MacGuffins and Messages in Indiana Jones: The Arc

The Indiana Jones movies—particularly Raiders—are some of my favorites of all time. Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of those “near perfect” films. Several years ago, people started trying to point out things to tear it down from its favorite status. The point where Indy seems to ride the outside of a submarine for miles while it is submerged is a popular nit that people pick. However, the biggest complaint was that Indiana is an ineffectual character. It can be argued that he does absolutely nothing that affects the plot.

I would say, however, that this is a part of the Raiders of the Lost Ark message.

Each of the Indiana Jones movies is centered around a classic MacGuffin. In each of the movies, that MacGuffin is tied into the theme and the message of the movie. Specifically, they represent something that should be avoided.

In the first film, the MacGuffin is the Ark of the Covenant. It is an object that symbolizes the power and might of God Himself. The Nazis in the film are trying to find the Ark in order to use it in their quest for world domination. Indiana, on the other hand, is just after it as an object. He does not care (or more precisely, believe) in the power or might of the artifact. However, as the film reaches its climax, he has grown to recognize and respect that power and does not seek to wield it. So, in a thematic way, the fact the Indiana does not exert power over the plot ties into the theme of the movie.