Heroic acts are not usually accomplished alone. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Its story is one of personal redemption through compassion. At the heart of this is the relationship between Indy (Harrison Ford) and Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), and as the movie unfolds, we discover that it’s in fact the older, stronger Indy who needs the younger Short Round’s help.

Indiana Jones has shown an aptitude for making friends. Shorty becomes his companion after trying to pick his pocket in the streets of Shanghai. The child is self-assured and intensely loyal to the archaeologist. Indy becomes quite affectionate towards Short Round, a sort of father figure. They form a partnership…