Though there are now several films that follow the adventures of Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones, with even the most uneven entries being buoyed by his performance, the one that remains the best is that which started it all. Boasting great stunts and direction, it is Steven Spielberg’s 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is a near-perfect work that will always be the undisputed high mark of the series. Even as a strong case could be made for The Last Crusade in how it successfully closed out the original trilogy while also emerging as its own distinct adventure flick, the joy of the first one continues to be unmatched. From the moment we meet the iconic adventurer all the way to its glorious finale, it remains one of the most fun times one could have at the movies. One only wishes modern action-adventure films had one iota of the craft and creativity of this one. Very few come anywhere close to what it achieves.
Set in 1936, it begins with the classic scene where Dr. Jones attempts to retrieve a Golden Idol that he knows has been booby trapped, though still ends up stumbling into. Not only is this a properly thrilling scene with which to start the film, as we see him scramble and just barely get out, but it sets the stage for what makes this character such a great one. It is not that he is invulnerable or impervious to pain as many modern action characters are today. Rather, he is deeply vulnerable. Both physically and emotionally, we see that these adventures he goes on take a lot out of him. Rather than put a damper on the whole affair, this only gets us more invested in his adventures. Sure, it can get real cartoonish, but it also takes itself seriously when it needs to. The stakes feel real, and we genuinely care about him making it out in one piece. It ensures that every leap, scrap, and predicament he finds himself in is that much more dynamic. The creativity and flair with which it is all captured is balanced with a real grounded sensibility. It makes it not just easy to get swept up in his adventure, but impossible not to. No matter how many years may pass with effects getting more expansive and the spectacle that much bigger, this one will always move just as fast to keep pace with the best of them.
Though we leave behind this solid opening to get swept up in the globe-trotting adventure, centered around being the first to find the titular Ark of the Covenant, it never loses its momentum. Central to this is Ford who is just so good as this character. He brings the perfect mixture of charm and smarm, showing how he can be more than a little cutting in his personality while also maintaining a bit of a moral compass underneath his bravado exterior. When he connects with the similarly sharp Marion, played by the also great Karen Allen, and we learn about their past history together, everything just feels so natural. We completely buy that these two were former lovers now turned fellow adventurers, making their back and forth one of the most engaging parts even with all the energetic action. The chaotic firefight that consumes Marion’s bar, where the duo do battle with the Nazi agents trying to get the medallion that will provide insights into where to search next, works because of their chemistry. Each brings with them a presence both kinetically and emotionally that is further elevated in the way everything is shot. Both the staging and the way it is all captured ensures we never lose sight of either. We are fully enraptured with every step they take to survive.
This continues in each destination they travel to. When they go to Cairo and meet Jones’ longtime friend Sallah, played with a magnificent gregariousness by John Rhys-Davies, they are each given their own moments that feel perfectly balanced. The most memorable of these is still when Jones just shoots an enemy wielding a sword to make for one of the greatest punchlines of all-time. Even when Marion gets trapped in a basket for a bit, it results in a payoff that makes it all worth it. This leads to their separation, with Jones believing that she may be dead following an explosive practical moment, though their reuniting keeps things moving. Even when they get sealed in with a pit of snakes, another element that conveys Jones’ vulnerability in effectively silly fashion, there is a joy to seeing how they have to think quickly in order to escape what could be their grave. The terror of all the slithering serpents is crossed with a ticking clock element as the torchlights they’re using to drive them away are slowly growing dim. It doesn’t shy away from bringing us right to the edge of them meeting their end which ensures, when they subsequently escape just at the final moment, it is all the more thrilling in how it concludes. From how it all is shot to the manner it is stitched together, it shows how important proper filmmaking is to conveying the emotion of a scene. As it turns out, that little director by the name of Spielberg is quite good at this. In his hands, everything that plays out from there is just as emotionally joyous as it is technically riveting to behold.
Steven Spielberg Directs the Hell Out of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’
Following their escape, we get a couple killer action sequences back to back. First is the one with the plane that blows the lid off everything that preceded it. That is until, immediately thereafter, we seamlessly transition to a chase scene where Jones goes around just about every crevice of a truck in an incredible feat of stunt work. This all slows down a bit before the ending, though it is still fun to see Jones sneak aboard a sub. However, that is only the quiet before the storm as the Ark of the Covenant is opened. While he and Marion are tied up nearby with their eyes shut, all the Nazi soldiers are obliterated by the spirits they unleash in doing so. It is a great conclusion to an already great film, the cherry on top of an experience that has endured for a reason. No matter how many films try to recapture the magic, this one will all but certainly remain the pinnacle of the series because of the care that brought it to life.
Rating: A-
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