20 Things You Somehow Missed In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

19. Nicht Stören

Raiders of the Lost Ark Harrison Ford
LucasFilm

Whilst Indy is using his correctly proportioned Staff of Ra to locate the Well of the Souls at Tanis, the beam of sunlight that is revealing the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant to him passes over a building in a model of the city that is marked in red paint as "nicht stören" - the German phrase for "do not disturb".

Whilst this phrase immediately conjures up images of a sign hooked over a hotel door handle, on reflection it may hold more sinister connotations. For instance, it could be that there is something in this particular building that even the Nazis do not want to tamper with.

But what on Earth could be worse than a golden chest which, when opened, sweeps away entire armies and can even level mountains? Perhaps it is best not to know, but it would make a great concept for a sequel. After all, later Indiana Jones films have shown that they are perfectly willing to exploit what made Raiders great.

Alternatively, of course, it could purely be a place that Pharaoh Shishak wished to keep, well - you know - private! If so, it's kind of nice that the Nazis chose to respect that, really...

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.