Film Snail

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark

7.9

Raiders of the Lost Ark

PG·1981·115m

Summary

When Dr. Indiana Jones – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime.

Cast

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford

Indiana Jones

Karen Allen

Karen Allen

Marion Ravenwood

Paul Freeman

Paul Freeman

Dr. René Belloq

John Rhys-Davies

John Rhys-Davies

Sallah

Ronald Lacey

Ronald Lacey

Major Arnold Toht

Wolf Kahler

Wolf Kahler

Colonel Dietrich

Anthony Higgins

Anthony Higgins

Gobler

Denholm Elliott

Denholm Elliott

Dr. Marcus Brody

Alfred Molina

Alfred Molina

Satipo

Vic Tablian

Vic Tablian

Barranca / Monkey Man

Don Fellows

Don Fellows

Col. Musgrove

William Hootkins

William Hootkins

Major Eaton

George Harris

George Harris

Katanga

Fred Sorenson

Jock

Anthony Chinn

Anthony Chinn

Mohan

Eddie Tagoe

Messenger Pirate

Bill Reimbold

Bureaucrat

Patrick Durkin

Australian Climber

Matthew Scurfield

Matthew Scurfield

2nd. Nazi

Malcolm Weaver

Ratty Nepalese

Sonny Caldinez

Mean Mongolian

Pat Roach

Pat Roach

Giant Sherpa / 1st Mechanic

Christopher Frederick

Otto

Tutte Lemkow

Tutte Lemkow

Imam

Ishaq Bux

Omar

Kiran Shah

Kiran Shah

Abu

Souad Messaoudi

Fayah

Terry Richards

Arab Swordsman

Steve Hanson

German Agent

Frank Marshall

Frank Marshall

Pilot

Martin Kreidt

Young Soldier

John Rees

Sergeant

Tony Vogel

Tony Vogel

Tall Captain

Ted Grossman

Ted Grossman

Peruvian Porter

Vic Armstrong

Vic Armstrong

German Soldier (uncredited)

Peter Diamond

Peter Diamond

German Soldier (uncredited)

Nick Gillard

Nick Gillard

German Soldier (uncredited)

Romo Gorrara

Romo Gorrara

German Soldier (uncredited)

Rick Lester

German Soldier (uncredited)

Rocky Taylor

Rocky Taylor

German Soldier (uncredited)

Reg Harding

German Lieutenant (uncredited)

Harry Fielder

German (uncredited)

Billy Horrigan

Gobler's Gunner (uncredited)

Terry Leonard

Terry Leonard

Driver of German Truck (uncredited)

Sergio Mioni

Sergio Mioni

Driver of German Truck (uncredited)

Dennis Muren

Dennis Muren

Nazi Spy on the Airplane (uncredited)

Glenn Randall Jr.

Flying Wing Mechanic (uncredited)

Michael Sheard

Michael Sheard

U-Boat Captain (uncredited)

Frank Welker

Frank Welker

Special Vocal Effects (voice) (uncredited)

Egbert Sen

Egbert Sen

(uncredited)

Barrie Holland

Archivist (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Steven Spielberg

Screenplay

Lawrence Kasdan

Story

George Lucas

Story

Philip Kaufman

Reviews

t

tmdb39513728

January 9, 2015

**Trailblazers of a Lost Art**

Little wonder James Cameron and Joss Whelon movies are the biggest box-office earners. They are masters of cinematic rhetoric. The unfolding dramatic situations and controlled dialogue are meticulously contrived. Cameron could probably have potted more if it wasn't for his earnest, simplistic messages (rich bad; nature good). All three movies (_Titanic_, _Avatar_, _Avengers_) plot along comfortably then suddenly spike spectacularly.

But no one has ever laid on the cinematic charm and cajolery like Stephen Spielberg. He was by far the craftiest manipulator of action and melodrama there ever was. He was the progenitor of summer blockbusters and all-ages, all-nations spectacles. At his best he had a gift for re-living and realizing that ethereal and irresistible childhood awe.

If _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ (NOT the sequels... NO, not even the father- son one) was made today, exactly the same way, okay maybe in 3D with updated CGI, it would surely land at the top of the box-office heap. It is essentially the first comic book movie that wasn't a comic book (bespectacled mild-mannered Archaeology prof by day and globe-trotting whip-wielding action hero on sabbatical). _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ (the first and only) is arguably the greatest adventure movie ever cooked up. And we, the abject audience, servile participants of the artifice, were licking its boots. We wanted Spielberg and his Indy to rope us in, reel us into the action, and completely have their way with us. We overlooked the emotional manipulation and contrived trappings because it was a pure freaking joy to watch, a Lucas produced godsend. Harrison Ford was born to play it just as Steven was born to direct it. It's really too bad they had to brand and knock off inferior sequels that, while making oodles of money, tarnished the shine of the unsurpassed prototype.

Indiana Jones was the perfect reluctant action hero on a selfless mission. A whip-snapping, truck-wrangling, swordster-gunning, Nazi- brawling adventurer who was matched only by his headstrong and sassy love interest, one pistol of a gal who could drink any man under the table. Not enough credit has been given to the great Lawrence Kasdan as the writer of this marvellous adventure. The script is as close to perfect as anybody could scribe. Even a dialogue-heavy expository scene (poisoned dates) was infused with a tense element of suspense. Yes, the story was hyper-fictional, completely contrived, shamelessly far-fetched... and altogether delightful. I wasn't expecting much when I went in to watch it back in 1981, but it had me wanting to do do back-flips on the way out. America's own Fab Four, Larry, Steve, Harrison and George, put on an action-adventure clinic.

Possibly the only weak spot in the movie is the climax which had our hero and heroine tied to a stake while God, the almighty Mcguffin from the Old Testament, magically wrapped things up for them. "Don't look" Indy warns, with his patented crooked grin. Are you kidding? We can't possibly take out eyes off of this. With respect to lost Teddy Bears from space and anti-Nazi machinators, Raiders is Spielbergs greatest achievement. It is one of the finest films ever made, of its or any kind. It is, hands down, my desert island movie.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$18,000,000.00

Revenue:

$389,925,971.00

Keywords

egypt
treasure
medallion
swastika
saving the world
nepal
himalaya mountain range
cairo
moses
hat
whip
leather jacket
mediterranean
ark of the covenant
ten commandments
nazi
excavation
riddle
treasure hunt
archaeologist
adventurer
archeology
religious history
1930s
dramatic