Lazo - Temple of Doom

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom features a different Indy than the chronologically later films. In Temple, Indy plays the role of the Mercenary Knight, not all that unlike Han Solo from Star Wars. His chief concern is money, or "fortune and glory." He holds little interest in the cultural or historical value of what he finds, as indicated by his dealings with the gangster Lao Che or telling Short Round that the power of the village's stone was a "ghost story."


In Pankot Palace, Indy descends into an underworld and witnesses the power of the Sankara Stones firsthand by the evil Mola Ram. Following his escape , he is cornered on a rope bridge above a river full of crocodiles. Indy cuts the bridge and fights Mola Ram, both hanging on for their lives. Here, he uses an incantation that makes the stones burn, Mola Ram falls, and Indy saves the village's stone. This is Indy's apotheosis. He now believes in the power and history of the relics. He understands the importance of the stone, not only in itself, but also the significance and value to the village. Fortune and glory become insignificant in comparison, and he is no longer simply a Mercenary Knight.