Opinion

How Indiana Jones and the Great Circle improves the franchise’s portrayal of women

17.4.2025

After five Indiana Jones films, I ended up writing off capable, interesting women in the franchise. That’s why the latest instalment was a pleasant surprise, with the new companion Gina Lombardi ending up really cool.

Last winter, I watched an entire Indiana Jones film for the first time. For years, I could only remember one section from The Temple of Doom where they eat snake entrails and monkey brains. This has all changed with the game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which launched for PS5 on 17 April.

Philipp’s review really sparked my adventurous spirit. It made me want to experience the puzzle and action extravaganza for myself. So I watched the five films as preparation, which felt totally doable. Even 40 years on from the franchise, its exotic adventures with their exaggerated action interludes still have me enthralled. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the way the films portray women.

So my expectations of the new title from MachineGames, the developers of Wolfenstein, were equally low. However, the performance from quick-witted journalist Gina Lombardi had me hooked. To explain why I was so thrilled about this companion, I need to contextualise this with problematic female characters in Indiana Jones.

The problematic portrayal of women in Indiana Jones films

Women in the Indiana Jones franchise have little to no autonomy. Their personality is often defined by their relationship to the protagonist. Sometimes there’s not even a relationship. The successful archaeology professor’s female students are only shown ogling to emphasise how attractive he is. There’s no other point to them.

The front row of Indy’s lectures is mainly taken up by rhapsodising young women.
Source: Paramount Pictures

The women are hardly shown as individuals with their own abilities and needs. Even adept villains like KGB agent Irina Spalko from The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull aren’t fully developed characters. Irina acts in the interests of her organisation, rather than for herself. In the film, I don’t get to find out who the woman with the rapier really is.

Irina Spalko is an amazing fighter, but that doesn’t make her an individual.
Source: Paramount Pictures

It’s not just female extras and villains who come off badly in the Indiana Jones franchise. Indy’s lovers don’t fare any better. For instance, he denies any responsibility for his affair with the underage Marion Ravenwood and for effectively grooming her. He falls for the 16-year-old while working with her father. When the two lovers break up, it destroys Indy’s relationship with the Ravenwoods for a number of years.

When Marion confronts him in Raiders of the Lost Ark years after their fling, he simply replies: «I did what I did. You don’t have to be happy about it.» What kind of apology is that?

Marion is furious about the affair and punches Indy in the face – but gets involved with him a bit later anyway.
Source: Paramount Pictures

As well as sleeping with his colleagues’ daughters, Indiana Jones also uses women as human shields. In the opening scene of The Temple of Doom, he holds singer Willie in front of him protectively and threatens her with a fork in the back. She later becomes his companion and lover.

Instead of confronting him seriously about it, she just gets upset about having holes in her beautiful dress. The only sympathy I have for Willie is her superficial personality. This scene contributes to the franchise’s sexist depiction of women by showing a female character who thinks clothes are more important than her wellbeing. What’s more, Willie from The Temple of Doom is known for her constant shrieking. This paints another unrealistic picture of women.

The romance between Indy and Willie is just as explosive and chaotic as the opening scene from Temple of Doom.
Source: Paramount Pictures

When catching up on the Indiana Jones films, I found scenes with the companions difficult to watch and could’ve happily skipped them altogether. Although the women have strong moments, they’re just accessories to the male-dominated adventure and not fully developed individuals. This bothers me more than anything because Indy’s male companions, such as Henry Jones Senior and Mutt Williams, are much more complex characters in comparison.

Not a specific Indiana Jones problem

While the Indiana Jones films have their sexist scenes, they’re not sexist works per se. Philosopher Kate C.S. Schmidt from the Metropolitan State University of Denver explains this in Feminism and Indiana Jones: A Field Guide as follows: «Films and literature are imperfect, and we can still be fans without being blind to sexist problems. Movies with flaws can still be valuable because they bring joy or represent other moral values.»

That’s exactly how I felt when I watched the Indiana films. My brain switched off during the «romantic» parts but consumed the rest with relish.

