In case you were wondering, my favourite film of all time is Raiders of the Lost Ark. This wasn’t always the case. When I was growing up, I watched it and enjoyed it, but it’s only recently, over the last ten years or so, that I’ve found a whole new appreciation for Indiana Jones’ first big-screen adventure.
Whilst studying film at university, I revisited the entire Indiana Jones collection, which was still a trilogy at that point. Even though I’d seen them before, I well and truly fell in love with them. Raiders became my go-to film to watch after a night out on the beers, to the point where I’ve lost count as to how many times I must have watched it.Yet, I’ve never grown tired of the film; nor can I imagine a point in my life where I’d ever find it boring. It is perfect. Fact. A bold statement, I know, but one that I think is easy to justify.
First of all, there’s something for everyone in Raiders of the Lost Ark, as multiple genres collide throughout it. First and foremost, it is undoubtedly an action adventure movie; one that harks back to the American ‘boy’s own adventure’ serials from the 1950’s, which both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were fans of. But whilst that inspiration forms the basic skeleton of Raiders, there’s so much more going on within it.
There’s horror, there’s romance and there’s even a good few laughs thrown in for equal measure. Far too often, a film will claim that it has all of the above and far too often, it doesn’t. Raiders has everything you could want from a movie, whether that be the well constructed and thrilling set-pieces, the tempestuous love story between Indiana and Marion, or a monkey turned Nazi-spy doing a sieg heil.
There are so many iconic moments in the film that it’s difficult to choose a favourite. That incredibly intense opening sequence which culminates in Indy being chased by a giant boulder; the shoot-out at Marion’s bar; the Cairo basket chase; the well of souls; the fist-fight underneath the wing of a plane; the truck chase through the desert; the submarine; the opening of the ark. Raiders is stuffed with so many delights, yet never feels bloated due to its snappy and sharp screenplay.
Gun to my head, of all the above moments, I’d have to say that the sequence within the well of souls is perhaps my favourite. It may not be the most action-heavy scene in the film, but the way in which John Williams’ magnificent score swells into a crescendo of noise is pure cinematic bliss.
The legendary composer is just one component of the film’s long lasting quality, with his main theme proving so memorable that I’m sure even those who have never seen Indiana Jones would still be familiar with. Once again, he’s working with Steven Spielberg here, who always seems to get the best out of him and who is also largely responsible for the film’s towering success.
George Lucas may have been the one with the initial idea, pitching it to Spielberg whilst building sandcastles in Hawaii, but however grateful we should be for Lucas coming with the story, it’s Spielberg who is largely responsible for realising its potential.
Despite having a tight screenplay from the excellent Lawrence Kasdan, the production of Raiders was an ever-changing process which required a director who could adapt quickly to challenging situations. Having already had a trial by fire when dealing with the ocean and mechanical sharks on his 1975 thriller, Jaws, Spielberg was certainly the man for the job.
The greatest example of this quick-thinking improvisation occurred during the making of Raiders, revolving around one of its most memorable comedic moments. When Harrison Ford, suffering from food poisoning, was unable to carry out his duties in a scene which was to see him use his whip to pluck the sword out of his attacker’s hand, a solution to the problem was needed fast. When the exhausted actor suggested “just shooting the sucker”, Spielberg shot the now infamous moment where Indiana simply shoots his adversary, who has just made a terrifying display of his skill with the sword.
It is, arguably, the film’s biggest laugh, and it was thought of on the day. There are few film-makers who could achieve such a feat, yet this was a regular occurrence on set with Spielberg often re-writing the script during shooting breaks, aided occasionally by the late Melissa Mathison who would end up writing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. As much as the final result is due to Kasdan’s superb writing, the film undoubtedly belongs to Spielberg.
The final piece in the collaborative puzzle is, of course, the casting. Not only do you have a great supporting cast in Karen Allen, Paul Freeman and John Rhys Davies, but you also have Harrison Ford in the central role. Originally offered to a string of actors including the moustached Tom Selleck, it’s difficult to think of anybody other than Ford in the role.
Has has the charisma that lights up the screen whenever he’s on it, a believable chemistry with Karen Allen and, above all else, an ‘everyman’ quality that separates him and his character from other action heroes. When Indiana gets hit, shot or dragged through the dirt by a truck, you can feel it. The fact that he’s a broken, bloodied mess by the end of the film is part of his appeal. You want him to succeed, get the girl and defeat the Nazis – surely the best villains you could have in a film.
Regardless of how great the sequels are – I love all of them in their own way, including The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Raiders of the Lost Ark is something special, something magical. Not only is it one of the most enjoyable and exciting adventure movies ever made, but it’s responsible for inspiring a whole generation of film-makers, such as J.J. Abrams, who might never have made a film were it not for seeing Raiders on the big screen as a child.
To me, it will always be perfect. It’s a magical piece of cinema that makes me feel like a wide-eyed child again. From my grandfather to me, it has been passed down from generation to generation in my family, and I’m sure that’ll be the case for families all over the world, for many years to come.
words JOE RICHARDS