Raiders of the Lost Ark Politics Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Quote #4

"At this particular time and place, and for my work, they are necessary evils… not my friends."

Belloq is pretty quick to separate himself from the Nazis here, even going so far as to call them evil. You're probably not buying it, and neither is God. Belloq is lying to himself in order to excuse his behavior; he's an opportunist who aligns himself with whoever's in power at the moment. In the world of politics, you often have to tell yourself pretty stories like that in order to reach your goals. Just ask Vichy France.

Quote #5

"You are as stubborn as that girl! You like her too much I think."

Similarly, the Nazis don't think too much of this snooty Gaul whom they have to work with to get their mitts on the Ark. They take this special moment to put him in his place. And since the Nazis are sexist as well as racist, they subtly compare him to a woman. Franco-German relations may have reached a new low.

Quote #6

"I'm afraid we must be going now, Dr. Jones. Our prize is awaited in Berlin."

Dietrich, goose-stepping automaton that he is, stresses the political implications of the struggle here: The Nazis want the Ark to help them take over the world. It says more that Dietrich doesn't think of the Ark in any other terms, reducing its holy qualities to the level of a bomb or tank.