In
South America, 1936, treasure hunter/archaeologist Indiana Jones braves
an ancient temple filled with booby traps in the Peruvian jungle to
retrieve a Golden Idol. Upon escaping the temple, Indiana is confronted
by rival archaeologist René Belloq and the indigenous
Hovitos
people. Surrounded and outnumbered, Indiana is forced to surrender the
idol to Belloq, and flees from a jungle chase onboard a waiting
seaplane.
Shortly after returning to America to the college where he teaches
archeology, Indiana is informed by two Army intelligence agents that
the Nazis, in their quest for occult power, are searching for his old
mentor, Abner Ravenwood. Ravenwood is in possession of the headpiece of
an artifact called the Staff of Ra and is the leading expert on the
ancient Egyptian city of Tanis. Indiana deduces that the Nazis are
searching for the Ark of the Covenant, the biblical chest built by the
Israelites to contain the fragments of the Ten Commandments, and is
said to grant the power of God to whoever holds it. The Staff of Ra,
meanwhile, is the key to finding the Well of Souls in Tanis, which is
where the Ark is buried. The agents subsequently authorize Indiana to
recover the Ark with the promise of displaying it in a museum. Indiana
travels to Ravenwood's tavern in Nepal for the headpiece, only to find
that he had died and that the headpiece is in the possession of his
daughter and Indiana's embittered former lover, Marion. The tavern is
suddenly raided by a group of thugs commanded by Nazi agent Major Toht.
The tavern is burned down in the ensuing fight, during which Toht burns
his hand on the searing hot headpiece as he tries to grab it. Indiana
and Marion escape with the headpiece, with Marion declaring she will
accompany Indiana in his search for the Ark so he can repay his debt.
Indiana and Marion travel to Cairo where they learn from Sallah,
Indiana's friend and a skilled digger, that the Nazis are currently
digging for the Well of Souls with the aid of Belloq and a replica of
the headpiece modeled after the scar on Toht's hand. In a bazaar, Nazi
operatives kidnap Marion and fake her death in front of Indiana, who
strengthens his resolve to find the Ark. That evening, while
deciphering the markings on the headpiece, Indiana and Sallah realize
that the Nazis have miscalculated where to dig for the Well of Souls.
Using this to their advantage, Indiana and Sallah infiltrate the Nazi
dig and use the Staff of Ra to correctly determine the location of the
Well of Souls. Shortly afterward, Indiana discovers that Marion is
captured but alive, but does not free her out of fear that it will draw
the Nazis' attention to him. Indiana gathers a small group of diggers
and uncovers the Well of Souls, which is filled with venomous snakes
(of which Indiana is deathly afraid). Upon obtaining the Ark, Belloq
and the Nazis arrive to take it for themselves. They proceed to toss
Marion, who had refused to reveal any information to the Nazis despite
Indiana's perceived betrayal, down into the well with Indiana and seal
them both in. However, Indiana and Marion manage to navigate the
underground temple and escape. After chasing down a convoy of trucks
holding the Ark, Indiana manages to take it back before it can be
shipped to Berlin.
Indiana and Marion leave Cairo to escort the Ark to England on board a
tramp steamer. The next morning, their boat is boarded by the Nazis who
once again steal the Ark and kidnap Marion. Indiana stows away on the
Nazis' U-boat and follows them to an isolated island where Belloq and
the Nazis plan to test the power of the Ark before presenting it to
Hitler. Indiana reveals himself and threatens to destroy the Ark with a
rocket launcher, but Belloq calls his bluff for, as archaeologists,
they both want to see it opened. Indiana surrenders and is tied to a
post with Marion as Belloq performs a ceremonial opening of the Ark,
which appears to contain nothing but a pile of dust, the ruined remains
of the Ten Commandments. Suddenly, spirits emerge from the Ark; aware
of the supernatural danger of looking at the opened Ark, Indiana warns
Marion to close her eyes. Belloq and the Nazis, who do not look away,
are all killed by the Ark's divine powers, and the Ark closes itself
with a crack of thunder. Back in Washington, D.C., the Army
intelligence agents tell a suspicious Indiana that they are sending the
Ark away to be studied by "top men." In reality, the Ark is sealed in a
wooden crate and stored in a giant government warehouse filled with
countless similar crates.
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