(All together now: “It belongs in a museum!”) Where a smooth operator like James Bond exults in the license afforded by his gig, Indy’s tendency to exceed his job’s largely campus-bound parameters-sabbaticals spent penetrating forbidden tombs or infiltrating ancient death cults-is more of a curse than a gift. Coyote rings truest in that Indy is driven by an obsessive sense of purpose that hinges on fanatical mania, and also in the fact that he never gets to keep what he catches. One could just as easily say that the character is a sweaty, eminently flappable bundle of nerves who spends as much time licking wounds as inflicting them. Writing about Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, Roger Ebert praised Indiana Jones for being “dry, fearless, and as indestructible as a cartoon coyote.” It’s a concise and persuasive summation that’s also arguable on every point. Somewhere, Bruce Willis and a host of bone-weary, die-hard Gen-X action heroes were taking notes. In turn, the real genius of Ford’s acting exists in the split second before he peels himself off of the canvas. The reason we love Indy isn’t because he’s exceptional, or even because, like his ’80s franchise contemporary Rocky Balboa, he won’t stay down. The Indiana Jones series is filled with such set pieces, in which lucky breaks-or is it divine intervention?-spare a character whose strength and stamina are, comparatively speaking, nothing special. Jones survives by having the peace of mind to just close his eyes and wait it out. Later in the film, tied to a stake as the wrath of God swirls around him, Dr. Case in point: After exhausting a pro-wrestling-heel-style bag of tricks and still getting pummeled by his towering rival, our distinguished hero’s finishing move is to duck and cover while the guy gets shredded by a fortunately placed airplane propeller. ![]() Paradoxically, it is the tired, desultory side of Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones-the part that hates snakes, can’t land planes, and expediently brings a gun to a sword fight-that makes him such an enduring figure.
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