Review of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) by Aaron S — 21 Dec 2012

The Stefan & Benedikts Review Cooperation.

Indiana Jones.

And the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, has very different themes depending on who one asks, and if you ask me it has a very positive massage for younger children. It shows them that one should always stand up for what one believes and should always try their best to keep the world save, just like Indiana Jones did when keeping the Lost Ark from the Germans who would have used it as a powerful weapon against the world.

The Movie starts in South America were Indiana Jones, an Archeologist and explorer who will put his discoveries before is fears and life, is on a search for a golden Figure and on his way there he runs in a few problems and even losses it to a Dr. Rene Belloq. Belloq, a French Archeologist who will join anybodyâ(TM)s side to get what he wants, becomes his arch enemy and there next journey lets them Cairo to find the lost ark, where the movie is many placed. It also places for a few minutes in Nepal, Washington DC, and England. Trough out their journey to those countries, Indiana has to fight off Nazis, Native Tribute in South America, and all just to get the Lost Ark into his hands and into a save place away from Dr. Belloq and the Nazis. While in Nepal he tries to get something form and old flam, Marion who will do anything to be with Indiana and is the last one to step away from a challenge, and ends up having to take her with him through Cairo, where he runs into an old friend, Sallah, who helps him search and find the lost ark. But before he can get it to safety the Nazis and Belloq take it from him, and then his next adventure to get it back starts, and ends on a Nazi Island were the ark is opened and the Nazis, Belloq and Major Arnold Toht ( the main Nazi leader) die.

When Indiana Jones journey to get the Lost Ark on his side, is building up the tension and is the rising action of the movie. After finding it in Cairo, then the Nazis taking it from him by force and then his fights to get it back from them. After finally defending the Nazis for the first time, he takes it on a boat to America, where he gets stop by a Nazi U-Boat. They take it to an Island were Indiana once again tries to get it back, but he gets caught and tied to a pole.

The Climax is reached when the Nazis open the ark and everything goes wrong, and death angles come out and started killing everybody who looked at them. That leads to all of the Nazis, Belloq and Major Arnold Thot getting killed and lets Indiana Jones and Marion escape.

After they escaped they bring the Ark to Washington DC and gave it to the United States Government. The falling action was very short and rather boring and dull, Indiana Jones just talks to government officials and gets told that the Lost Ark is being inspected by Top Men, Top Men. The movie ends in the Area 51 warehouse.

The director Steven Spielberg, has a very dark tone every time when the Nazis come into action, while every time Indy or Marion are in a scene, the tone becomes very adventures and a lot brighter. The tone of the movie also helps set the conflicts between the characters because the conflicts are mostly between a dark tone character, like the Nazis or Bulloq, against a brighter toned character like Indy or Sallah. Most of the conflicts are between Indiana Jones and either the Nazis or Bulloq. Indiana has a constant rivalry with Bulloq to find the archaeologist finds and for who gets Marion, because Bulloq falls in love with her. Not to forget, the whole movie is about Indy trying to get the Ark before the Germans and then getting it to safety which lets to many different conflicts from gun fights to boxing matches.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark has many special and sound effects, which are for nowadays rather dull but were something new for when the movie was released. One of the best sound effects in the movie was after Marion gets out of the snake pit and into the room with the mummies and sound of the dead was put in, so the audience would have a more scared feeling all the sudden because it was rather unexpected. Not to forget, the special effects that Spielberg is known for: after the Nazis open the Ark, one effect after another comes into play with the undead angels first, and then the ark flying into the sky and falling back down. I was very impressed that they could have done something that amazing with very little tools to do so.