Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Before I would develop an obsession with Hitchcock’s masterpiece, Vertigo, Raiders of the Lost Ark was my all-time favorite movie.  Perhaps as testament to the film’s greatness, it still ranks as a close second.  When someone looks bewildered when I tell them the somewhat less popular 1958 detective film is my #1 choice, I usually follow it up with, “Oh yeah, Raiders is also up there.”  Their eyes light up with acknowledgement, usually followed up with, “Yeah, that’s a great one.”  Although I may have seen it close to 20 times in my life, practically knowing every word and every scene by heart, I never tire of seeing the most perfect action-adventure there ever was or ever will be.  At first glance, it might seem to diminish the significance of the word to label such a fun and populist form of cinema as a “masterpiece,” but in my humble opinion, I think Raiders qualifies.  To say a film this magnificent comes once in a generation would make it a classic of its era, but no film in its genre before or since even comes close.  It’s the greatest action-adventure of all-time, and I’ll lay down top dollar that I go to my grave never wavering in the certitude of that statement.

If not for the purist aspects of writing my review, I would completely forego writing the plotline.  I mean, who hasn’t at least heard of it?  If you are one of the rare people who hasn’t seen Raiders, you need to see it.  NOW!…um, why are you still reading this?

Of course, it’s the role that made Harrison Ford a superstar, as world-renowned archaeologist, Indiana Jones.  The year is 1936, just before the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime.  Hitler has been seeking the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, the container for the original tablets containing the Ten Commandments, reportedly used by God’s people in the days of old to crush their enemies using its vast powers.  For over 2,000 years, the Ark has been completely hidden somewhere, and the Nazis are digging in one of the sites reported to be a resting place for it.  The American government seeks fame and fortune hunter, Dr. Henry Jones, to find the Ark before it ends up in the wrong hands, but it’s easier said than done, as he must not only face peril at every turn, he must bring along an old flame who no longer has much tolerance for the likes of Indiana Jones.

Raiders of the Lost Ark would mark the union of two mega-giants in the entertainment business, director Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Close Encounters) and producer/story writer George Lucas (Star Wars).  It is a collaboration which far exceeded even the loftiest of expectations, and would make both men legends in the film-making industry even to this day.  Lucas conceived of the original story in the early 1970s, when the main character was called “Indiana Smith”, around the same time as he was also constructing ideas for his Star Wars universe.  Lucas worked on the project with director Philip Kaufman in the mid-70s, where they tied in the archaeologist and adventurer to the Ark of the Covenant based on a book that had been published not long before by Trevor Ravenscroft (the Ravenwood name can be seen as an homage).

However, Star Wars became all consuming shortly after and throughout the late-70s, causing Lucas to hand over the project up to that point to colleague Steven Spielberg, who was also a fan of the old serial adventures that inspired Lucas.  The story ideas grew into a screenplay was written by Lawrence Kasdan, who Spielberg would contact due to his collaboration with him on a movie he was producing called Continental Divide (the first film by Spielberg’s production moniker of Amblin Entertainment).  Lucas was impressed by Kasdan’s work, enough to trust him into the process, and would grow to like his skills so much that he temporarily took him off Indiana Jones to rework the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back.  In the interim, Spielberg wisely suggested the change of the name “Smith” to “Jones” because he felt it lacked pizzazz, but the “Indiana” stuck. as it was the name of George Lucas’s dog (an Alaskan Malamute that also inspired Lucas to create Chewbacca).

Once the script was complete, Lucas and Spielberg used their considerable muscle they had garnered from being the hottest film-maker in Hollywood to a massively lucrative contract for Raiders of the Lost Ark in which they would receive millions up front, and unusually large share of the profits, not only from the box office, but also all rentals and merchandise related to the film, as well as the next four sequels, should they be made.  Paramount was the only studio that dared to take them up on the offer, with the others thinking it was absurd, especially given Spielberg’s lack of success on his most recent picture, 1941, which had many studio heads wondering if he was just a flash in the pan.

Rounding out the colossal talent, John Williams writes the forever memorable score, having worked with both men in all of their more recent work before Raiders.

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Harrison Ford in the role, although others were rumored to have been considered, though they wanted a relative unknown for the role so they could keep costs down and ensure they would sign up for a three-picture deal.  Tom Selleck (the eventual top choice, who couldn’t do it due to being tied to a contract for TV’s “Magnum P.I.”) and Nick Nolte are among the two more prominent names mentioned.  Although both fine actors, the casting of Harrison Ford, who was cast not long before principal photography was set to begin after Spielberg watched him in The Empire Strikes Back, proved to be a godsend.  Even though the character of Indiana Jones has a larger-than-life quality to it, it’s in Ford’s subtle, introspective, vulnerable delivery that the character becomes more than just a hat, whip and leather jacket.  He’s capable of getting bruised, ribs busted, and heart broken, at once being the kind of brave hero we all grew up wanting to be, while also not completely fearless in his pursuits (He hates snakes!).

Spielberg mulled over casting his then girlfriend, actress Amy Irving, into the part of Marion Ravenwood, but once they broke up (though they later reunited and got married), and after a search that included the likes of Debra Winger and Sean Young, she was replaced with Karen Allen, a stage actress who was being used to play the role in the auditions for Indiana Jones.  Danny DeVito was also originally in the Sallah role, as he was under contract with Paramount, but there was a snag in the scheduling with the TV show “Taxi”, so they decided to proceed with John Rhys-Davies, who Spielberg enjoyed seeing in the mini-series, “Shogun”.

Ford’s subtle performance isn’t the only understated quality that makes Raiders such a different kind of action flick.  It’s also incredibly funny throughout, often side-splittingly hilarious.  There is a droll sense of humor that underlies most scenes, so small, it’s almost imperceptible, but you’ll find yourself laughing more often than most comedies, even the classics.  The humor is never obvious, almost seeming unscripted (many of the film’s biggest laughs are ad-libbed), but what makes everything so humorous is that, even though the cast is colorful and somewhat grandiose, they are very well-rounded in surprisingly complex detail.  We feel like we are watching real people.  We laugh at their folly, their situations, and their irrational fears, just as we would a good friend in the same situation.

Spielberg tarnished his reputation with his flop, 1941, and was looking to restore his name by turning in Raiders of the Lost Ark on time and within the budget, and he succeeded at both. The film would be a commercial and critical success, earning over ten times its shooting budget of $20 million just in its initial box office run, becoming Paramount’s biggest earner in its history at that time.  It easily would get the number one spot for highest grossing films of 1981, nearly doubling that of its next closest competitor, On Golden Pond, another Best Picture nominee.  It would also garner eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (Spielberg), Best Score (John Williams), and Best Cinematography (Douglas Slocombe), but only winning winning four for in technical categories (film editing, sound mixing, production design, and visual effects), as well as an additional fifth Oscar for Special Achievement in Sound Effects Editing.

There’s so much more that I could praise the film for, from the flawless direction, the brilliant characterizations, and the unbelievable score, I fear I may write forever and lose you all in the process.  Suffice it to say, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most essential films to watch in your lifetime, regardless of your age, sex, race, or walk of life.  There’s something for everyone in this great classic: thrills, chills, action, adventure, romance and comedy, all of which is top-notch in every department, and all in one dense, exhilarating two hour experience.  The inspiration may have been the old Republic B-movie serials, but there’s not denying that in the process of paying homage, Spielberg and Lucas made A-grade entertainment to last for all time.

— Followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Qwipster’s rating: A+

MPAA Rated: PG for violence, mild sensuality and some disturbing imagery
Running Time: 115 min.

Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenplay: Lawrence Kasdan