The adventure film genre is one I feel has had a steady decline in presence over the years. Exotic locales, mysterious treasures, and thrilling action. Last year I revisited 1999’s The Mummy, and along with this year’s release of Uncharted, it made me want to go back and revisit the Indiana Jones films. Arguably the most iconic adventure films ever, created by the men behind Star Wars and Jaws (George Lucas & Steven Spielberg), the films were always destined to be a huge success. Now just over forty years after the original films release, Indiana Jones is still as relevant as ever with a fifth film planned for release in 2023. So, join me as I go back to where it all began, with Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The year is 1936 and Dr. Henry ‘Indiana’ Jones (Harrison Ford) is a professor of archaeology by day, and moonlights as a treasure hunter that donates his finds to museums for historical preservation. When he is contacted by U.S. intelligence officers to assist in recovering the Ark of the Covenant before Nazi soldiers uncover its location in Egypt, Jones can’t resist what will likely be the greatest archaeological find in the history of man. Assisted by his former lover Marion (Karen Allen), and his contact in Cairo, Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), Jones embarks on a dangerous mission to find the treasure before the Nazi’s do.
The year is 1936 and Dr. Henry ‘Indiana’ Jones (Harrison Ford) is a professor of archaeology by day, and moonlights as a treasure hunter that donates his finds to museums for historical preservation. When he is contacted by U.S. intelligence officers to assist in recovering the Ark of the Covenant before Nazi soldiers uncover its location in Egypt, Jones can’t resist what will likely be the greatest archaeological find in the history of man. Assisted by his former lover Marion (Karen Allen), and his contact in Cairo, Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), Jones embarks on a dangerous mission to find the treasure before the Nazi’s do.
Inspired by early twentieth century serials, Raiders of the Lost Ark is pulp action/adventure at its finest. Often appearing on lists of the best films ever made, Raiders truly exemplifies why Lucas and Spielberg were two of the greatest minds working in Hollywood at the time. From the slow burn iconic opening temple sequence, through the impressively concise yet thorough setup, and onto some truly spectacular action sequences with some breath-taking stunt work. Raiders truly does have it all.
I think what I like most about the story of Raiders is how it truly feels like an adventure. It’s plausible from the very beginning, and no matter how outrageous things get (even introducing supernatural elements late in the film) it manages to remain convincingly real.
A lot of this comes from the characters and performances. Whilst Han Solo may be Ford’s most iconic role, I feel that Indiana Jones is his best. This character feels lived in, you can see the toll that years of danger has taken on his body and mind in his eyes and in the things he says. Ford really leans into this morally grey protagonist as much as he can, winning us over with his charm and charisma, but never shying away from displaying his more unsavoury traits. He feels almost like he’s been pulled out of a western, and through his eyes we see the beauty of a corrupt world in the midst of war.
Even the supporting cast of Rhys-Davies’ Sallah, and Paul Freeman’s Belloq are excellent. Freeman in particular delivers a biting performance as the films main antagonist. Always one step ahead of Jones, despite not having the same level of historical intelligence or physical ability.
The only area I can fault the film in is its inconsistent portrayal of Marion. She’s first introduced as a hard-boiled swindler and businesswoman, yet from the moment Jones steps into frame her strong and capable front quickly crumbles to the point where she is the damsel in distress no less than three separate times.
I think what I like most about the story of Raiders is how it truly feels like an adventure. It’s plausible from the very beginning, and no matter how outrageous things get (even introducing supernatural elements late in the film) it manages to remain convincingly real.
A lot of this comes from the characters and performances. Whilst Han Solo may be Ford’s most iconic role, I feel that Indiana Jones is his best. This character feels lived in, you can see the toll that years of danger has taken on his body and mind in his eyes and in the things he says. Ford really leans into this morally grey protagonist as much as he can, winning us over with his charm and charisma, but never shying away from displaying his more unsavoury traits. He feels almost like he’s been pulled out of a western, and through his eyes we see the beauty of a corrupt world in the midst of war.
