The Rewatch Adventures of Indiana Jones, Part II

Image credit: IMDB

The next episode in Volume I of the DVD set is called Passion for Life. The combination of episodes are aptly title because Young Indy discovers the importance of preserving wildlife and enjoying life through the passion of art. Some thoughts about each part:

British North Africa
This is another episode that stands out strong in my memory. Indy heads on a safari with Teddy Roosevelt to discover a rare antelope called an Oryx. While exploring the savannah and befriending a boy from a local tribe, Indy is also learning about the big game hunting world through the eyes of Teddy Roosevelt. Indy eventually stops Roosevelt from killing more animals and saves the herd of oryx from the big game hunters. I remember the impact this episode had on me because I did my third grade animal research paper on the Oryx, further cementing the fact that I was perhaps modeling my life too much on a fictional character. Watching it now, I am impressed by the conservationist tone taken in the episode, especially for a product of the early 90s. Fun fact: The actor who plays Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark plays one of Roosevelt's hunting guides!

Paris
The second half of this episode is much less memorable from its original airing, perhaps because I did not appreciate it as much at 9-years-old. Indy discovers the Paris art scene in this episode and meets Degas and Picasso, all while having an adventure with a young Norman Rockwell. Watching it with my current lens, I appreciated the way the episode depicted the transition of art styles, from the Impressionism of Degas to the Cubism of Picasso. In addition, the episode touched on the complicated nature of artistic ownership and how easy it is to copy someone's style and try to sell it as an original work. All of that was probably a little over a kid's head, but I can really appreciate the episode now.

Next up: The Perils of Cupid!