After the blockbuster success of Jaws and Star Wars, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas became household names in the industry. Before working on his epic space opera, Lucas had conceived of a film inspired by adventure serials of the 1930s. He worked with filmmaker Philip Kaufman to further develop it, and Lucas wanted him to direct it, but he declined. While vacationing in Hawaii with Spielberg, Lucas discussed his concepts, which resonated with Spielberg wanting to make a globe-trotting adventure. Spielberg agreed to direct, and Lawrence Kasdan was hired to write the screenplay after working on The Empire Strikes Back. Unfortunately, most studios rejected their proposal to make the film for $20 million, though Paramount agreed to produce. While Tom Selleck and Sean Young were originally sought out, Harrison Ford and Karen Allen were cast in the leads. Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in the summer of 1981.
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Synopsis
Famed archeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is tasked by the US Government to find the Lost Ark of the Covenant. Their intelligence suggests that the Nazis had been looking for Abner Ravenwood, Indy’s mentor, who was researching the Ark’s whereabouts. Indy travels to Nepal to find Abner’s daughter Marion (Karen Allen), who has an artifact that can reveal the Ark’s location. After her bar is set ablaze following a shootout, Marion goes with Indy to Cairo to find the Lost Ark. After visiting his friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), Indy learns that his arch-rival Belloq (Paul Freeman) is helping the Nazis. Turns out they were able to replicate the artifact thanks to Gestapo Agent Toht (Ronald Lacey), but only partially. Indy finds the Lost Ark’s location using the full artifact, but the Nazis manage to claim it. It’s up to Indiana Jones to stop the Nazis and recover the Lost Ark.
Review
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a cinematic masterpiece in every sense of the word and I say that wholeheartedly. While it’s hard for any film to be perfect, this comes closer to being perfect than anything before or since. This is Steven Spielberg at his peak especially considering this came after the critical and financial disappointment of 1941. This is almost a transitional film for Spielberg: going from the chaotic 70s to the more economical 80s. Even with a modest budget of $18 million, this is still an impressive-looking film that still holds up today. Along with that, this is one of those great early PG films where more mature content could slip through. There’s a fair amount of swearing, blood spraying, and a rather explosive finale where the villains meet a terrible fate. It’s truly one of those films that could not be made today as is.
The cast is outstanding, with not a single actor giving even a subpar performance and everyone having a shining moment. Harrison Ford was practically born for this part: tough, rugged, and intelligent, but sometimes going over his head. Karen Allen, on top of being stunning, makes for a strong female lead and has fantastic chemistry with Ford. Paul Freeman is charmingly nasty as Indy’s arch-rival, acting as his polar opposite while also sharing the same ambitions. Even secondary players like John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey, and Denholm Elliot shine in their small but memorable roles. The action sequences are terrific, the visual effects are impressive, and John Williams’ score is simply breathtaking. Maybe there are some nitpicks you could find if you looked hard enough, but those are really minor at best. Overall, Raiders of the Lost Ark deserves its place as a defining moment in cinematic history.
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