Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981

The year is 1936. A professor who studies archeology named Indiana Jones is venturing in the jungles in South America searching for a golden statue. Unfortunately he sets off a deadly trap doing so miraculously he escapes. Then Jones hears from a museum curator named Marcus Brody about a biblical artifact called The Ark of the Covenant which can hold the key to humanly existence. Jones has to venture to vast places such as Nepal and Egypt to find this artifact. However he will have to fight his enemy Renee Belloq and a band of Nazis in order to reach it.

Review

There are only so many films in history that I can watch again and again gaining new appreciation for one of them is this film. I went from the movies to VHS and finally to DVD. The availability and quality of this film keep raising the bar of what I can get from it.

I read someone posted that this is the king of B movies or something of that sort while I honestly think in some scenes like when Indy is running from the Hovitos and he rises over the hill the film had a really strange documentary feeling like if a comic actually came to life and like in the Twilight Zone you were stuck in it. It is great to see this film now that I edit and produce small independent films and have worked in post production in Los Angeles. I honestly think almost every scene in this film is better than whats coming out today in scifiadventure. I might pull back that comment in regards to some nice visuals in Riddick and maybe the new Star Wars Revenge of the Sith but Im not certain.

The amount of time and effort put into the comedy adventure and depth of each character dazzles me because I really cant tell it was filmed the same year Fame was. It really has a unique look to it. The key lighting in the piece is amazing almost everything looks like it was perfectly worked out.

My only complaint is the attempt to visualize the opening of the Ark as most of the other scenes dont deal with the supernatural except maybe a burning crate with a nazi symbol on it. George should redo that last scene in my opinion and tighten it up because I really think it wasnt coming together however when I was a child it was so amazing and scary realistic. Its all perspective but my point it that now in this modern filming era the acting and film production is holding tight to this day.

I forward you to just enjoy this film and look for things like formulas on chalkboards skeletons in classrooms proper patches on Nazi gear gun accuracy. Research the films era and background and it only gets better. Thats the ability that Spielberg and Lucas have attention to detail and clever twists on most of their bodies of work.

Watch this film again its worth it I promise you.