My Favorite Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark

There are some cinematic creations that truly stand the test of time. As stated insightfully by Eddie in his comment on my Academy Awards post, the real test of a classic film is how it is viewed in the decades following its release. A film's longevity cannot be measured simply in years; it must be measured in decades. One such film that belongs in the pantheon of cinematic classics is "Raiders of the Lost Ark."


In May of 1977, George and Marcia Lucas and Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving were vacationing in Hawaii. It was the weekend of the release of "Star Wars", and Lucas continued his tradition, begun with the release of "American Graffiti", of getting out of Hollywood every time one of his films was released. As Lucas watched in amazement the reports by Walter Cronkite on the burgeoning phenomenon (lines around the block) that was to become "Star Wars", he and Spielberg started to discuss a new film based on Lucas's story idea of an homage to the great movie serials of the past. Lucas would write the film and produce it, with Spielberg handling the directing chores. The story would follow the adventures of a globe trotting archaeologist with a penchant for getting into trouble. The focus of the film would be the MacGuffin to end all MacGuffins, and the villains and and heroes would be of the strict "black hat-white hat" variety with none of the shades of grey found in the antiheroes (Vito Corleone, Popeye Doyle, Harry Callahan) of the 1970s. Even the name would be iconic. Lucas had written a story treatment for the film, "The Adventures of Indiana Smith." Spielberg was the one who pointed out that the name Smith just did not sound right. Lucas changed it to Jones, and the rest is cinematic history.

Indiana Jones.

Yes, Indiana was the name of a dog (Lucas' dog), and Spielberg helped him come up with the surname. During production of The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas, producer Frank Marshall, and writer Lawrence Kasdan worked on the story and refined the elements, discarding many that would later resurface in the 2 sequels. Spielberg and Lucas began work on June 23, 1980 (the summer of "The Empire Strikes Back"), shooting the film as they would an independent film (few takes, rapid set-ups and take downs, multiple set-ups per day, etc).

One of the more well known bits of trivia is that Tom Selleck was originally cast in the role of Indiana Jones. Due to his contractual commitments to the TV series "Magnum PI", however, Selleck was forced to bow out. On the strength of his performances as Han Solo, Harrison Ford convinced the producers and Spielberg that he would be ideal in the role of Indiana Jones. In hindsight, it would be difficult to see anyone else in the role.

I was 10 years old when Raiders was released in 1981.

I was 11 years old when I finally saw it in the theaters. By that time, I had memorized every panel of the Marvel Comics adaptation. I thought that I knew the film backwards and forwards, and I believed that, after a year of listening to my classmates extol the virtues of Professor Jones, there was NO WAY the film could live up to the hype. One could tell the story of the film just by a sequence of memorable quotes from the film.

"The Hovitos are here. Pppp...the poison is still fresh. They are following us, I tell you."
"This is where Forrestal cashed in." "A friend?" "A competitor. He was good. He was very good."
"You throw me the whip, I throw you the idol."
"I hate snakes, Jock. I HATE THEM."
"Didn't any of you guys ever go to Sunday School?"
"An army that carries the Ark before it...would be invincible."
"Besides, Marcus, you know how careful I am."
"Whisky?"
" . . . more than that, Jones. I'm your goddamn partner!"
"Bad Dates"
"Snakes..why'd it have to be snakes?"
"Asps...very dangerous...you go first!"
"What truck?"
"I am the monarch of the sea...."
"It ain't the years..it's the mileage" (CLASSIC MOVIE QUOTE)
"It's a transmitter...a radio for speaking to God."
"And I assure you it will be. We have top men working on it now." . . . "Who?" . . ."Top...men..."

Iconic moments in cinematic history abound in the film. From the first traps of the South American tomb (spiders, spears, darts, and giant boulder), the viewer is transported to a small college, where we learn of the Ark of the Covenant. With the first strains of the Ark theme playing in the background as the army men learn of the power of the ark from Marcus Brody and Indiana Jones, the audience gets a sense of the mystery and the importance of the quest. The music of Raiders represents some of the best in the career of John Williams, and that is saying a lot considering the man created memorable scores for Jaws, Star Wars, and Superman. We were then whisked away to Nepal with a meeting with Marion Ravenwood and the evil Toht. A snowy gunbattle and an icy night later, we are in Egypt with Sallah, Indy's ally. The map room of Tanis sequence (after the memorable chase scene and the "duel" between Indy and the swordsman) is one of the best moments of the film. The discovery and escape from the Well of Souls, the airplane fistfight, the truck chase, the escape by sea, and the final climax on the hidden Nazi island as Belloq, in a Jewish ritual conducted among Nazis, pays the ultimate price for his evil, all rush by at breakneck speed. Of all of the lasting images, however, none is so indelible as the final scene of the film. After being assured by Army men that "top men" are conducting research on the Ark, we see the truth. With the eerie strains of "the Ark theme" playing in the background, a faceless worker crates up the Ark, stencils on an ID number, and slowly wheels it down an endless row of similar boxes in a nameless government warehouse...somewhere. As the Ark is slowly wheeled from sight, the screen fades to credits and the "Raiders March" plays over the speakers.



Brilliant. Freaking brilliant film.

What critiques can one make of the film? The performances were top notch, the story was engaging, and the concept was familiar yet unique. True-the cartoon Nazis in Spielberg's "Indiana Jones" world are a far cry from the ones who inhabited his Academy Award-winning "Schindler's List", but the unspoken menace posed by a Nazi Germany in possession of the Ark was enough to move Indiana Jones into action.

After its initial run, the film had grossed an astonishing $384 million dollars (1981 dollars) worldwide. When adjusted for inflation, this puts it at #16 on the list of all-time blockbusters (where #1 is "Gone with the Wind"). Spielberg and Lucas reunited twice more for sequels to the original, but neither sequel came close to matching the masterpiece that was "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Whenever someone asks me to name my favorite films, "Raiders" is always close to the top.

It is now 10 pm, but writing this entry has made me want to watch "Raiders." Catch you later!