Continuity mistake: When chasing Indy in the truck that he has driven into a fruit market, the Germans in their car are surrounded by fruit sellers. One gives Colonel Dietrich a melon, who promptly throws it to the ground on the left side of the car. When the car pulls away, the broken melon lies on the right side.
Continuity mistake: Indy swings on the vine, and his bag is on his hip. As he gets up on the plane, it disappears, but the strap is on his shoulder again in the cockpit.
Continuity mistake: While Indy is chased while running towards the plane, he is in an open field where Jock the pilot can perfectly see him, but when the angle changes Indy is suddenly next to a forest.
Continuity mistake: The huge rock rolls down to ground level, but when the angle changes it's back on a levelled position.
Continuity mistake: The position of the door through which Satipo escapes with the idol is inconsistent in every shot, sometimes it's higher, then almost closed, then back to open.
Continuity mistake: As Marion initiates the drinking challenge with Belloq, from the front she quickly tosses the drink back, tipping her head back then forward. From behind she repeats the motion.
Continuity mistake: When Indy is shot in the arm in the car, there's no blood on the windscreen at first, but in the very next shot there is.
Continuity mistake: After Marion's been thrown in the Well of Souls, a net and pair of sticks over the crate behind Belloq appear or disappear randomly between shots.
Continuity mistake: After the kids save Indy at the bar, he exits and there's a man on the right carrying a load on his shoulder. He appears and disappears randomly depending on the angle.
Continuity mistake: When Indy's crew is lifting the stone door to access the Well of Souls, big clouds of white smoke come out from every corner. A frame later, from a wider angle, they're gone.
Continuity mistake: About to grab the idol, Indy passes a stick over a pile of sand on the ground which has a leaf on the center. A frame later the leaf is on the left side.
Continuity mistake: When Indy comes face to face with the snake in the Well of Souls, the stone rubble from the Ark cover is on the stairs leading to the Ark, which was later smashed on the stairs as Indy and Sallah were removing it. A few moments later, as Indy is filling the gas pump, the stone rubble is no longer there.
Continuity mistake: Belloq, Dietrich, and Gobler arrive next to the destroyed Flying Wing and begin to walk towards the intact wing, while Dietrich says, 'Have it put on the truck.' In the next shot, the Flying Wing and the entrance to the Well of Souls have disappeared from view (instead of the latter, you now see the hut where the Boxer was). In addition, some barrels suddenly appear between shots, next to which the three antagonists stop. (01:20:59)
Continuity mistake: When the Nazis board the Bantu Wind, there are some shots of the pipe Indy is hiding in. During these shots, there's a big grey pipe right behind Indy's pipe. However, in the rest of the Bantu Wind shots, this grey pipe is on the left of Indy's pipe, not directly behind it. (01:36:19 - 01:37:05)
Continuity mistake: While the Ark is killing the soldiers, the cameraman is hit twice, as the first hit is shown in the first wide shot of the dying soldiers and the second when the camera focuses on the cameraman. Also, during the second hit, a beam passes through the camera and strikes the cameraman in the face, although he remains standing. In the next shot, the cameraman's body is suddenly on the ground and the beam that had killed him disappears.
Continuity mistake: On the Bantu Wind, after Dietrich takes Marion from Katanga and begins to leave, the soldier next to the pipe where Indy hides throws his cigarette and leaves the scene. In the next shot, when Belloq stops Dietrich, the soldier is now back at his original position. (01:36:51)
Continuity mistake: After Toht's command, the Mongolian and the Nepalese grab Marion, then the former puts his hand on Marion's cheek. During this, the Nepalese faces Marion, whose mouth is open. In the next shot, the Nepalese is suddenly looking at Toht, Marion's mouth is suddenly closed, and the position of the Mongolian's head has changed. (00:30:28)
Continuity mistake: When we first see Colonel Dietrich, he, Belloq and Gobler are crossing Tanis on foot. The scene cuts out when the three of them arrive next to some wagons. However, seven minutes later (in movie time) they are shown again in exactly the same position as they were in the first shot, continuing their actions. This is also seen in the two soldiers in the background on a hill and in a soldier on horseback going from left to right. Even Indy’s team is visible in the first shot, when he is supposed to be in another place only with Sallah. (00:50:09 - 00:57:00)
Continuity mistake: When the sergeant throws Indy out of the truck window, the adventurer grabs the Mercedes logo with his left hand. After two shots, he is to have let go. However, in the next shot, Indy is grabbing it again. (01:27:25)
Continuity mistake: Just as Indy crashes Gobler's jeep for the second time, you can see that beside the desert road is a large forest. However, the jeep falls off a cliff that appears out of nowhere. (01:25:37)
Answer: Indy and Marcus Brody believed that the Ark needed to be studied. They certainly didn't want to put it back where it was found. They believed that the U.S. government would find the best archaeologists, researchers, and scientists in the world to study the Ark. They are both upset that instead, the government has decided to simply lock the Ark away. This is why Indy says, "Fools. They don't know what they've got there," as he is leaving the building.
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