Even the supporting cast of Rhys-Davies’ Sallah, and Paul Freeman’s Belloq are excellent. Freeman in particular delivers a biting performance as the films main antagonist. Always one step ahead of Jones, despite not having the same level of historical intelligence or physical ability.
The only area I can fault the film in is its inconsistent portrayal of Marion. She’s first introduced as a hard-boiled swindler and businesswoman, yet from the moment Jones steps into frame her strong and capable front quickly crumbles to the point where she is the damsel in distress no less than three separate times.
Raiders is arguably remembered the most for its outstanding score from John Williams. The iconic theme song is one of the most beloved themes in cinematic history, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The music arguably tells more of the story than the dialogue does in Raiders, and it’s a film I’d simply love to see with a live orchestra. Raiders also looks the part with its 1930’s adventurer aesthetic, great cinematography from Douglas Slocombe, and some really great editing by Michael Kahan. It all ties together into this package that’s just so spectacular to witness, it really is such a grand adventure and everything about the way the film looks, and sounds is incredible.
It's also worth pointing out just how violent this film is, and I mean like gruesomely violent at times. Within the first ten minutes you’re exposed to bloody and gruesome deaths. There’s a whole lot of decomposing skeletons, and the finale is enough to scar someone for life if they don’t expect it. It’s kind of crazy that this film has managed to get by with a PG rating for so many years as if Raiders was made today, I expect it would be firmly within the 15-age bracket for its often-grotesque bloody violence. Whilst I would still say this film is acceptable for families, it’s definitely not suitable for kids younger than 12. That being said, similar to Jurassic Park, it’s great to see this kind of violence in a film that’s otherwise ‘family friendly’, as this is exactly the kind of stuff that works great as transitional material for kids wanting to get into more mature films.
This is a surprisingly short review, but to be honest I can’t say anything that others haven’t said before. Raiders of the Lost Ark is a film that I feel everyone should watch at least once. Whilst the whole Indiana Jones series is great, Raiders is such an important part of film history that it’s really this one that you should check out if you’re thinking of watching any of them. It’s also a film that doesn’t seem to age much. There’s definitely some questionable treatment of women, and some racial issues that toe the line a bit too closely, but when you get down to how the film looks, sounds, and the way everything is paced and how the dialogue flows, it feels far more modern than it actually is. If you’ve never seen Raiders before, then it’s an absolute must; and if you have seen Raiders then now is as good a time as any to revisit it.
It's also worth pointing out just how violent this film is, and I mean like gruesomely violent at times. Within the first ten minutes you’re exposed to bloody and gruesome deaths. There’s a whole lot of decomposing skeletons, and the finale is enough to scar someone for life if they don’t expect it. It’s kind of crazy that this film has managed to get by with a PG rating for so many years as if Raiders was made today, I expect it would be firmly within the 15-age bracket for its often-grotesque bloody violence. Whilst I would still say this film is acceptable for families, it’s definitely not suitable for kids younger than 12. That being said, similar to Jurassic Park, it’s great to see this kind of violence in a film that’s otherwise ‘family friendly’, as this is exactly the kind of stuff that works great as transitional material for kids wanting to get into more mature films.
This is a surprisingly short review, but to be honest I can’t say anything that others haven’t said before. Raiders of the Lost Ark is a film that I feel everyone should watch at least once. Whilst the whole Indiana Jones series is great, Raiders is such an important part of film history that it’s really this one that you should check out if you’re thinking of watching any of them. It’s also a film that doesn’t seem to age much. There’s definitely some questionable treatment of women, and some racial issues that toe the line a bit too closely, but when you get down to how the film looks, sounds, and the way everything is paced and how the dialogue flows, it feels far more modern than it actually is. If you’ve never seen Raiders before, then it’s an absolute must; and if you have seen Raiders then now is as good a time as any to revisit it.