Will New Indiana Jones Movie Be Good for Peru? Probably Not
Set for its world premiere today at the Cannes Film Festival, and then its wide release on Thursday, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will feature Peru prominently in its story. One preview for the movie shows a plane flying over the Nazca Lines and according to another the characters will also take their quest to find the Crystal Skull into Peru’s jungles. Looking back at the past Indiana Jones movies, Peruvians should hold their breath before cheering the arrival of Indiana Jones in theaters.
While the Indiana Jones movies are unquestionably exciting as movie going experiences, they also unfortunately have often portrayed developing and non-western countries in a very negative light. The most striking example of the tendency is how the country of India is portrayed throughout Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. If you’ve seen the movie, then you most likely remember the striking scene where Indiana Jones and his cohorts are offered monkey brains as a delicacy inside the palace of a local person of prestige. Soon thereafter, the heroes find themselves in a secret passageway teeming with insects right next to a bedroom.
These, of course, are just a few examples of how India is treated as a destination. Probably the biggest insult though is the most dramatic and memorable aspect to the movie. A cult leader in the Temple of Doom rips peoples’ hearts out with his bare hands, in preparation for human sacrifices. I was a kid at the time that I first saw the movie. I think if I had seen it as an adult, all of these things would have made me want to jump right on a plane to India.
If you still aren’t believing that the Temple of Doom and other Indiana Jones movies have had some, to put it nicely, cultural deficiencies, check out this scholarly assessment of how Indiana Jones movies have tended to be racist. Other critics have also seen the movies as pro-American propaganda:
The tales of Indiana Jones are tales of knighthood, modernizations of medieval chivalric romances in which America stands in for the Arthurian court, the Third World becomes the forest of adventure, and the Nazis or Thugees function as hostile knights to be defeated in an effort to recuperate and reaffirm America’s cultural destiny.
So what does this mean for Peru? If the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull portrays Peru negatively, this might create a downtrend in tourism to Peru. Tourism is vitally important to Peru’s economy, and also to conservation of its archaeological and natural treasures. According to Peru’s National Institute of Natural Resources, approximately 93% of international tourists visited at least one protected area (e.g., national park) during their visits in 2002. These visits help boost international awareness and support for conserving and protecting the world treasures found in Peru.
There are quite a number of potential ways that the Kingdom of Crystal Skull might slight Peru and its people. Given that part of the movie’s events will take place in the Amazon rainforest, it’s very possible that its ecosystems will be treated as exotic and foreign, teeming with unpleasantries such as dangerous insects, snakes, and hostile, savage natives. A preview for the movie, in fact, shows some form of indigenous-looking characters, that Indiana in narration refers to as the “living dead.” Of course, this probably won’t inspire many viewers to want to visit the rainforests of Peru. Nor will the film’s potential depiction of challenges in urban environments, transportation needs in the country (will we see llamas?), and its treatment of food offerings necessarily appeal in a positive way to viewers. Right now, I am imagining someone offering guinea pig to Indiana and his amigos and this being used as a point of grotesque humor for audiences. Can you believe they eat that? Gross!
The movie’s plot is also rumored to in some way to involve aliens. There are quite a few archaeological sites in Peru that have theories about aliens associated with them, such as the aforementioned Nazca Lines. I’m not sure how this potential aspect to the film would reflect upon Peru. Peruvians do tend to find amusement and interest in these alien possibilities. One example of such amusement is shown in this humorous commercial for a beer named after the famous archaeological site of Caral. It remains to be seen if this potential alien aspect to the Indiana Jones story might actually be something positive to inspire tourism and interest in Peru.
In the end, perhaps what audiences will care about most is whether or not Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull is any good, and if an aged Harrison Ford still has his Indy-mojo. Peruvians, however, should hope that millions of people around the world will walk out of theaters over the next few weeks with a positive feeling toward Peru, rather than a possible thought of “I’m glad I never have to go there.” I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
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China Bans Moviemaking in Nature Reserves by Amy Stodghill
Photo Credit: David James/Paramount Pictures
I am Peruvian and I felt very offended with all the innacuracies (geographical, cultural, historical, etc.) about my country.
I believe that if Mr. Spielberg wants to make a “fiction” movie, then he does not need to utilize a “non-fictitious” country for his stories. I do not think that it is an appropriate excuse to say that this is a “just a movie” to make such terrible mistakes.
