Review of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) by Yannick D — 31 May 2015

Both an action adventure classic and a childhood favourite, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark had all the credibility to still entertain.

Following the same path of Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark brings along similar themes of George Lucas' story style and the talent involved. One of the most notable factors in this is the fact that the film serves as an affectionate throwback to serial adventure tales of the 1930's and 1940's but with modern production values. Because of this, it becomes clear that the ambition of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is for it to succeed as a legitimate adventure film and a comedic sendup of one at the same time. Taking on the role of director, Steven Spielberg is able to find the correct balance to make it work. There is a certain level of cheesiness in the film which can occasionally prove to overshadow the feeling of adventure, but as a whole the film is a fun romp. I'll admit that I've seen it so many times that part of its appeal has been since lost on me, as well as the fact that I feel like the story is so firmly rooted in its serial roots that it fails to hold up the large scale that you might hope for considering the standard created by production values and the prior bodies of work credited to Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. But even if the standard for adventure in a blockbuster has changed over time, the quality of the charm in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is timeless.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is a film with a lot of energy. Staying true to its roots, it intentionally upholds many of serial adventure conventions from the consistent tales of success and failure split up in the narrative as well as several character archetypes. The familiarity of this may annoy the more picky viewers, but the simple adventure story put into the complex context of a war time period and western setting make it a clever integration of genres. When this combines with the lighthearted charm of the film, it makes for effective action themed entertainment with an audience which is far from esoteric. And the thing about the action in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is that it is not an over the top spectacle of choreography and visual effects, but rather it is realistic in a way which still manages to maintain a versatile collection of fights, shootouts and car chases. This makes the story more genuine, and occasionally the action proves to maintain comedic value by keeping up with the classic serial adventure themes. Either way it is all impressively staged, and even though there could be a touch more of it to fill up the running time the quality of it all proves impressive thanks to the strong production values of the film. The scenery, production design and costumes all work to make the film feel legitimate while the cinematography captures it excellently with a lot of conventional techniques. The moderated use of visual effects also ensure that the visual experience of the film is all the more solid.

The musical score in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is also wonderful with the iconic theme song being unforgettable. The music has a top notch sense of adventure and iconic charm, and you could expect nothing less from John Williams himself. This ties into the wonderful adventure that is the visual experience and ensures that the entire film is very atmospheric.

And though it is such as stylishly intended film, the cast of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark deliver their part very nicely.

Harrison Ford brings over his sense of western heroism established in the role of Han Solo to Indiana Jones and cleverly diverts it well enough to create an all new iconic adventure hero. As the college teacher and treasure hunter, Harrison Ford is able to impress on both levels of the character by effectively speaking his words with a confident sense of tenacious understanding regarding everything he has to say and interacting with the heroic nature of the character with a fearless passion for action. Harrison Ford maintains the charismatic passion for adventure that Indiana Jones really demands out of him through the way he approaches his lines, through the way he interacts with the other characters and even in the manner that he simply stands around contemplating his past and future. He is always actively entrenched in the character one way or another, and it shows once again just how well Harrison Ford stands out as the hero from a big budget franchise. Indiana Jones is truly one of his greatest characters and an excellent chance for him to carry an entire film on the shoulders of his charisma above the talents of all the other cast members.

Karen Allen is also actively charming. Though her character is a simple damsel in distress, she manages to stand up against Harrison Ford and create an intense chemistry between the two which strengthens the dramatic nature of her character nicely. She keeps with the conventions of her character and yet she brings her own sense of natural strength to the part which proves her capabilities as a member of the cast and the object of Indiana Jones' affections. She makes herself likable by getting actively involved in the comedic spirit of the story even if she has to be dramatic most of the time.

So Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark may occasionally detract from its story to try and focus more on being cheesy, but its genuine sense of adventurous charm is a consistently timeless thing thanks to the exceptional eye for imagery maintained by director Steven Spielberg and the iconic leading performance of Harrison Ford.