It was born from the minds of some of the leading filmmakers of the moment, but an adventure that would become one of the leading film franchises. George Lucas had just created and launched two sci-fi classics with the first two chapters of the "Star Wars" saga while Spielberg was also already considered one of the most promising directors in Hollywood having effect astonishing successes with "Jaws (1975)" and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) ".
Classic recipe for matinees adored by George Lucas, the work of screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan is one of the most consistent doing an excellent job of keeping to the basics: virtually all characters in The Raiders of the Lost Ark are based on archetypes, but none of them lack personality. Indy himself is one of the most famous characters in American cinema, fitting the profile of the classic action hero, but with several peculiarities that make him special, from his acid sense of humor, his clumsy way to achieve a goal and also his intelligence. All villains are purposefully shallow and Manichean, with Nazism incorporating all the evil on Earth in a cartoonish way, but that never sounds strange in this proposal.
In "Raiders of the Lost Ark", Spielberg makes his first openly action movie, even though "Duel", "Jaws" and "1941" had their setpieces there, here is a popcorn adventure from start to finish, and this is a category in which the filmmaker would become an expert. The opening scene alone is a lesson in how to introduce a character and his universe, with Spielberg's camera keeping a mystery about Indy's identity - Douglas Slocombe's photograph skillfully covers Ford's face with shadows - but building your personality and your iconic figure through frames that portray your courage and demonstrate your skills; see the closed planes of the hat, the leather jacket and the whip on the long belt before the protagonist draws it against an attacker. It is an aesthetic care and well elaborated by the filmmaker's camera game, which is maintained throughout the film's other numerous action sequences. Between shootings in bars, races to stop a truck and a fist fight on an airstrip, what most charm the project is the ability of the filmmaker to create an atmosphere of tension that embarks on a frantic and good-natured adventure. is one of the great strengths of the feature, guaranteeing the film never to lose its rhythm, while the characters go over obstacle after obstacle, as in a real board game. Spielberg's ability to command the action is present in the most "naive" scenes, such as the snake pit or the fight in the Nazi plane, even in the most elaborate ones, such as the chase of trucks involving Jones and several soldiers.
Classic backstage story, it was Harrison Ford's suggestion that Indy, when faced by a skilled swordsman in the Cairo market, simply shoot his opponent instead of starting an elaborate fight with his whip - as the script originally said. A sensational improvisation that came out of the mere fact that Ford and several members of the team were sick because of the heat and the local food, and that perfectly ended up defining one of Indy's personality traits. Throughout two other action scenes, the hero "asks" an opponent to wait while he prepares to return to the fight, and casually answers one of his colleagues who asks him what his plan is: "I don't know, I invent on the way". Priceless phrases and actions, and that only Harrison Ford would be able to deliver with such charisma and naturalness, in what is definitely the most striking role of his remarkable career. Ford is loose, unlike what he commonly complained of Han Solo here he can show some more facets and not a predominant one as is the extremely obvious scoundrel antihero. He is incredulous that the journey he will take will result in something really in the encounter with something divine in fact, in addition to being able to represent well the teacher for whom his students sigh, besides of course to reproduce the cliché of forbidden love for someone of the past, In this case, Marion, the strong and feminine character of Karen Allen, a woman who is clearly not a full-time damsel in distress.
With special care for the action, what is also striking is how Spielberg maintains his same technical eye for the most expository scenes. For example, the scene where Indy and Brody (Denholm Elliott) are approached by government officials, and the archaeologist explains the Ark of the Covenant myth to them, Spielberg films much of the dialogue in an open plan with all four characters there, well-disposed through a mise en scène that puts the agents - and the spectator - in a classroom, where Indy even uses the blackboard to present some concepts that will become important in the future; an exhibition that does not sound forced, after all the protagonist is in fact a teacher. We also see Spielberg's brand developing, where the filmmaker works on long shots that always change the characters' positions and the graceful movement of the camera, giving the strong impression that a cut has happened, but remaining in the same shot. Iconography is also a factor that Spielberg and Slocombe masterfully explore, as in the scene where Indy visits Marion in her bar, casting a giant shadow on the girl, but being Marion a fearless woman - and the most memorable one in the archaeologist's gallery - she is very capable of opposing the presence of Indy, and the shadow soon fades over the course of the conversation.
The master of Star Wars songs, conductor John Williams had already been working with Spielberg since "Jaws", and not tired of delivering memorable themes, he reaches one of the culminations of his career with the Indiana Jones musical piece. It is a cheerful, adventurous and even flashy theme, which summarizes all the feelings and themes of the franchise, as well as offering emotionally demarcated tracks, such as the love theme with Marion and the most oppressive and heavy orchestra to portray the Nazis. Another work of genius, for a change.
Being an example of the 80s, and literally beginning the decade, the overwhelming majority of the special effects of Hunters are done in a practical way, being done in the studio, unlike the digital effects so common today. It is very good that Spielberg did not like his friend George Lucas who adapted the effects of Star Wars for the "current times" which would be to deny the nature of the film and the time in which it was made. The snake scene was made with real snakes (and that scene with a cobra was filmed with a cobra between a glass panel and the actor. The giant ball at the beginning is actually a giant ball, and the scene where Indiana Jones is dragged by a car was filmed that way, with some stuntmen obviously, but Harrison Ford himself was dragged by the car at one point. We have rubber dolls and animatronics to serve as the dead henchmen, while the need for a more supernatural practically takes the film on a path of trash terror. Anyone who watched the film as a child is forever scarred by the images of Nazis having their faces twisted, exploded and melted when the Ark demonstrates the magnitude and horror of its power, and Spielberg and his team have fun here. Okay, the matte paintings and projections of the "spirits" of the Ark are images that today appear considerably dated, but still have an impact, as well as the wonderful eighth of the Nazi Ernst Toht (Ronald Lacey) literally melting before our eyes.
One of the great films of Spielberg's career and one of the greatest adventure films of all time. The film, despite being a big blockbuster, still has personal traits of the director who is Jewish, so don't think that the Nazis are villains by chance. Spielberg prints in Caçadores gains a strong and constant critical sub-text that enriches the cinematographic experience, combining narrative lightness with very strong "strikes" against the most murderous regime of the 20th century. It is almost like a form of indoctrination in which a certain political position was instilled in the subconscious without our realizing it.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" borders on perfection, as it shows that the academic or scientific search can evidently solve some mysteries, while so many others are apparently instituted to be solved with time and investigations that will last for the lives and generations of many scholars, and this feeling gains even more strength with the scene that precedes the credits, where you see a shed with numerous artifacts kept, all waiting to star in one or more adventures of Indiana and yours.
With all these elements well balanced - including a predilection for fantasy - "The Raiders of the Lost Ark" became one of the biggest commercial successes in cinema history, competing for eight Oscars and taking four, starting a millionaire franchise and also generating several imitations. We witnessed a perfect adventure film here, being one of the most dignified and perfect examples that the genre has ever seen. Indiana Jones is already born an iconic figure, thanks to the good ideas of George Lucas and the technical virtuosity of Steven Spielberg, who delivers his first great action film in a fun and intelligent way, using the nostalgia of a very specific period to create something completely new.
