Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Steven Spielberg, USA 1989, 127 mins

Harrison Ford and Sean Connery star in the third of the Indiana Jones films, but this time, there's a slight twist. Not only is this film the usual spoof of the 1940s adventure films and comics, it is also a spoof of its predecessors - as shown by the search for the Holy Grail (as opposed to the Ark), another holy relic which is again endangered by the hideous plans of the Nazis. Only Dr Jones can save the day - but which one? Indy, or his father?

In this, you discover where Indy got his trademarks: his hat, his name, his bull whip... and his fear of snakes. You can watch parts of his life as a child (River Phoenix), growing up under a medievalist father who teaches him to speak Greek, but not how to interact.

There are terrific sequences, as always, but Spielberg doesn't let his audience down: he builds up our expectations and deflates them in a completely different and (at times) ridiculous way. Just watch for "the enemy" whistling for his transport, and Indy's relationship with his father. The double-act between Connery (recently voted the most attractive man alive) and Ford works so well that you wonder when they'll next be paired.

Set in the style of a deliberately old-fashioned Saturday matinée, The Last Crusade is a wonderful comedy that keeps you laughing all the way through.

Hilary Gay
EUFS Programme 1998-99