Character Analysis
Let's cut to the chase: Elsa's a big fat faker. She pretends to be a damsel in distress when, in actuality, she's a femme fatale. But is she a villain?
That's where things get complicated.
Just One of the Guys
When we first meet Elsa, she's utterly likable. She coolly downplays the fact that Indiana and Brody assumed that, since they were to meet a Dr. Schneider, they would be meeting a man. When it comes to confidence and pithy comebacks, she goes toe-to-toe with Indiana. Elsa doesn't suffer fools—or male chauvinists—gladly. Check it out:
ELSA: What were they looking for?
INDIANA: This.
ELSA: The Grail diary.
INDIANA: Uh huh.
ELSA: You had it. You didn't trust me.
INDIANA: I didn't know you. At least I let you tag along.
ELSA: Oh, yes. Give them a flower, and they'll follow you anywhere.
INDIANA: Knock it off. You're not mad.
ELSA: No?
INDIANA: No. You like the way I do things.
ELSA: It's lucky I don't do things the same way. You'd still be standing at the Venice pier.
Indiana's being a jerk here, and Elsa puts him in his place, reminding him that, without her, he'd still be counting minnows on the pier with Brody. Elsa rightfully sees herself as an equal to Indiana at a time when women weren't necessarily viewed that way, and she's not afraid to subvert that antiquated way of thinking and use her femininity to get ahead.
ELSA: I believe in the Grail, not the swastika.
INDIANA: You stood up to be counted with the enemy of everything that the Grail stands for. Who gives a damn what you think?
ELSA: You do.
Elsa's self-possessed, and she knows the hold that she has on Indiana. What's more, she doesn't just woo Indiana to get what she wants; she woos Henry, too.
No Excuses
So our could-have-been-a heroine helps the Jones team when it suits her. But she also teams up with the Nazis to get what she wants. See? Complicated. Unlike Donovan, though, Elsa seems actually to detest the Third Reich. This point is made most clearly at the Nazi rally, where Hitler's goons are burning books. Their literary bonfire doesn't sit well with Elsa at all. In fact, it brings her to tears.
The fact that Elsa catches feelings for Indiana makes the entire situation even stickier. When he calls her out on her coziness with the Third Reich, for example, Elsa seems ashamed:
ELSA: Don't look at me like that. We both wanted the Grail. I would've done anything to get it. You would've done the same.
INDIANA: I'm sorry you think so.
Indiana's gaze makes Elsa uncomfortable, and when she claims that Indiana would have aligned with the Nazis, too, she's clearly trying to make herself feel better about her slimy actions. She's trying to convince not just Indiana but also herself that anybody in her position would have done the same thing. But that's simply not true.
Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Before we start to feel sorry for Elsa, let's not forget that she's one seriously greedy lady. That's why she'll go against her own principles to get the Holy Grail. It's not clear if she's after the Holy Grail's promise of immortality, if she lusts after fame and fortune, or if she just collects rad cups. What is clear is that Elsa's as obsessed with the Holy Grail as Henry is, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Grail temple.
Once she knows the Grail's in the house, Elsa goes bonkers.
First, she helps Donovan pick the cup that kills him. Did she help him choose poorly on purpose? Was she bumping off the competition? It's a distinct possibility. It's also possible that she wanted to keep the thing out of the nasty guy's hands. Either way, it's a cold move.
Second, Elsa totally disregards the old knight's warning that the Grail can't leave the temple. We don't know about you, but if a centuries-old knight gave us advice, we'd take it. You know what they say about wisdom coming with age.
Elsa ignores the knight's counsel. She remains hopelessly fixated on the Holy Grail. When she tries to run off with it, the earth shakes and rattles, and Elsa rolls down a giant crevasse to her gnarly death, all because she's too stubborn and fanatical to leave without her prize.
Elsa Schneider's Timeline