Somewhere in my youth, I decided that Raiders of the Lost Ark is a perfect movie. Since then, I’ve come back to it many times, and every rewatch brings the dread of finding that first blemish. Four decades on, I’m ready to label my theory as fact. Everything in this movie lands: The casting, the dialogue, the special effects, the music–they’re all note-perfect. If anything, the abundance of obnoxious rip-offs and diminishing sequels have only helped this movie improve with age.
The plot summary for Raiders is so tremendous, I get a giddy rush just typing it: We open in 1936, somewhere in the steamy jungles of Peru. Indiana Jones, a redoubtable archaeologist, attempts to nab a golden idol from a sacred temple. (Eek!) Of course, the temple is booby-trapped with poison darts and rolling boulders. Scorpions and millipedes skitter from the walls. Even as Indy barely escapes with his life, a dastardly villain arrives to steal it for himself. He is Rene Belloq (Martin Freeman), a dubious Frenchman who is much more cutthroat than Dr. Jones. (This is my second time to use the word “dastardly” in a review. I enjoyed the same nerdy thrill both times.)
Later, Professor Jones arrives at his college to discover a more nefarious plot is already afoot. Turns out, the Nazis are desperately seeking religious artifacts, hoping to harness their power for world conquest. Hitler’s latest prize is the Ark of the Covenant, which contains the shattered remnants of the Ten Commandments. With the Ark in his possession, the Führer could unleash a fury of Old Testament wrath on his enemies. This puts Indy in a race to retrieve the Ark before the Nazis use it to conquer the world. (Say that last sentence out loud and try not to smile. I dare you.)
The first leg of this sprint brings him to Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), she’s the daughter of the world’s foremost expert on the Ark. She’s also an old flame of Indy’s…because, you know, of course she is. Marion may also have a unique artifact that can point the way to the Ark’s final resting place. Naturally, Marion and Indy squabble right into each other’s arms.
What follows is an epic adventure, wherein old-school storytelling merges with world-class filmmaking. Director Steven Spielberg and co-producer George Lucas (who shares story credit with Phillip Kauffman) go into full kitchen-sink mode, giving us a work of unhinged imagination. We see thousands of poisonous snakes, howling skeletons, Nazi submarines, and a murderous fistfight on the wing of an out-of-control airplane. And more–so much more.
Through it all, we get a lead performance for the ages. Ford was born to be Indiana Jones, much in the Christopher Reeve had to be Superman and Sean Connery was made for a tuxedo and a chilled martini. Ford plays Indy as a winning blend of refined and rugged, weary but self-assured. He’s 007 for the nerd community. It’s wild to think that Ford wasn’t the first choice for the role that would make him a superstar.
The film is also packed with sturdy supporting performances. Allen is instantly likable as Marion, who is Indy’s hard-drinking, two-fisted match. I also enjoyed Freeman as the cool, urbane villain, casually strolling through his scenes with an easy smirk. John Rhys-Davies brings a little comic relief to Sallah, Indy’s Egyptian sidekick. While this movie is defined by Ford, the entire cast gives it a boost.
As you might guess, any production headlined by Lucas and Spielberg doesn’t hurt for technical skill. The ILM geeks pull out every stop, from miniatures to matte paintings, to bring Indy’s world to life. Douglas Slocombe’s cinematography pulls off that Star Wars trick of looking both retro and modern, all at once. Finally, there’s John Williams’ glorious orchestral score. His motifs range from the bursting “Raiders March” to the gushy romance of “Marion’s Theme.” For all of Williams’ storied oeuvre, the Raiders score stands tall as some of his finest work.
I can keep raving, but trust me: Everything about Raiders of the Lost Ark is perfect. I’ve spent a lifetime scrutinizing. Every re-watch makes it more convincing. Critics have long described movies as “non-stop thrill rides,” and it’s just cheap hyperbole. Well, Raiders is the real deal. It’s relentlessly entertaining and breathlessly paced. This, my friends, is why movies are made.
115 min. PG. Disney+.