Although the female characters in Indiana Jones may get a raw deal, in other areas, the old films are progressive role models in the context of the 1980s film world. For instance, The Last Crusade paints a picture of masculinity that’s liberated from toxic ideals.

The interpersonal relationship between Indy and his father is at the centre of the film and shows how important family ties are. Furthermore, Indiana Jones is openly hurt by the deception of historian Elsa Schneider when she turns out to be a Nazi and uses him to obtain the Holy Grail. Toxic masculinity disagrees with showing feelings and is the cornerstone of a lot of films with emotionless protagonists.

That’s why I don’t want to deny anyone their favourite film or ruin it for them. I’m only drawing attention to the problem to show how it can be solved by the same franchise – and ensure a better result.

Why Gina from The Great Circle does better than her predecessors

Gina Lombardi from the new game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle behaves differently to her predecessors. I get to know her in the Vatican as a flirty, sly journalist. While Indy finds out about his enemies, he catches Gina in a nun disguise doing the same. They soon form a partnership of convenience, based on effective cooperation but also betrayal. It takes a while before I really get to know Gina.

Nazis are the common enemy that bring Indy and Gina together in the first place.
Source: MachineGames

It finally feels like a more realistic way for characters to get to know each other. At least, that’s how it seems looking at things from the audience’s point of view. Let’s face it, Indiana Jones is an attractive, intelligent and shrewd man. But that doesn’t mean all women are going to immediately fall at his feet. Gina’s initial doubts are a welcome change and make the later development of her character and her relationship with Indiana Jones more realistic and rewarding.

As soon as Indy cracks her tough shell, she proves to be a reliable companion. And her contacts are an additional form of support. Gina interacts with girlfriends independently of Indy, such as her ally Nawal in Giza. In fact, The Great Circle passes what’s known as the Bechdel test, which examines the representation of women in films. This requires the title to 1) have at least two female roles, 2) ensure these characters talk to each other and 3) make their conversation be about something other than men.

Gina talks to her ally Nawal in Giza. Indy is just an embellishment in the background.
Source: Machine Games

Gina doesn’t just appear in the plot to help Indiana Jones. She pursues her own goals, with her top priority being to free her sister from the clutches of the Nazis. It’s more of a coincidence that she meets the world’s most accomplished archaeologist and Nazi-basher.

Over the course of The Great Circle, one thing leads to another and Indiana Jones and Gina Lombardi develop a mutual romantic interest. I really like the fact that Indy isn’t the only one calling the shots. Gina sets the pace of the relationship and keeps Indy’s (and my) interest. The two of them tease each other a lot – albeit in a much healthier way than in the films. Generally speaking, the fact that Gina is mature and goes after her own goals means that many toxic elements disappear. Both Indy and I know that she won’t put up with any old nonsense.

This makes the romantic scenes more rewarding. I found myself rooting for them and looking forward to every interaction with Gina.

A character like Gina makes me love going on adventures.
Source: Cassie Mammone

More women like Gina for Indiana Jones, please

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle proves that the franchise can handle strong, independent women. The video game captures the charm of the old films without their weaknesses. The Great Circle also sets the blueprint for a successful and modernised revival of Indiana. Unfortunately, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Wheel of Fortune missed the mark – both in their portrayal of women and the narrative. That’s why these two modern films come off significantly worse than the trilogy from the 80s.

I like Gina Lombardi as a companion in an Indiana Jones film because of her skill and well-developed character. But more than that, I like her as a video game protagonist in general. In future, I’d like more assertive companions that I don’t have to guard like gold, such as Ashley from Resident Evil 4 or Maria from Silent Hill 2.

Action heroines can also take a leaf out of their future companions’ book – regardless of whether a romantic relationship develops or not. Cinema screens could also do with more healthy romances. But that’s a topic for another day.

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Cassie Mammone

Freelance Editor

cassie.mammone.freelance@gmail.com

I wrote my first text about video games when I was eight years old. I haven't been able to stop since. The rest of my time is spent on my love for 2D husbandos, monsters, my cats and sport.

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