember that part but did it actually say anything about keeping the eyes closed?
shareIt did not, but it seems Indy made the connection later.
When Indy and Marion were tied up and the the Ark was opened, Indy seemed amused that it appeared to hold nothing but sand. When the winds picked up and the noises started, there's a closeup of Indy's face when he realizes something is going to happen and his mind is racing.
Right at that moment it seems he recalled the picture in the book and suddenly yelled to Marion to keep her eyes shut. It had to be that very moment of realization otherwise he would have told her before the Ark was opened.
In any case, he had nothing to lose as they were tied up and could do nothing else.
I think you have to add in the other biblical context from the old testament, remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah where the family fleeing the cities is told not to look back and when the wife does she dies from looking. There is also thought that no man could look at the face of God... throw all that into your understanding of biblical stuff and you would probably assume you shouldn't be looking at whatever was in the arc.
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This doesn't explain it, but here's an alternate scene that wasn't used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2KZHUgtS3A
Its a plot hole
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3. Don't get the ark wet
4. Don't feed it after midnight
I recall an old “making of” where Lucas actually references Lot’s wife
She turned into a pillar of salt for looking upon God’s wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah
The idea is that holy wrath is lethal to mortal eyes
Jones would’ve known this — no deleted scene needed
This is the explanation that came to my mind as well.
shareWell he is an archaeologist and a lecturer so he probably knows about these things.
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