By: Joe Wolf
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a film that is edge of the seat action. It is a film that defines action and adventure. There are clear lines drawn between good and evil. There is quality acting and colorful characters. What makes this film work, is the director, Steven Spielberg.
The plot of the film is simple. Indiana Jones, (Harrison Ford) is an archaeology professor, who is hired by the government; to find the ark of the covenant, before the Nazis do. He meets up with his ex-girlfriend, Marion Ravenwood, (Karen Allen) in Nepal. Together they pursue the Nazis across the world, to track down the ark. They end up at a Nazi base, where they witness the power of the ark: when the Nazis open it; they are all killed, and Marion and Indy survive, because of his quick thinking. When they get back to the states, Indy is disgusted, because the government doesn’t realize what the ark is. The end shows the ark, being placed in a government warehouse.
All of the action in this movie works well. The beginning has Indiana Jones in a temple, attempting to retrieve a golden idol. He does retrieve it, and places a weight where the idol was. This doesn’t work, and the walls of the temple, come crumbling down. A huge boulder comes rolling down and Indy runs for his life. He manages to make it outside, only to find his nemesis, Belloq, (Paul Freeman). He takes the idol from Indy, who is then pursued by the natives. He does make his getaway, in a plane, piloted by a friend. When Indy gets to Nepal, he runs into Marion Ravenwood. Unfortunately, Jones doesn’t realize that the Nazis booked the same flight to Nepal. They try to kill Indy and Marion, because she has the missing piece to the staff of Ra. Our heroes escape, but not before the Nazis burn down Marion’s house. Another great scene happens when Indy finds the location of the ark. The Nazis follow him and seal him and Marion in the ruins, which has snakes, which he fears. Jones manages to escape, by rocking back and forth on an ancient statue, and breaking through the wall. The very best scene is when Indy pursues the Nazi caravan carrying the ark. He jumps from horseback, onto a truck, and is dragged by it, until he manages to pull himself upwards on the grill. He manages to hijack the truck, and catch up to the Nazis.
Harrison Ford expertly plays Indiana Jones. He has immersed himself in the role. He plays a tough guy who travels the world searching for archaeological treasures. With this role he firmly establishes himself as a film hero. He has a great delivery of lines like “Snakes, why’d it have to be snakes?” Another line is “Didn’t you guys go to Sunday school?” Ford also shows caution, when he packs a gun in his suitcase. Harrison Ford conveys his character’s frustration, when Belloq and the Nazis seal him in the ruins and he says, “ son of a bitch.” Ford is best , at the end of the film, when the ark is opened. Indy is only able to shout to Marion, to close her her eyes. It’s the only thing he is able to do, and he saves their lives. He shows Indiana Jones frustration and disgust, when he calls the government bureaucrats fools at the end of the film. Harrison Ford has done something that Sean Connery, Basil Rathbone and only a few others actors have done. He has established a strong character, who lives on in cinema history.
Karen Allen portrays Marion Ravenwood, Indiana Jones’ partner. She is very convincing. We first meet her, when she’s involved in a drinking contest, which she wins. Before her and Indy flee her burning house, she grabs the amulet, from the fire. She tells Jones, that until they find the ark, “I’m your goddamn partner.” She continues to almost steal the movie, with some of the best lines and scenes. When she is held captive, by the Nazis, she tries to make her escape by drinking Belloq under the table. Belloq laughs and says, “I grew up on this stuff.” We see her momentary frustration. She then points a knife, that she stole from the table. Belloq laughs at her, and tells her go ahead and leave. It’s miles in any direction. She realizes the situation is hopeless, and has to wait for Jones. A humorous scene is when Indy is on the ship, recuperating from his wounds from the truck chase. Marion moves a mirror, and in doing so, hits Indy’s injured shoulder, making him scream in pain. Karen Allen plays well off of Harrison Ford. She helps steer the film into some comic relief with Ford. Her turn as Marion Ravenwood shows a strong female character.
Paul Freeman plays Rene Belloq, the villain of the piece. The audience first sees him, when Indiana Jones, comes out of the temple. He takes the idol from him, with the natives backing him. He tells Jones, “What was yours is once again mine.” The way Freeman delivers the line, gives the impression that he is better than Jones, at what he does. Freeman shows Belloq’s cool demeanor, when a drunk Indiana Jones confronts him. He says to him, “Sit down before you fall down.” When Indy is about to be sealed in a ruin, he says to him, “Maybe in a thousand years, even you will be worth something.” The scene where Jones is ready to keep the ark from the Nazis by destroying it, shows Freeman’s character, at his silver tongued best. He tells Indy that they’ve spent their lives pursuing history, but this is history. Paul Freeman created a screen villain for the ages in Belloq.
Steven Spielberg directed Raiders of the Lost Ark. He recently directed Jaws and had commercial success as well as critical acclaim with that film. He established his status as a premier director with Raiders of the Lost Ark. The opening scene sets the tone. Indiana Jones comes slowly out of shadow, revealing this grisled man with the famous beat up fedora. When Indy is fleeing the natives, there is a wide shot showing him running, with the natives hot on his heels. In this same scene, we can hear Belloq’s laughter, in the background. The scene in the street, where Indy confronts a sword wielding assasin, is priceless. Indy doesn’t want to fight him, so he just shoots him. This scene happened, because most of the actors were ill. Spielberg decided this was the best way to go. It certainly works. Another good sequence is the flying wing. Indiana Jones is getting his butt kicked, by a very large mechanic. Fortunately, for our hero, the bad guy gets cocky, and sees the propellor too late. Spielberg does a good job of showing a minimum amount of gore. Spielberg has a truck scene, where Indy is trying to catch the Nazi fleet of trucks, one of which is carrying the ark. Jones heroically climbs unto a truck after being dragged by it. There are great photography tricks, making it appear that that the truck is going full speed. The climax of this film, is the opening of the ark. The ark’s power is shown, destroying everything but leaving Indy and Marion. This is an amazing sequence, because there wasn’t sophisticated technology, when this was made. This film is an amazing directorial feat.
Raiders of the Lost Ark continues to be a terrific movie, nearly forty years after its release. It spawned 3 sequels. It also had copycat films, like Romancing the Stone, among others. Anybody wishing for non stop thrills, and escapism, should definitely see this film, preferably on the big screen. If you don’t like this movie, you should probably check your pulse.