⬧︎While a much
loved global franchise, the Indiana
Jones movies haven’t aged particularly
well, especially the three that were
released in the 1980s.
⬧︎Still,
Temple of Doom (1984) takes the
cake when it comes to casual
racism.
⬧︎Panned for
its depiction of Indy (Ford) as the
white saviour airdropped (quite
literally) into India for the benefit of
hapless villagers, and the antagonist
Mola Ram (Amrish Puri) as a
blood-drinking cultist, Temple of
Doom’s most notorious scene is
the one portraying a royal
feast.
INDY
AND HIS COMPANIONS Willie
(Kate Capshaw) and Short Round (Ke Huy
Quan) are guests of Maharaja Zalim Singh
of Pankot. The 13-year-old Maharaja is
hosting a “Guardian of Tradition” dinner
at his palace, a state banquet that has
dignitaries and personages of various
hues in attendance. Of course, the menu
is designed to showcase Pankot’s best,
and impress the gathered diners.
Except, what
Willie, Short Round and Indy don’t know,
is that the delicacies comprising this
menu aren’t what they might call
edible.
There is
roasted wild boar, which is fine as
entrees go. Those who’ve sampled it say
that it is quite a unique-tasting meat,
and quite strong and nutty in terms of
flavour. But this state of affairs
doesn’t last long, as the other dishes
make an appearance.
First up:
Coiled Wrigglies. The stewards bring out
a large silver platter, around which a
boa constrictor is arranged. “Ah, Snake
Surprise,” a guest helpfully proclaims
to a bemused Willie. “What’s the
surprise?” she asks, only for it to be
demonstrated in the next instant: one of
the servers slits open the snake to
reveal the live eels stuffed inside.
Willie is repulsed, but her Indian
dinner companions swallow several of
these eels with gusto, while they’re
still wriggling.
The next dish
that is served to great cheers from the
guests is the Cristpy Coleoptera [sic].
Plates of “fresh (boiled) beetles, still
in the shell, bursting with meltingly
delectable innards” are passed around
the table, with everyone (except the
civilised westerners) partaking
heartily.
Desperate for
a bite, Willie pleads with one of the
servers to bring her "something simple,
like soup". Her wish is granted when a
tureen is placed before her, which is
uncovered to reveal an aromatic broth.
Eager to dig in, she finds out that
human eyeballs are the soup's secret
ingredient.
The piece de
resistance, however, is the dessert. The
attendants even synchronise its serving,
placing it before each individual guest
at precisely the same time. It’s Primate
Parfait — or as Willie is informed,
“soft, chilled monkey brains”, served in
a monkey’s head (presumably the same one
the brain was lodged in, in a happier,
healthier and livelier time). She
promptly passes out, signalling an end
to her evening’s socialising.
As for Indy
himself, he notes in his journal that he
was satisfied by the dinner — a
sentiment that later, non-white viewers
were unlikely to share.
***
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