I am not the only Peruvian that is offended with these mistakes (It is sad that other Peruvians do not care). You can read some statements of other people http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/printstory/0,25585,23781945-10388,00.html or statements made by the cultural ministry representative of Peru and some university profesors who are historians. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jDLM2NqJLgpes3NpMxbxKJ0gYmaw
Also I agree with Carla and Oscar, that the movie makes so many stupid mistakes that it just reinforces the idea that Americans are very ignorant about the world. This is very sad, because what this movie does besides portray badly Peru is portray very badly Americans.
P.S. Besides all of this, the movie was very boring and confusing.
this movie has a lot of mistakes peru is a beutiful wonderful country with differences and is a peaceful country and indian jones is trying to get people out of that country so i reccomend you to go to peru my friends went and they love it
It’s a really shame the way they mixed the places. The Nazca Lines are located in the Peruvian Coast and it is very hot. Nobody uses the clothes shown in the movie, those belongs to the highlands cities, very very far away. The people responsable for the movie should have been more carefully in exposing other places like whatever things….
It is a movie and most people who have learned anything in social studies knows that India is not all about monkey brain dessert just as Peru is not all about dangerous insects!
Hi,
I am a Peruvian, and more than offended, I felt embarrased for Spielberg and Lucas. Being such important figures worldwide, they should have at least done some research on the cultures they portrait.
Some geography lessons wouldn’t hurt as well. The movie is developed in nazca, and the airplane arrived in CUZCO…. Kms away from Nazca.
Indiana also mentioned that PANCHO VILLA (a Mexican!!) taught him how to speak Quechua!… This is not a surprise when you hear mexican music in the background when they are in “Nazca”.
Such things more than letting peruvians down, let Americans down, as this seems to show a low cultural level over there which I know is not true. I know a lot of common Americans who have much more culture than Spielberg and Lucas together.
That’s exactly what the americans think about “the Hispanic Culture”
They don’t see us as individual Contries. They think we are all the same. Poor, uneducated, “THIRD WORLD”. It’s too sad, but it’s true.
THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE. I AM PERUVIAN BY THE WAY, I AM VERY PROUD THAT THEY HAVE TRAVELED ALL THE WAY THERE, AND SHOWED THE WORLD A BEAUTIFUL ANCIENT PLACE FULL OF THINGS…WHO CAN PROVE THAT IN A WAY MACCHU PICCHU WAS NOT CREATED IN THE REAL LIFE BY ALIENS. TRAVEL TO A PLACE CALL MARCAHUASI IN PERU AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT YOU WILL NEVER SEE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, SOME PEOPLE GET THERE JUST TO SEE UFO’S CHECK IT OUT, I BET YOU YOU HAVE NERVER HEARD OF THAT PLACE! I AM VERY PROUD OF MY COUNTRY BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, WE HAVE A LOT OF CULTURE,FOOD IS GREAT, PLACES ARE AMAZING , CHECK OUT MARCAHUASI, PERU AND YOU WILL NOT SAY ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT UFO’S!!!
FER, I THINK YOU ARE WRONG, MOST OF PERUVIANS HAD A GOOD IDEA WHAT IS PRE-INCA OR INCA’S….TE DIGO QUE NO A TODOS NOS GUSTA LA HISTORIA SEA O NO FICCION O UNA PELICULA QUE MESCLA A SU ANTOJO LA CULTURA MAYA & INCA QUE ES COMO TRATAR DE MANDAR PINGUINOS AL POLO NORTE Y TRAER OSOS POLARES AL POLO SUR….YO CREO QUE TU GENERALISAS UNA PELICULA COMO SIMPLEMENTE FICCION Y QUE SI LA HISTORIA ES ENTREVERAR DIGAMOS ALGUNOS EJEMPLOS: LA GENTE DE PANCHO VILLA SABIA QUECHUA Y INDY APRENDIO DE ELLOS…LA GENTE DE PANCHO VILLA CON LAS JUSTAS HABLABA MAL QUE BIEN EL CASTELLANO Y NO SABIAN LEER EN SU MAYORIA…LA HISTORIA CUENTA QUE NINGUN REVOLUCIONARIO MEXICANO O DEL GRUPO DE PANCHO VILLA LLEGO A SUR AMERICA NI JAMAS AL PERU.
