Review of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) by Kai82 — 23 Nov 2020

An all time classic and Harrison Fords signature role. Also a masterful collaboration from director Steven Spielberg and writer George Lucas. All together they created a movie (and franchise) that entered pop culture history and is as appalling today as it was back then.

Just think about how many times scenes from the movie were used in other media as homage or parody or even both. Even people that never have seen the movie know Indianan Jones. For those who don't know Indianan Jones.

He is an archaeologist, adventurer and teaches archaeology at a university. He is a homage to classic heroes while also being a bit of a scoundrel. Because of his character and likeness he became one of the most beloved movie characters of all times.

Back to the movie. After one of the best introductions in movie history (wont spoil). Indiana Jones is asked by the American intelligence service agents for help. The Nazis are putting huge efforts into searching an old artifact.

He deduces from the clues that it could be the mystical arc of the covenant. According to legends an army carrying it will be unbeatable. So he is on a journey to get more information and stop them from archiving their goals.

This is a start of a great story filled with action, humor and remarkable characters. Lets start with the actors. Harrison Ford created his signature role as Indianan Jones and a character that will always be remembered.

Karen Allen plays Marion Ravenwood who is Indiana Jones former lover. She is though, smart and an enrichment for the movie. Ronald Lacey as Mayor Toht is such a great diabolical looking and enjoyable villain.

He was perfect for the role. Paul Freeman as Rene Belloq is the arch-rival of Indiana Jones. Basically a more ruthless version with no qualms. Then there is John Rhys Davies who I think is a great actor and underappreciated.

All together we have an awesome cast. Then we have Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Their ideas, concepts and visions for the movie are remarkable. There are only a few movies that are so wholesome as this one.

Everything fits together like the actors, characters, sets, soundtrack, dialogue, humor and story arcs. The special effects were impressive and still deliver. Then we have another legend that is also underappreciated.

John Williams who is a legendary film music composer. He created so many memorable and legendary soundtracks. Here he created a masterpiece including the Indiana Jones theme everyone knows. Like I said everything fits well together.

Overall this is a timeless classic, a must see movie and easily a contender for the most influential movies of all times list. Bonus knowledge: There is an interesting proposal to evaluate. It says that Indianan Jones has no effect for the outcomes of the movie (except of a possible timely delay).

I thought this was a silly idea and want to disprove it. After a lot of thoughts and analyzing I must admit it is correct. All events will happen with or without him. Only what happens with the lost arc after the conclusion is maybe different (but even this is just a speculation).