"Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" by Steven Spielberg: a review

Raiders of the Lost Ark which featured the pairing of Steven Spielberg at Director with a George Lucas storyline launched the Indiana Jones franchise which has covered over 30 years and four movies, with a fifth currently being written. The movie was released in 1981, and won four Oscars for Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound. It was also nominated but lost in the categories of Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Music: Original Score, and Best Pic and Degree Certification

The franchise would have been nothing without the excellent casting decision of Harrison Ford, fresh off his success as Han Solo in the Star Wars series of films, as the roving adventurer hell bent on finding buried treasures hidden around the globe. Armed with a razor sharp wit and a deadly accurate whip he overcomes all of the booby traps that an ancient civilization (and a Hollywood special effects team) can throw at him. The movie begins with Indiana Jones going deep into the jungles of South America to find a statue, only to have it stolen away from him by his archrival, Dr. Rene Belloq.

The plot advances to show Indy as a professor of antiquities, but still stewing over the loss of the statue. He learns of a massive Egyptian excavation that he thinks may hold some clues to the elusive Ark of the Covenant. He launches on an adventure that covers most of Nepal, Cairo, and Egypt to find the staff of Ra which he believes will lead him to the mysterious Ark. Through a series of crazy plot twists, Indy discovers the location of the Ark, only to see his nemesis once again steal it out from under him. Tied atop a hill, he watches in horror as Belloq opens the Ark to find only sand and two tablets inside it. No sooner is it opened, however, than its spirits suddenly appear. Indy and Marion, remembering an ancient code that requires people to close their eyes and not look at the now-freed spirits, withstand the mayhem that ensues as the energy of the Ark surges forth and its spirits attack the now-terrified Nazis, killing the entire contingent and destroying Belloq in gruesome fashion. A huge energy ball flies high into the sky and then returns to the ark sealing it. Indy decides the best policy is to hide the Ark by burying it deep in a government warehouse where no one would think to look.

The movie is an amazing roller coaster of excitement and thrills. Indy is shown as having a human side when we learn that despite all these hair-raising escapades, he still has a deep seated fear of snakes which recurs throughout the film. The combination of humor, crazy special effects, and breathtaking scenery combine to make this a film that continues to stand the test of time as an American classic.

The movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, was one of the most successful movies of all time. It came out in 1981 and was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won 5. This movie was directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by George Lucas. It starred Harrison Ford in the lead role. Some of the supporting actors and actresses were Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies. The casting was superb in this fasting moving action film.

The movie starts out with our star, Harrison Ford, out on an archeological dig in the Peruvian Jungle. He comes across a golden idol which is quickly snatched by a rival archeologist as he exits the cave. The action and special effects are fantastic. He barely escapes onto a seaplane with his life.

After going back to his regular job as a professor at a university he finds out that they are now searching for the Staff of Ra. This leads him to surmise that they are truly after the Ark of the Covenant. The Nazi’s who are behind the quest believed it will give them insurmountable powers. Harrison Ford goes to help his friend and stop the Nazi’s from achieving their goal.

Throughout the movie there are twists and turns and even a love interest. Indiana Jones definitely didn't need a commercial bbq smoker to get the fires burning. He used comedy and charm. His former girlfriend is portrayed by Karen Allen and she lends a light, almost comical touch to the movie. In the end Good prevails over evil and the Ark of the Covenant is kept safe and out of enemy hands.