Raiders of the Lost Ark Page #22

Inside the Ark of the Covenant is a preview of the end of

the world. A light so bright, a power so fearsome, a charge

so jolting, that there is nothing in our world to compare to

it. It’s as though this magnificent golden box has been

gathering electric energy for three thousand years, waiting

for just this crack of the lid to release it all in one fast,

cleansing explosion of pure force.

.

Blinding arcs of light shoot out across the Tabernacle

instantly killing all the Nazis inside and turning the white

silk to flame. But it is Belloq in his obsession who takes

the full blast. His whole body seems lit by a million volt

current and, for a moment, his complete form is white, then

blue, then maybe green, but it is hard to tell because our

eyes are blinded now too. Two aspects of this ghastly,

beautiful display are somehow communicated in the chaos,

although the communication is subliminal. First, that Belloq,

in the instant of his destruction, has experienced some kind

of sublime, transcendental knowledge. If a death’s-head can

smile and look satisfied, that is how Belloq’s incandescent

face would be described. Secondly, this event is accomplished

by a sound like no other. A sound so intense and so odd and

so haunting that the suggestible among us might imagine it

were the whisper of God.

146 INT. COMMAND CENTER 146

Chaos. Shliemann and the Tall Captain have been temporarily

blinded by the light from the Tabernacle. Indy makes short

work of his two escorts. He bashes their heads together. When

only one goes down at this, Indy uses the handle of his

bullwhip, which has appeared instantly in his hand, to put

the second one down.

95.

Shliemann, hand on his eyes, aims his Luger blindly at the

scuffle. Indy pushes the Tall Captain at Shliemann, who fires

on impact, killing the Tall Captain. Indy knocks out

Shliemann.

Behind Indy, the brilliant light and weird noise of the Ark

have suddenly ceased, but the Tabernacle is ablaze and the

fire has quickly spread to stacks of supplies on either side.

Smoke is already starting to fill the cavern. Nazis are

running around, yelling for firefighting water. A burning

crate at the side of the Tabernacle is pushed over, only to

knock over a drum of heavy black oil. A river of flame shoots

across the cement.

.

Indy grabs a rifle with bayonet from the prostrate body of

one of his former escorts and runs back into the flaming

Tabernacle.

147 INT. THE TABERNACLE 147

Indy jumps through the flames into what is now a tent of

fire. He looks around at the dead bodies, then at the Ark.

The lid has slammed down shut again and the Ark shines gold

in the flames. Before it, where Belloq once stood, is a pile

of ash and charred debris. Indy registers this, then

continues to scan the scene.

INDY:

Marion! Marion, can you hear me?

Suddenly, Indy looks as-

The far side of the Tabernacle burns completely away,

revealing Marion, tied spread-eagle between two upright

posts. Her nightgown is now in tatters, black with soot. She

is gagged but her eyes are screaming, focused on the flaming

river of black oil which is about to engulf her feet.

Indy rushes toward her, unaware of a uniformed Nazi who has

appeared from the flames. Marion looks up to see Indy and the

Nazi leveling his submachine gun at Indy. She motions

desperately with her eyes. Indy dives and rolls through the

flames just as the Nazi opens fire. From the floor, Indy

blasts the Nazi.

The river of burning oil is only a foot from Marion.

Indy jumps up and runs toward the bound Marion, his bayonet

aimed directly at her. Her wide eyes flash between the flames

and the shining blade. Expertly, Indy slashes down both sides

at Marion, cutting all four bindings.

96.

Marion falls backwards, away from the flames, but before she

hits the ground, Indy is there, catching her in his arms.

They embrace. They kiss. They break.

INDY:

Hi.

MARION:

Oh, Indy! Thank god you’re here.

INDY:

Glad I could make it.

Indy rises, pulling her up with him. The Tabernacle is

burning away so fast that soon Indy and Marion will be

completely exposed. Indy rushes over and grabs the submachine

gun and a Luger from the dead Nazi.

INDY:

Let’s get out of here.

MARION:

What about the Ark?

Indy stops, startled by her spunky attitude. He’s considering

their chances.

INDY:

Are you game?

MARION:

Hell yes! We’ve made it this far.

INDY:

(grins at her)

Okay. Let’s do it.

They approach the altar through the dying flames, Indy

slinging the submachine gun over his back. The long carrying

poles are still in place.

INDY:

Whatever you do, don’t touch it.

Let’s put it on the floor.

Marion nods. Each taking an end with the poles, they lift the

Ark from the altar and lower it to the floor. Marion grunts

under the weight. Indy registers this, hands her the

submachine gun. He pulls out his whip, motions her back, and

sweeps the whip tightly around the body of the Ark. The fall

wraps snugly around the plaiting and Indy ties it off. The

Ark is now harnessed to the whip handle.

97.

Indy gives it an experimental pull and the Ark slides across

the smooth cement. Indy indicates the direction of the second

train tunnel.

INDY:

We’ll go down that side. Shoot

anyone who looks at us crosseyed.

148 INT. COMMAND CENTER 148

Two huge stacks of goods are ablaze and the Nazis are having

trouble getting water to them. The Nazis’ main concern at

this point is an enormous, neat stack of wooden cartridge

boxes which are piled down the wall from one of the already

blazing, and now teetering, stacks of general goods. Nervous

Nazis are moving the heavy cartridge boxes as fast as they

can, but it’s slow work and the threatening fire is close.

.

Indy and Marion make their way along the side of the center

court, Indy grimacing with the strain of pulling the Ark. One

Nazi stops directly in front of them, looking at them

queerly. Indy knocks him out with the butt of his Luger just

as Marion is about to fire.

Out in the court, Shliemann has regained his eyesight. Now he

crouches, scanning the scene desperately for Indy. He looks

into the remains of the Tabernacle and spots the empty altar.

Beyond it, the unoccupied posts where Marion was bound.

At the entrance to the second train tunnel, Indy and Marion

struggle to lift the Ark into a mine car. Marion has the

submachine gun slung over her back. The Ark drops heavily

into the bottom of the car. The noise attracts the attention

of five water-carrying Nazis. They see what’s going on and

reach for their side-arms. Indy grabs Marion, pulls her in

front of him -- as though to use her as a shield -- and flips

the submachine gun, still on her back, toward the Nazis. He

opens fire, turning Marion’s body so he can mow all five

down.

Rate this script:5.0 / 3 votes