Indiana Jones Film Offers Rare Negative Portrayal of Soviets

Over the years, moviegoers have seen many films confirming how bad the Nazis were, but few Hollywood productions have ever shown the brutal face of the USSR. Starting off with a depiction of a 1957 slaying of American forces by a convoy of Soviet troops at a military base in Nevada, the film never fails to portray the USSR’s best as evil characters seeking world domination. The prize that would help them achieve their nefarious goal is the crystal skull and its great psychic powers. As the chief Soviet villain, Cate Blanchett plays the seductive but ruthless Irina Spalko outfitted in Soviet military garb. Hollywood’s discovery that the USSR was truly an “evil empire” is welcome even though long overdue.