Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s Well of Souls scene gets put under the microscope by a snake expert, and she awards a mixed review. Released in 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark marks Harrison Ford’s first adventure as the intrepid archaeologist. The classic Steven Spielberg film kickstarted a movie series that now consists of five movies in total, but the scene in which Indy and Marion (Karen Allen) are sealed into the snake-infested Well of Souls remains one of the Indiana Jones franchise’s best and most memorable moments even 40 years later.
In a recent video for Insider, snake expert Sara Ruane analyzes the portrayal of the reptilian creatures in Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s Well of Souls scene.
While the movie actually gets lot right regarding the snakes shown on screen, the film loses some points for attempting to pass off other reptiles as snakes. Check out selections from Ruane’s commentary below:
“What we’re seeing is a mixture of heavy-bodied snakes, boas and pythons, and then a bunch of legless lizards that aren’t snakes at all.
“The snake sitting there like that but not really doing anything is pretty accurate. Snakes are doing almost everything in their power to not bite. Venom is only used defensively as a secondary defensive system. Snakes primarily use venom to acquire prey.
“To avoid getting bit in a situation like that, staying still is a good strategy to start with. Staying calm, no herky-jerky motions. Anything that’s going to startle the snake is more likely to make it bite because it’s going to get scared. Trying to back away very slowly and calmly would be the next step.
“That’s a python and it’s just hanging out. That seems pretty realistic. That’s what most snakes do. Most snakes, even if you’re up close in their face, are going to remain pretty calm. One of the best way snakes defend themselves is by not moving and hoping you don’t really see them.
“I’m going to give it a five [out of 10]. What I like about this clip is the snakes for the most part are acting the way snakes do. I have to take some points off because most of the animals in this clip aren’t snakes at all.”
Raiders Of The Lost Ark’s Well Of Souls Scene Explained
How The Indiana Jones Moment Was Pulled Off
There are countless memorable set pieces in the Indiana Jones franchise, but Indy and Marion being sealed in the Well of Souls with a nightmarish number of snakes as their torches burn down is certainly one of the best. Thousands of real snakes were used for the scene, mostly non-venomous, in addition to the legless lizards that Ruane describes. On top of the real animals, however, rubber snakes were also used to fill in the gaps.
One of the most iconic shots from the franchise sees Jones, who is terrified of snakes, coming face-to-face with a cobra before slowly backing away. Those who have seen the earlier versions of Raiders of the Lost Ark will recall that a reflection was visible in this scene, giving away that a pane of glass separated Ford and the cobra during filming. This reflection was digitally removed in the early 2000s, however, and it’s not present in the version of the film currently available on Disney Plus.
The film’s snake handler, Steve Edge, revealed in a 2016 interview with the New York Daily News that he actually served as Allen’s stunt double for scenes in which the character had to be especially close to the snakes on the floor. Edge donned a dress and shaved his legs for the scene, apparently suffering quite a few bites in the process. Although the Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Well of Souls scenes was evidently quite the feat to pull off, it was certainly all worth it in the end.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
The most popular and well-received film in the Indiana Jones movie franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark follows Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones in a race against Nazi forces to recover the famed Ark of the Covenant. Aided by his former lover, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy must work to keep the Nazis, led by Dr. Rene Belloq, from obtaining the Ark and thus becoming recipients of its power. The film is widely regarded as one of the all-time greatest movies ever made.
- Release Date
- June 12, 1981
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Cast
- Harrison Ford , Karen Allen , Alfred Molina , Paul Freeman , Ronald Lacey , John Rhys-Davies , Denholm Elliott
- Runtime
- 115 Minutes
- Writers
- Lawrence Kasdan
- Budget
- $20 Million
- Studio(s)
- Lucasfilm
- Distributor(s)
- Paramount Pictures
- Sequel(s)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
- Franchise(s)
- Indiana Jones
