Raiders of the Lost Ark
Seen 14 August 2006; Coolidge Corner Theater (main screen)
* * * * * (out of five)... can I make this go higher?
Very few films get better as they age. It’s a subjective media, and most are made with immediate returns in mind – the audience they’re looking to wow is the audience that will see the film at the time of the theatrical release. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is one of the few things I’ve seen made before I was born that still delivers everything I’m looking for.
I recently had my first opportunity to see Raiders at the Coolidge Corner Theater last week. I “dragged” my girlfriend as well, who isn’t as big a movie dork as I am, but she was more than a little psyched about this one. I mean, it’s Indiana Jones! Who doesn’t love Indiana Jones?
As everyone is aware, the film introduces us to Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr. (Harrison Ford), a quiet college professor by day, “acquirer of rare antiquities” by… other days. His lectures are completely packed and his students smitten, thanks to rumors about his other life. We meet him deep in South America, searching through the jungle for some lost treasure. After narrowly escaping death arrows, a giant friggin’ rolling boulder, and betrayal by his guide (Alfred Molina), Indy emerges from the cave victorious… only to have the business end of a bunch of guns and bows pointed at him. They are commanded by Belloq (Paul Freeman), a rival archaeologist who has a tendency to be a pain in Indy’s backside. Belloq removes the idol from Indy’s possession, and sends him running for home.
Back at his university, Indy is approached by his friend Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot), who makes him the offer of a lifetime – search for the Ark of the Covenant on behalf of the United States. The only snafu? He’s gotta find it before the Nazi’s do, and they already have a significant head start (and they have Belloq). Naturally, Indy takes the challenge, and heads off. Before hitting Egypt, he stops in Nepal to find Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the daughter of one of the foremost Ark scholars on Earth. Marion tells Indy that her father is dead, but as it turns out, she has what he needs to further his quest. So naturally, she joins him on his trip to Cairo… can we say hostage bait? At this point, I’m sure most of you know what goes on, but if you don’t, I won’t spoil it for you.
What struck me most about the film is that there are so many sequences that are so well known, and yet those sequences refuse to get old or fall into cliché (or maybe it’s just excusable, since as far as I know this movie STARTED the clichés). Those sequences drew applause from the entire crowd – a packed house, ranging from ten-year olds to seniors.
Read the rest at HBS!
* * * * * (out of five)... can I make this go higher?
Very few films get better as they age. It’s a subjective media, and most are made with immediate returns in mind – the audience they’re looking to wow is the audience that will see the film at the time of the theatrical release. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is one of the few things I’ve seen made before I was born that still delivers everything I’m looking for.
I recently had my first opportunity to see Raiders at the Coolidge Corner Theater last week. I “dragged” my girlfriend as well, who isn’t as big a movie dork as I am, but she was more than a little psyched about this one. I mean, it’s Indiana Jones! Who doesn’t love Indiana Jones?
As everyone is aware, the film introduces us to Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr. (Harrison Ford), a quiet college professor by day, “acquirer of rare antiquities” by… other days. His lectures are completely packed and his students smitten, thanks to rumors about his other life. We meet him deep in South America, searching through the jungle for some lost treasure. After narrowly escaping death arrows, a giant friggin’ rolling boulder, and betrayal by his guide (Alfred Molina), Indy emerges from the cave victorious… only to have the business end of a bunch of guns and bows pointed at him. They are commanded by Belloq (Paul Freeman), a rival archaeologist who has a tendency to be a pain in Indy’s backside. Belloq removes the idol from Indy’s possession, and sends him running for home.
Back at his university, Indy is approached by his friend Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot), who makes him the offer of a lifetime – search for the Ark of the Covenant on behalf of the United States. The only snafu? He’s gotta find it before the Nazi’s do, and they already have a significant head start (and they have Belloq). Naturally, Indy takes the challenge, and heads off. Before hitting Egypt, he stops in Nepal to find Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the daughter of one of the foremost Ark scholars on Earth. Marion tells Indy that her father is dead, but as it turns out, she has what he needs to further his quest. So naturally, she joins him on his trip to Cairo… can we say hostage bait? At this point, I’m sure most of you know what goes on, but if you don’t, I won’t spoil it for you.
What struck me most about the film is that there are so many sequences that are so well known, and yet those sequences refuse to get old or fall into cliché (or maybe it’s just excusable, since as far as I know this movie STARTED the clichés). Those sequences drew applause from the entire crowd – a packed house, ranging from ten-year olds to seniors.
Read the rest at HBS!
posted by Matt S. at
1:05 PM
2 Comments:
The entire Indiana Jones series is just fantastic. I've seen each of the movies multiple times and they never bore me.
There is talk of making a fourth that Harrison Ford wants to star in, but we'll see if that happens. If it does, I'm sure at the ripe age of 64, he won't be doing his own stunts...
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Anonymous, at 6:24 PM
you should check out the movie blogs commentary on raiders of the lost ark...its quite good.
http://www.themovieblog.com/archives/2006/08/raiders_of_the_lost_ark_commentary_is_here.html
By
Anonymous, at 1:08 PM
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