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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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