#56 Raiders of the Lost Ark

In Summary

An instantly iconic adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a whip-cracking adventure across the world, introducing the intrepid Indiana Jones in his first on-screen adventure.

Right from the opening scene, Raiders of the Lost Ark is clear in its intentions, quickly establishing the quick-witted and worldly adventurer, Indiana Jones. That opening set-piece t introduces many of the features that would become iconic for the series, such as booby-trapped caves, the use of Indiana Jones' whip, along with the character's cool head under pressure.

After making a timely escape from a rolling boulder, Jones then heads back to his day-job, teaching. Though faintly ridiculous, these scenes back home not only serve as an opportunity to provide the exposition that sets Indiana Jones off on his adventure, but helps ground the character as something more than a reckless adventurer.

The quest within Raiders of the Lost Ark is the search for the mystical Ark of the Covenant - which is said to contain the original Ten Commandments - in competition with the Nazi state. Having this specific competitor helps place Raiders of the Lost Ark in the historical era in which the adventure serials that the film is inspired by were based. Furthermore, it places Indiana Jones on the right side of any ethical dilemmas about taking hidden treasures from Third World countries.

While Jones' counterpart on the Nazi side, Belloq, asserts that the two aren't so different, it is our protagonist's relationship with Marion - the daughter of his former mentor - that casts the harshest light on the character. As the older man, there is a questionable power dynamic presumed in their previous relationship, which has clearly left Marion harsh and bitter, although she cools as the film progresses.

For much of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the magic is in this nostalgic sense of adventure, it is only as the film progresses that it delves towards genuine magic being a factor in the film's universe. While it perhaps breaks some of the rules the film establishes early on, it feels fitting within the film's tone that the quest for a mythical object could result in myths becoming reality.

A Memorable Quote

Marion: You're not the man I knew ten years ago.

Indiana: It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

Things You May Not Know

• There are two nods to George Lucas' characters from Star Wars, C-3PO and R2-D2, in this film, in engravings during the Well of Souls scene then on the wall when the Ark is first approached. Lucas co-wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• The scene where Indiana Jones shoots the swordsman in the market was improvised by Harrison Ford, fatigued from suffering dysentery when the scene was shot.
• George Lucas and Steven Spielberg came up with the idea for Raiders of the Lost Ark when on holiday together, with Spielberg remarking that he wanted to make a James Bond film, only for Lucas to respond that he had a better idea - Indiana Jones.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
As someone who somehow managed to avoid watching any Indiana Jones film until my 20's, I can assure you that it isn't just childhood nostalgia that makes these films, and specifically Raiders of the Lost Ark, so great. They are all incredibly well-made films by people who have an affection for the type of adventure serials these films are based on, Raiders of the Lost Ark stands out as the best in the series for just how well-conceived all of the individual elements of the film are.

From quickly establishing the characters and setting to pacing out each step of the plot, Raiders of the Lost Ark is a film that it is nigh-on impossible not to fall in love with.