Many people probably didn’t notice the legendary Easter egg in “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny”, but attentive film enthusiasts and Indy connoisseurs naturally immediately noticed it – or rather, in their ears…
In the age of well-known internet trends and gigantic, interconnected film and series universes such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Easter eggs have established themselves as an integral part of pop culture. This refers to small cross-references or allusions that do not necessarily have to be closely interwoven with a story per se, but that seem immediately familiar to those familiar with the cosmos – and thus regularly cause enthusiasm. Easter eggs have by no means only been around for a few years:
Alfred Hitchcock, for example, began early on to make short guest appearances in his films, which his audience waited for more and more eagerly – and Steven Spielberg is not averse to these gimmicks either: In “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, for example, there is a world-famous “Star Wars “-reference hidden – but it’s nothing compared to the running gag that the Indy series has had for over 40 years: Like Spielberg in the previous “Indiana Jones” films, James Mangold also uses it in “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Fate” on the world-famous Wilhelm Scream.
If you are still planning to see the film for the first time or again, pay attention to the scene in the spectacular opening sequence (with the young Harrison Ford) in which Indy throws a Nazi off a moving train. Indy gets on the train from which he wants to free his old friend Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) – and where the Holy Lance also appears to be located – and in the process knocks one of Jürgen Voller’s (Mads Mikkelsen) henchmen off the vehicle. And the scream that he lets out is not just any roar from the actor, but actually a snippet of sound that every film fan has probably heard before.
Since yesterday, you can watch or listen to the scene and of course the entire film at no additional cost with a flat rate subscription to Disney+. Also brand new to the streaming service’s program is the 90-minute documentary “Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones & Harrison Ford”.
“Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Fortune” on Disney+*
The Wilhelm Scream: Who doesn’t know him?!
Over seven decades (!) have now passed since the Wilhelm Scream (probably) sounded for the first time. In Raoul Walsh’s western The Devil’s Brigade, a man screams as he is eaten by an alligator. However, no one would have guessed at the time that that scene would later become so relevant to film history.
The Wilhelm Scream became part of a public sound library in the 1950s and was eventually named after a character in “The Burning Arrow” (1953) – before finally becoming world famous.
Among filmmakers, the Wilhelm Scream, in which the voice of the singer, actor and comedian Sheb Wooley, who died in 2003, can be heard, has long been a gag that amounts to a declaration of love to the cinema – and is often used when a supporting character dies Life comes (or at least falls). You don’t remember ever hearing that scream? Do you doubt that it is actually that widespread? Then pay attention: The following list only contains a fraction of the films in which Wilhelm Scream appears:
Of course, James Mangold has hidden a few more Easter eggs and, above all, allusions to previous parts of the adventure saga in “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Fate” – which, however, never come to the fore purely for their own sake. Mangold strikes the perfect balance to serve fans without making everyone else feel like they didn’t understand or missed something. And that’s exactly when Easter eggs work best.
“They were deadly”: Steven Spielberg put Harrison Ford’s life in danger while filming “Indiana Jones”!
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This is an updated republication of an article that previously appeared on FILMSTARTS.
2023-12-16 20:03:29
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