UN AEROPUERTO DE NASCA RODEADO DE GALLINAS? GRACIAS INDY POR HACERNOS QUEDAR ANTE EL MUNDO QUE CADA CIVILISACION DE LATINOAMERICA PUEBLO VILLAGE ETC. ESTAN RODEADOS DE GALLINAS ….Y CON MUSICA RANCHERA….UN MOMENTITO SE LES OLVIDO LA FLAUTA Y LA KENA DE NUESTRA HERMOSA MUSICA ANDINA, QUE PASO CON EL CONDOR PASA? QUE SERIA SI ES UN PUEBLO DE MEXICO Y PONEN DE FONDO MUSICA PERUANA (MARINERA, HUAINO, TONDERO, CRIOLLA, Y HASTA DE CAJON) LOS MEXICANOS NO ESTARIAN CONTENTOS….PERO NO SERIA CULPA DE ELLOS SI NO DE ESTOS DOS MILLONARIOS ESTUPIDOS QUE SE PUSIERON A ESCRIBIR INDY 4 Y NI SE LES OCURRIO TENER MAS INFORMACION EN UNA PELICULA QUE TRATA DE EXPLORAR LA HISTORIA PERO ESTA VES CREO QUE GEORGE Y STEVEN NO SE ENCONTRABAN SOBRIOS Y ENTRE COPA Y DESESPERACION POR CREAR UN FILM QUE ROMPA CON LAS TAQUILLAS LES IMPORTO UN PEPINO EN CONTRATAR HISTORIADORES PERUANOS Y EXPLICARLES A ELLOS QUE CUSCO NO ES NASCA, QUE LAS LINEAS DE NASCA ESTAN SOBRE UN DESIERTO MAS SECO QUE LA LUNA, EN LA PELICULA SE VE QUE VIENE UNA TORMENTA? TORMENTA EN NASCA ALLI NO LLUEVE? UNITED STATES TIENE MUCHA CULPA DE ESTO YA QUE CREE QUE CADA HISPANO DE EEUU VIENE DE MEXICO ….COMO ALGUNOS EJEMPLOS QUE DOY: WHAT PART OF MEXICO ARE YOU FROM….LA PREGUNTA CORRECTA SERIA… WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM? DO YOU SPEAK MEXICAN….WELL MEXICAN IS NOT A LANGUAGE….MEXICO IS A COUNTRY….I SPEAK SPANISH….OR CASTELLANO!!! DO YOU MISS YOUR TACOS AND TORTILLAS…..NO PERUVIANS DON’T EAT TACOS OR TORTILLAS THERE IS NO MEXICAN FOOD IN PERU OR PERUVIANS MENU’S….HOW IS THE TEQUILA IN PERU….THERE IS NO TEQUILA, WE DRINK PISCO 100% PERUVIAN….CAN I USE PESOS IN PERU….YOU ARE REALLY STUPID OR YOUR FORGOT YOUR BRAIN….PERU HAVE NUEVOS SOLES……
CREO QUE VOY A TENER QUE EXPLICAR A TANTA TANTA GENTE QUE NO SOMOS MEXICANOS NI QUE HAY NINGUNA RELATIVIDAD DE LA CULTURA AZTECA MAYA & INCA.
COMO DIJIERON MUCHOS AQUI.
QUE VIVA EL PERU CARAJO !!!
after seeing a couple of Indiana Jones movies I am convinced the respected movie maker Spielberg is merely catering to a poorly educated American public who think of Civilization=USA, Culture=Ancient, Aliens who should be eaten by ants=Russians. These stereotypes are artistic licences that are valid because they make money in 2008.
I am Peruvian. I don’t have seen this movie, yet. I will do it, and then I will come back to post my comment about it.
For the moment, in general, I just wanted to say that doing a fiction-film shouldn’t mean not to take care a little bit about a few important things, instead on choosing the easiest way to do it, it is mediocrity.
Also I wanted to say to Javier that I never have eaten guinea pig (cuy), I find that idea so disgusting! I prefer to die than to eat that!
Finally, I wanted to say to Fer that I don’t know in which school he has studied, because even when I studied at a foreigner school in Peru (A-1 level), I never have been taught that Peruvians were conquered by 13 Spanish, please… where has he studied… (sure Fer’s school had a very low level).
Peru is one of the most heterogeneous countries, with so different realities, so great contrasts, in any aspect (cultural, social, educational, racial, etc.)
Until other moment