Raiders of the Lost Ark

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, and Denholm Elliot

Written by: Lawrence Kasdan — Based on a story by: George Lucas and Philip Kaufman

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starting with one of the most famous opening sequences in film history, Raiders of the Lost Ark wasted no time in establishing an iconic character in a style that would be often imitated, rarely duplicated.   Immediately, Harrison Ford portrays Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones as an intelligent, courageous bad-ass that the audience wants to watch.

If adventure was an archetype, than Raiders would be the example.  The aforementioned opening sequence is done with humor, action, and most importantly a sense of charisma.  From the first glance at the archaeologist, to a young Alfred Molina’s straight-man who betrays Indy, to a booby trap sending a large boulder into the cave after our hero, you are immediately hooked.

After his escape we are introduced to his rival, a fellow archaeologist named Belloq, who is a bit more self-centered, which leads to another escape into a waiting plane…and an introduction to Dr. Jones’ phobia with regards to snakes.

In great contrast to his adventurous lifestyle, we then meet Dr. Jones, the Professor at an American university.   Quickly enough, two high ranking Army intelligence agents come looking for Jones’ expert opinion.  As the film is set in 1936, It seems the Nazis’ are after an historic object and the name of Abner Ravenwood, Jones mentor has popped up quite a bit.

The Nazis have rediscovered Tanis, an ancient city swept under by a sandstorm years ago, and supposedly one of the possible resting places for the lost Ark of the Covenant — the chest built to hold the fragments of the original Ten Commandments.

In order to find the Ark, the Nazis need the headpiece to the Staff of Ra, that Jones believes Ravenwood possesses.  With the Ark, an army could be invincible due to the power of God that is inside the Chest.  Admittedly, I’m not a scholar, but it seems strange that a chest with the Ten Commandments has that kind of power, but it isn’t too distracting.

Jones is commissioned to find Ravenwood, the Staff, and the Ark.

Flying to Nepal to meet with Ravenwood’s daughter, Marion introduces us to a fiesty, powerful woman character.  A former spurned lover of Indy’s, Marion is almost as tough in some ways and tougher in others.  An iconic opening is in store for her as well as she outdrinks an obvious barfly in humorous fashion.

Quickly after Jones arrives, Nazi agents come looking for the headpiece as well and a great bar fight commences where Jones and Ravenwood show the Nazis how the Americans throw down.  In the battle, Toht, the leader of the Nazi search team finds the headpiece in a fire, picks it up and it sears into his flesh causing him to drop it and run screaming.  After her tavern is burned to the ground, Marion is forced to put aside her bitter enmity towards Indy and partner up with him, giving him the headpiece.

The pair fly to Cairo, to meet with Sallah, a friend of Jones, and an exceptional digger who knows where the Nazis are digging, with the assistance of Belloq.   Soon after, in a bazaar, the Nazi’s kidnap Marion and fake her death to throw Indy off the trail.  This sequence includes the famous scene where Indiana is accosted by a Middle Eastern man twirling a sword around extremely proficiently in preparation of killing Jones.  Indiana simply pulls his gun and shoots him.  It’s classic Indiana, and classic improvisation from Harrison Ford.  It was reported that there was a long fight sequence planned, but the day of filming, Harrison was extremely ill and just pulled the gun instead.  Spielberg liked it so much, they kept it.

Infiltrating Belloq’s dig with the real headpiece, Indy and Sallah sneak into the map room where using the headpiece will show the location of the Ark.  They quickly realize that Belloq has used Toht’s hand which only had one side of the headpiece, not two.  It has caused a miscalculation and the Nazis are  digging in the wrong spot.

Jones also discovers Marion, who is being held by Belloq.  Jones starts to rescue her, but realizes that if she goes missing, they’ll never get a chance to get the ark from under the nazi’s noses.  To Marion’s annoyance, Indy ties her back up.

They gather a crew to dig in the right spot, right under Belloq’s nose.  Opening into the Well of Souls, Indy and Sallah quickly discover that the floor is covered with asps — leading to the great line by Sallah,

“Asps…Very dangerous…You go first.”

They find the Ark and lift it out of the dig, just in time for the Nazis to commandeer it.  Marion is tossed down into the Well and it is sealed.

The two are able to make it out and they track down the Ark to a plane that will be heading to Berlin.  After Indy gets into a classic brawl with a bruiser, the Nazis place the Ark on a truck for Plan B.  Indy and Marion are able to track down the truck and steal it.  Sallah helps them get the Ark to a boat and they leave Cairo with the Ark.

The Nazis don’t give up though sending a U-Boat to stop the Americans.  Marion and the Ark are taken aboard the boat, while Indiana is able to sneak aboard unseen.  Following the Nazis to a secret island, where Belloq plans to open the Ark to test its power before presenting it to Hitler.

Jones tracks down the Ark and threatens to destroy it with a rocket launcher unless the Nazis release Marion.  Belloq calls his bluff, and Jones surrenders.  When the Nazis open the Ark, Indy warns Marion to close her eyes, as the power of God shoots through the Nazis killing them all, leaving Indy and Marion with the Ark.

Upon return to America, the Army intelligence takes the Ark despite Jones’ protest that the Ark had to be researched.  The agents tell Jones that they have “top men” on the case, when in reality, the Ark has been locked away and put in a large warehouse filled with many such crates.

Conceptually based on film serials of the 30s that the film is set in, Raiders of the Lost Ark is an absolute success in all ways.  Phenomenal acting from Ford, Allen, and Davies sets the stage for great action sequences in an engaging gripping, story.

A separate paragraph had to be devoted to John Williams score.  I know I’ve used the word iconic an awful lot in this film, but if I could only use that description once, it would certainly have to have been reserved for this score.  The main theme is memorable and exciting.  The love theme, somewhat reminiscence of his Star Wars scores, is soft, yet evocative.

Overall, Raiders is everything you could want in an fun adventure movie, which surpasses the usual summer blockbuster affair to become an experience.

A