Nichole Steinfeldt Film Review History The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change

This film takes place after the conclusion of the first World War. Indiana Jones, a translator for the American delegation, sits in to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the creation of the League of Nations. This film being based on historical happenings, most of the movie was on a fictional character that was living during this time. Indiana Jones speaks with Arnold Toynbee and he warns Indiana that the Treaty of Versailles will only cause a second war. On Indianas trip back to America, he meets a woman named Amy where they fall in love. Once Indiana is back in New York, he works for a science professor that is determined on making a rocket that can leave Earths atmosphere. Indiana meets up with his old friend Paul Robeson, whom is a black, and they fight to overcome the social normality different races socializing. While Indianas father wants to see him go to school at Princeton, Indiana seeks to study Archeology in Chicago. For the most part, I found this film interesting and it made me want to continue on with the series that was available. When it came down to the actual history of the film though, it lacked in information but gave a good insight on the third person view of what went on during the League of Nations and the signing of the Treaty. All the information presented at the meeting in Paris was true to history besides the fact that Indiana Jones wasnt really present during this event nor is he an actual historical figure. For example, a man named Ho Chi Minh whom is a citizen from Vietnam who has rejected the French rule confronts Indiana Jones about a petition he wants to present to the French. The petition called for amnesty for political

prisoners, equal rights for Vietnamese, freedom of press and thought, freedom of association and assembly, freedom of movement, technical and vocational schools for Vietnamese and a government of laws rather than government by decree (French Colonialism in Vietnam). In the film, Indiana has the crucial role that gets the petition to be seen by the French eyes but in real history they seek it on their own without Indianas help. I also enjoyed seeing Indianas perspective in the way he believed that the treaty was really going to do some good. I loved how his friend Arnold Toynbee said, What has happened, will happen again. For better or for worse, and then later on Indiana states in his writings, Those who forget the lessons of history, are doomed to repeat it, which is actually a quote from George Santayana. We learn later on that the Treaty of Versailles indeed didnt do any good and that caused the Second World War with Germany. Something that really fascinated me in this film was when Indiana was speaking with his scientist employer about technology. He mentions that technology will force nations together whether they want it to or not and we see in history that this does end up happening. Some examples of this are the Space Race and even today we see different nations communication more frequently with the help of technology. The scientist also pointed out that technology will make them get along because the weapons will be too horrible because if they fight they will inevitably destroy each other. We see that this is happening in our current war and that nuclear bombs are such a threat that we get involved in the Middle East in order to cease them from having that technology. To relate this film with what is currently being taught in class, there was two aspects that I saw come up. One of which was how the Vietnamese made a petition to the French. The petition was because they at least wanted representation in the French Government. The French

Government had no interest of even listening to the petition but said they would look into it. I related this to the Colonies in America wanting to have a seat in Britains Parliament. The Colonials had no intention of starting a war and neither did the Vietnamese with France, they simply wanted a little bit more freedom then what they had. The second relation I had was when Indianas black friend, Paul Robeson, spoke in his graduation about the white being the better race and the blacks being the lesser race and how he hoped that as time goes on, future citizens would come to accept others. I related this to how the Colonials were always being looked down upon from Britain and their generals. Britain always had this perspective on the Colonialists and that they couldnt do things on their own and that the colonies needed Britains help in order to survive.

Smitha, Frank E. "French Colonialism in Vietnam." France in Vietnam in the 1920s. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2014. <http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch14viet.htm>.