Was there any need for Indiana Jones' actions concerning the grail?
Thanks to a slightly related comment elsewhere I was recently reminded of the third (and final) Indiana Jones movie. At the end of the movie it turns out that while the Grail does grant eternal life, any attempt at removing it from the temple causes
the latter to collapse.
Assuming that mechanism makes it absolutely certain the Grail's cup cannot be removed from the temple (and even if it could, the other half, the "water" which certainly wasn't pure water, was still inside the temple), were Indiana Jones' actions mostly in vain (aside from saving his father)? It seems all the Nazis could have achieved was
living forever inside the temple
which was not exactly useful...
Best Answer
The water, as far as I'm aware, is simply that: water. It may not even be Holy Water, but I don't believe there is ever anything explicitly mentioned about having to drink from that particular font for the grail's powers to work.
The Temple of the Sun does indeed collapse when the grail is removed, but I think this is because the structure draws some sort power from the grail, and removing its power source removes this stability: hence stepping over the Great Seal causing the collapse.
Even if the grail couldn't be removed (which they only learn when meeting the Grail Knight), it still has incredible restorative powers that remain in effect when the user leaves the temple (as proven by the healing of Henry Jones). There is no reason this wouldn't heal deadly conditions such as Cancer, or any other ailments.
The Nazi's didn't know of the Grail's limitations until meeting the grail knight, and even with limitations it is still an incredibly powerful artifact.
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What did Indiana Jones do with the Holy Grail?
Jones drinks from a simple wooden cup that proves to be the true Grail, but the knight warns that it cannot be taken out of the temple and that its guardian must stay within in order to remain immortal. Jones fills the Grail with holy water and brings it to Henry, healing him instantly.Did Indiana Jones drink from the Holy Grail?
The knight then reveals that "the Grail cannot pass beyond the great seal, that is the boundary and the price of immortality." Despite the Grail's restriction, Indiana Jones still makes his dying father drink some and then applies it to his wound, curing him.Which real life archeological site doubled as the temple containing the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?
The search for the Holy Grail brings Indiana Jones and his father to the Temple of the Sun also known as the Holly Grail temple. The real temple was carved into stone in the 1st century AD in what is now Jordan.Who guarded the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones?
The Grail Knight was chosen to remain as the Holy Grail's guardian as he was deemed the bravest and most worthy of the three brothers that had found the relic.Stop Saying Indiana Jones Doesn't Affect the Plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark
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Answer 2
It seems to me that you're partially correct but...
I recall somewhere in the film that one of the other 'grail-guarding' brothers had 'stumbled out of the desert and died of extreme old age'.
This would infer that the effects of drinking from the grail would give you:
- Immortality within the temple
- An extremely long life outside the temple
- Healing of wounds
So, one uses could be:
- Visit the temple every so often to get a top up of 'life'.
- Visit the temple to be healed of a wound.
There's also no indication of whether water decanted from the grail and removed from the temple would have any life giving properties. But, imagine it did... It would basically become a 'healing' 'life-giving" potion that anyone could use.
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