iskew

Wherein Lucas and Spielberg write a love letter to the new generation of greats


The following essay does discuss the movie Indiana Jones and the Legend of the Crystal Skull openly and without filter (sarcastic or otherwise). In more loose terms: here be spoilers....




Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have crafted not only the latest Indiana Jones creative property in the 4th and likely final film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but also presented a virtual love letter to their own Baby Boomer generation. This is an accomplishment that manages to connect characters who firmly represent and speak to the age of the audience (and creators) more than the literal "Greatest Generation" that the aging adults in the film actually chronologically portray. But the adults aren't the only ones speaking to and for the Boomers. Baby Boomers have both literal and figurative representation in the movie, be it in Indiana's age and vitality as it connects with the actual age of the Boomer movie audience or Mutt's origin in their own childhood time.

The most obvious Boomer archetypes are found in Indiana Jones and Marian Ravenwood, who portray an aging but viable set of progressive heroes who, "still got it." They still battle, triumph and remind others of past successes, despite being surrounded by those in their prime, a decade or more younger, forever challenging through deeds the definition of "prime" in the face of adventure. Indiana and Marion have had lovers, divorces, children, medals, careers and the loss of parents and friends. Regardless of thirty-something, bowl cut vamps, Russian soldiers, scheming former vacation friends or minority Mayan natives, these white, upper-middle-class men and women are not just capable, but possibly even better than they were in the past. After all, they have distinctive educations and wisdom from a life of doing and learning (that shows no sign of stopping). References to past wars, globetrotting and medals hint at the Greatest Generation actualities of their written characters, but their sass, comfort with known flaws and societal taboos (divorce and children out of wedlock among them) are all-Boomer in principal.

By setting the film in 1957, Spielberg allows the character of Mutt to be the chronological product of his era and the literal connection to the Boomer cannon. Surrounded by real and romantic notions of the 1950's & 60's, the love letter to the Boomers gives a firm path for attachment. Greasers, preppies, an errant Elvis "Hound Dog" on the radio, political references and more set a tone that the character of Mutt remains tethered to for the remainder of the movie (forever concerned of hair-combing, for example). But even more than the cultural stylings of the Boomer's youth, the character of Mutt provides a brash, impulsive, vital vessel for Boomer romanticism.

The characterizations of Baby Boomer archetypes doesn't end with the present and past identifiers of the new Jones family. We bear witness to what can only be described as Professor "Ox" Oxley's psychedelic "hippie" phase, down to a euphoric, sarong-wearing visionary period that he does snap out of. Even Mac, embodying most remnants of the irritating old friend or relative who travels with the family,has a Boomer flirtation with capitalism and air of skullduggery about him; this is even seen in Indiana as he contemplates taking one of the Conquistador gold daggers for his own.

Other generations may or may not have fallen for the love letter and only final box office and home-viewing statistics will tell. Generation X, whose love of the retro means they see the Indiana Jones movies as their own, certainly watched the new movie with anticipation and no doubt enjoyed it's sandbox of now-traditional lore, pace and references (to the older movies and even to other Lucas properties with the Star Wars, "bad feeling about this" line). However this same generation had taken Spielberg for his word with Indy's previous "Last Crusade" and no doubt the unravelling plot of alien intrigue rubbed trust as raw as the reveal of a centuries-old knight still guarding the Grail. (In regards to aliens, Boomers would expect nothing different from the director that brought them Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., the former whose aliens looked much like Skull's.) Generation Y (or Millennials) likely saw their parents starkly reflected in the film, especially Indiana's own change of attitude more than heart on Mutt's treatment once it was discovered Mutt was Indy's son. Indiana quickly becomes the ultimate helicopter parent, emboldened by genetic right and immediately supplanting whatever father-figure Professor Oxley must have provided pre-Skull.

Regardless of any relative success the movie attracts or fails to, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a perfect vessel for the personalities and characteristics of the Baby Boomer Generation. The film presents several perspectives for the Boomers as it examines itself in both present day, in how it views its youth, and posits its future. It paints a romantic notion that the Boomers in their twilight are the best of all these perspectives and challenges, of course, the idea that they are in their twilight at all. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Harrison Ford and a krewe of Boomers have crafted the perfect love letter to their own generation.

Certainly makes one wonder what a similar movie from the next generation would be like, eh? Pulp Fiction: The Return? Chasing Amy's Adopted Daughter? Only time will tell...

-Dean Browell
http://skewedperspective.org