Something that's always bothered me about "Raiders of the Lost Ark:"

[cemaphonic]

Why is there a giant Nazi military encampment in the Cairo suburbs in the mid '30s?

I know there are much bigger plot holes in lots of movies, but this one never seems to get pointed out, despite it being such an iconic movie, and despite WWII in North Africa being one of those areas of history in which Americans are not completely ignorant, even if just from watching Patton? So what gives - is Chamberlain in the Raiderverse an even bigger pussy than in real life? Or maybe just a honeypot operation cooked up by the British military intelligence designed to deliver the ark to the Nazi high command *on purpose*, gambling that a Jewish magical superweapon might just not work out the way that Hitler wanted?

[proteus_lives]

1. The Nazis had Arab sympathizers.

And not many Egyptians were fond of British rule.

[old mark]

4. Yes - many of the Arab countries were Nazi supporters - even decades after the war

ended. Several prominent Nazis escaped through that area, some lived there for years.
Also, Himmler and other big Nazis were very involved in the occult and were seeking all sorts of artifacts and connections between the Nazi "super race" and mythical lost races and powerful symbolic items...

mark

[Aristus]

5. Most of the few German tanks still operable at the end of WWII

were purchased by Syria, of all countries. They ended up using them against the Israelis.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer_IV

[old mark]

8. ...and they got blown up there....the Israelis were using post WWII Pattons,

and WWII era White half track armored cars, some of which are still in use.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M3_Half-track

mark

[Aristus]

10. The Patton tank series was post-WWII.

The Israelis were using modified "Super Shermans" from WWII. To devastating effect, obviously...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Sherman

I know tanks. It was part of the job...

[old mark]

19. Yes _ I was thinking of the '60's - Israel got a lot of our surplus Pattons then...nt

[InternalDialogue]

2. As is clear in the original movie

not even our heroes knew about the ark right away. They were looking, we were looking, the British were looking, the Egyptians were looking.

Fer fucksakes, people have been looking around there for three thousand years. Someone's going to sniff a hint, and in America's version, we got first sniffs.

If you're American and love that you are, enjoy the ride.

If not, jump on a different train and pray for different script writers. Lots of great alternative movies to make out there, people. Get to it, yes?

[RandomThoughts]

3. They had archeology groups in many areas.

Trying to justify their propaganda.




Although thinking 'the ark' is just for Jewish people is limited.

And you make the presumption that movie is correct in its story.


You make for a tough topic, by tying together such a terrible evil as an opponent of a religious group. He was also against democracy, he was against many forms of economics, against humanity, against thoughts of kindness to many people, even against art.

He was even against the German people. He was against everything. He was really bad.

[pgodbold]

7. I just want to say to you that I appreciate you. I am always glad to see...

your responses and I love your depth.

Also, I had never before seen this quote "My acceptance of my sanity has freed me from the limitations of rational thought." - Derek Halfhand ..... I think it's fabulous. Thank you for that.

Life is short. If you like something about a person tell them. The ones that point out our shortcomings are common. I mean common in it's least positive light.

Take care,


P

[RandomThoughts]

11. Thanks for the kind comments.

:hug:

[mcollins]

6. As RT has stated,

The NAZIs had people out across the world looking for various items in order to prove their theories. You should look into their operations in Tibet.

[NewJeffCT]

9. Here is an article on that

http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=249&t=4

[cemaphonic]

18. Yeah, but this wasn't some clandestine cloak-and-dagger operation.

They had planes, jeeps, munitions, and hundreds of uniformed soldiers just outside of Cairo. IRL, the British (and later Americans) fought a huge campaign to keep the Wehrmacht the hell away from Cairo and the Suez Canal and Middle East oilfields just beyond. Even though Raiders is set during the interwar period, I just don't see the British being OK with the Nazis setting up a large military encampent on their turf.

[jobycom]

12. I still want to know why he didn't drown when the submarine went under, nt

[Capn Sunshine]

13. Cause he was really , really pissed off

more pissed than Chuck Norris, if you believe in him.

[jobycom]

16. You know

that's the best answer I've ever gotten to the question. :rofl:

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

14. ...and what in the hell were those bazillion snakes living on? (nt)

[jobycom]

15. Ha! Another good question? Each other, I guess.

:rofl:

[lazarus]

17. And why didn't he just wait?

The Nazis were digging in the wrong place, they were never going to find the right place, he could just wait until they left.