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: The distance between Otto and the Nepalese changes between shots, just as Toht begins saying "Surely he told you..."
Continuity mistake: In Hangar 51, the size and position of the text in the Ark's box changes between shots.
Continuity mistake: When the camera shows the back of the truck, there are two soldiers on each side of the truck, plus the sergeant inside it. As there were seven soldiers and one of them fell off the truck - there's a missing soldier in the scene. (01:25:50)
Continuity mistake: When the Nazis are aboard the Bantu Wind, in the full scene of the ship deck, Toht stands behind Belloq. But, after Marion tries to hit Dietrich, the camera focuses on Belloq, then on Dietrich again. Toht is not seen anymore on the deck.
Continuity mistake: When the Nazis are loading the Ark in the truck, you can spot Toht next to the left side of the truck, watching the scene. A few seconds later, he walks out of scene, apparently going to the car. However, when Belloq and Dietrich walk to the car and Belloq shouts "Let's go!", Toht has disappeared. (01:21:45)
Continuity mistake: When Dietrich, Gobler, and Belloq arrive next to the destroyed Flying Wing, Gobler is on the left of Dietrich and Belloq on the right. In the next shot, they have switched places. (01:20:58)
Continuity mistake: The amount of dates change from shot to shot before they are poisoned.
Continuity mistake: At the market in Cairo just after one of the guys tries to kill Indy with a sword and misses, the shadow from the wall changes between shots.
Continuity mistake: When Indiana is fighting the bad guys at the market in Cairo, one of them kills another one with a sword instead of Indy - their position changes between shots.
Continuity mistake: Belloq grabs the idol from below its ear. When the angle changes he is holding it by the idol's temple.
Continuity mistake: When the guy at the start who betrayed Indy is shown stabbed by many spears, in the shot when Indy says "adios", he stays with him the entire shot. However, in the next shot, he's far away from him.
Continuity mistake: When seen from the outside the entry hole to the Map Room is quite vertical. The angle is different when seen from the inside. Further, the hole is so vertical that the sun wouldn't be high enough to shin through the hole at 9 am.
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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