Raiders of the Lost Ark

Movie Name: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Year of Release: 1981
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott, John Rhys-Davies, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, Alfred Molina, Wolf Kahler, Anthony Higgins, Vic Tablian, Don Fellows, William Hootkins
Genre: Adventure, Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

The wonderful Steven Spielberg followed his expensive misfire "1941" with the first adventure of the much celebrated and iconic Indiana Jones. The character and narrative was ingeniously devised by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, with a screenplay by the fantastic Lawrence Kasdan. The film which takes place in 1936, focuses on the adventures of Indiana Jones, an archeology teacher. We first encounter him in South America, going through a series of hurdles and obstacles in order to get a precious and invaluable artifact, only to lose it in the end to a less scrupulous rival in the Archeology field by the name of Belloq. Upon his return to America, Jones is informed by Army Intelligence, that the Nazis are excavating in Egypt, and that his former mentor is mentioned in their communications. He quickly deducts that they're looking for the Ark of the Covenant, which the Nazis believe will make their armies indestructible. He goes to Nepal, to uncover what has happened to Ravenwood, only to come face to face with his daughter, Marion, with whom he had a past relationship which ended badly. They eventually go to Cairo, where Jones has some additional help, however the Nazis are infiltrated everywhere, and they soon find unexpected obstacles.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" is a film where the director clearly understands the spirit of the serials of the 1930s and 1940s, adding layers of humor, irreverence and sexiness to the action that occurs in the film. Steven Spielberg deftly showcases and establishes the lead characters, much like a very well made B-film, smartly combining the rebellious aspects of Indiana Jones, with his more academically inclined life, not to mention his convoluted relationship with Marion Ravenwood. The script also smartly weaves the events of the upcoming second World War into the action taking place, while also taking the leads into exotic locales, where danger lurks on every corner. The cast is also uniformly top notch, starting with the impeccable Harrison Ford, who has solid support from Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies and Alfred Molina. The whole production crew is fantastic, with highlights going to cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, score from the iconic John Williams and production design from Norman Reynolds. A classic always worth revisiting.