Pretty much everyone should know what Indiana Jones looks like – even if he or she has never seen a movie starring the adventurous archaeologist. Fedora hat, whip and leather jacket have made “Indy” one of the most iconic movie characters of all time. Harrison Ford wears this costume for the last time in Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny. But what were his thoughts when he was shown this look for Raiders of the Lost Ark more than 40 years ago?
In an interview with Harrison Ford recalls that he was not at all impressed with Prof. Jones’ clothing at first. The hat, jacket, and whip were introduced to him as key elements of his character’s characterization — and Ford immediately had several questions on his mind: “Why do I have a whip? What am I supposed to do with a goddamn whip? Am I going to hit people?
Ford worries about Indiana Jones sweating
Fair enough to ask, but as we’ve seen in Steven Spielberg’s Raiders and four other Indiana Jones movies, the whip has a reason for being, serving as Indy’s sort of MacGyver-esque multipurpose tool. Not to mention, of course, she looks incredibly cool. Another question from Harrison Ford strikes us as even more urgent:
“Why am I wearing a leather jacket in the jungle? Isn’t it hot there?” The whip may seem like the weirder accessory to you at first, but in fact Ford immediately raised the even more logical question here. Why Henry “Indiana” Jones dresses in a leather jacket in the rainforest can only really be explained by the fabulous looks of one – whether it’s actually practical in this climate is anyone’s guess. But with a little imagination we can imagine a) better protection against rain and b) better protection against mosquitoes than just a shirt.
The tacker legend
As for the iconic hat, Ford didn’t ask questions about it, but he attached it to his head during filming so it wouldn’t fly off in action sequences – at least that’s what an urban legend says based on a video of the shooting. In the -Interview Ford is very badass and confirms this legend, although this is probably meant with a wink. Or maybe not…? “You do what needs to be done,” Ford says of the situation, pointing to scars on his forehead.
The man, the myth, the legend – not just Indiana Jones, but also Harrison Ford. In theaters, you can currently see their latest adventure together in James Mangold’s “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny”. We gave it 3.5 stars out of a possible 5 in the FILMSTARTS review.