Hitler (played by the same actor who played the head teacher Mr Bronson in Grange Hill… A character more evil than Hitler!) Gives Indy his autograph. Then Indy wears a look of pleased smugness. “I have Hitler’s Autograph!”
Was this meant to be?
OK so that was a weak op that wanted to go somewhere but didn’t. So how about we make the thread about people/characters who did evil like no other.
Growing up with Grange Hill I can honestly say no-one truly made you think “OOOHh that man is eaieeeeeeeevill!” than Mr Bronson the headteacher! Compared to him Hitler was a mere naughty man. Maybe it was my young mind being taken in by good acting and directing but I’ve never since seen evil in a character like I saw it in him.
Like hell you will!
What I ( 
) want to know is what the bleep happened after the ark was opened in Raiders. What are the spirits supposed to be? Is this based on any writings that have been found? Stories? Does looking into someone’s eyes enable you, the scary ghost, to detect a person’s sins and melt him/her to death? Well, is it? What happened?
Oh, and Indy was glad the Fuhrer’s hastiness and lack of attention to detail, his poor judgment in general, caused him to misinterpret Indy’s intentions and sign the Grail diary. Had he correctly identified the item in his hand, he would have incarcerated, then executed, Indy and would have probably found the Grail and fought the elderly Knight all by himself. Or not.
For that matter…what happens if you play back the film that the Nazis were making during the ceremony?
Same thing that happens seven days after you see that VHS tape from “The Ring” 
Smugness? I always thought it was a look of disgust. It’s been awhile, maybe I need to watch it again.
I think it my be influenced by two Bible stories-- the Holiest of Holies, which (according to the Old Testament) could not be entered by anyone other than a ritually clensed priest. Anyone who did would drop dead in an instant. Secondly, the Old Testament says that no mortal can look upon God. When God was on Mt. Sinai with Moses, he put his hand over Moses’ eyes so that Moses wouldn’t see his face, but permitted him the honor of seeing God’s back as God walked away.
The OT also says that the Ark was so holy that anyone who touched it dropped dead. It had to be carried on poles.
I think the implication was supposed to be that those ghosty things were angels or spirits put in the ark by God and thus were subject to the same no-see-'um rule.
The Figure arising from the Ark was feminine & then skeletal. I always thought the implication was it was both the Shekinah Glory (described in Jewish lore as a feminine aspect of God) and the Angel of Death.
That just made me think of God walking up behind Moses and calling, “Guess who!?” Then running away so Moses can only see him going to hide behind a rock.
But it was always good fun to see the Nazi’s get their come-uppances in the Indiana Jones films, especially when spoofed in South Park
I think it was meant to be a look of amazed relief - up until that point, I think Indy is expecting Hitler to recognise the book and have the soldiers seize him.
Wasn’t the camera depicted as exploding into flames or something?
And that camera was only five days from retirement!
At the start of thr film Indy is reading a book that shows an illustration of what would happen if the ark is opened, you’ll have to rewatch it to see if he says anything there though.
Remember that Indy runs into Hitler at a book burning. When Hitler takes the book, it seems for a moment as if it will be thrown onto the fire. Then when he signs it instead, Indy wears an expression of relief and amazement.
Same explanation as Peter Morris with a little change (might be wrong). I always assumed the look was relief and amazement for not losing the book but I always thought it was because Indy thought Hitler knew the whole story and knew the books importance and was relieved and amazed Hitler didn’t keep it.
The book burning idea does seem a little more plausable though.
Not to mention that all of Nazi Germany is out looking for the Jone’s boys.
Indy’s expression basically goes from “holy crap it’s freakin Hitler!” which could have any number of possible outcomes - all bad - to satsfaction that they could get on with their quest.
1 Samuel 6:19 " And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. "
As I remember, an Ark ghost flew through the lens and eyepiece, to fry the Nazi cameraman. The camera itself seemed to be undamaged.
Or satisfaction that he had just outwitted the head of the 3rd Reich with nothing more than a stolen uniform?
And no need to try to speak German (although it becomes apparent on the Zeppelin that he does have a smattering).