Original artwork, not a still
He chose... poorly.
— Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade · 1989
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The line is a deadpan verdict and the film's moral in miniature: the Grail goes to the humble, not to the man who reaches for gold. Eddison's calm, almost sorry delivery is the reason it stuck; the effects are grisly but the sentence is polite. It is now the standard quip for any bad decision with a bad outcome, usually when someone picks the flashy option over the right one.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeShow the scene
At the climax of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Steven Spielberg, 1989), Indy, his father and the Nazis reach the Grail Temple's chamber of cups, where an ancient knight has guarded the true Grail since the Crusades. Walter Donovan, who has just shot Henry Jones Sr. to force Indy's cooperation, demands to choose for himself, and Elsa Schneider, who is secretly against him, hands him the wrong cup. Donovan drinks and ages rapidly into dust. The Grail Knight, played by Robert Eddison, remarks that he chose poorly. Indy then picks the plain carpenter's cup and uses it to save his father.
Sources (3)
- Wikiquote: Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeDialogue, Grail chamber after Donovan drinksReference checked
- Wikipedia: Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadePlot and casting sectionsReference checked
- Indiana Jones Wiki: Grail KnightRole and behind the scenesReference checked
Context reviewed
