When Dr. Indiana Jones – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself...
In a world where the image of superheroes, aliens, and robots all walking away from computer-generated explosions is now ubiquitous, revisiting Steven Spielberg’s action masterpiece, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) is truly refreshing. I’m not saying the former elements make bad movies, of course, but “Raiders” reminds us how the “awe factor” in any action-adventure should always be the hero himself: his rugged but effective abilities, his wit, persistence, and charm. In this and many other ways I will surely fall short of describing, “Raiders” is no less than the quintessence of action filmmaking.
After only one scene of exposition, we know everything we need to know to follow Indiana Jones on his impossible expedition; from here, the film takes off and settles down only until the final scene. “Raiders” knows what it wants to be, and just like all of us in the audience, it wants to “get to the good part”. And without any unnecessary hesitation, it gets there at lightning speed; once we’ve reached the hour mark, there is no turning the movie off or changing the channel as we witness Indy do everything from escape an ancient tomb to latch onto a submarine for an entire ride all in the span of arguably the most fun 45-minutes in movie history; before Tom Cruise’s unbelievable, incessant stunts in the “Mission Impossible” series, Harisson Ford performed a string of stunts that still manages to captivate viewers 37 years later.
Film has many iconic characters, and it always amazes me how Harrison Ford has played several. Deckard, Han, Kimble, and here, Indiana Jones — a name synonymous with adventure (instantly causing us to hum a certain John Williams march). Everything about Jones is so memorable: his ever-white smile, his trusty hat and whip, his humorous cynicism, and the aura of rugged pride he exudes at all times; most — if not all — of the film’s energy comes from it’s protagonist, and, needless to say, Ford’s performance is a huge part of what makes a (otherwise boring) movie about archaeology so fun to watch.
Ford’s mastery also really goes to show how great Karen Allen is in her often-overlooked role as Marion. To go toe-to-toe with Harisson Ford in his most famous role and actually steal many scenes is quite a feat. Despite playing a character that is treated horribly throughout the plot, Allen gives Marion a soul of her own that plays just as well apart from Indy in her solo scenes.
Not only does it star the essential action couple, but “Raiders” is also a visual triumph. Here, big action set pieces and effects need not compromise gorgeous cinematography; “Raiders” proves that fun, popcorn movies can/should be stunning in every technical sense — from the use of score to the lighting and camera angles. Steven Soderbergh (“Ocean’s Eleven”) notoriously edited this movie to be in black and white and silent; the result is absolutely breathtaking. Every other shot looks sometimes even more beautiful than it did with color — speaking to the expert level of lighting; even in the silence you can actually tell a little of what’s going on through the actors’ expressive movements and the way the film is edited. Steven Spielberg, a master filmmaker with epics like “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan” under his belt, only proves his talent more by his ability to make a pulpy 80s action flick just as stunning as his more serious works.
In all this, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” balances a story that can easily come across as pure cheesiness. With everything from over-the-top fistfights to using the literal embodiment of evil for villains, it plays like a really long Saturday morning cartoon. Taken up by any other team besides George Lucas (one of the writers here) and Spielberg, such a concept would’ve easily flopped; instead (thankfully) the duo’s project is a captivating tale that never dwindles or dies out. It goes to show that a fun movie can be beautiful in its every performance, note, and shot from start to finish.
