Raiders of the Lost Ark -- One Truly Great Movie

Fresh out of becoming a household name as Han Solo in Star Wars, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas cast Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. This was all despite the fact that everyone involved wanted Tom Selleck to take on the part of the hero. Jones is an archeologist who doesn't do everything necessarily by the book. He is a rough cut man, who knows that with every excavation and discovery that danger can lurk behind every corner, and he is ready for it. Rather than falling into the role of the normal book-smart archeologist, Jones instead has fun with everything he does, and puts himself into dangerous situations that make his searches just as thrilling as they are exciting to watch. In this first film, of what would turn into a 3 part series, we learn a lot about our central character, and find out that he is definitely a break from the norm.

From the very first scene of the film, we see that we are in for a movie that is much more than a simple archeological film. The main character of Indiana Jones will stop at nothing to complete a task assigned to him, and it is hammered home as he makes his way through a series of booby-traps to retrieve an archival statue. One of the most famous scenes in film takes place as, at one point, Jones is forced to escape the an onrushing boulder that would surely crush a weaker man. This sequence of events, and his escape from the island following it, sets the tone for what we soon find to be a great action film. Some would even say that the first few scenes of the movie are enough to pay for the admission in the first place, and that the rest of the film is just the bonus.

Jones is somewhat of an enigma, being the type of archeologist that the common man would root for in situations like these. He has a strong moral fiber, always is choosing the high-road in situations, and has a toughness that we all want to have. Carrying a bullwhip and wearing his signature hat, he is a man that can hold his own in a street fight, but at the same time has the intelligence to keep pace with the best minds of the time. When he is not traveling the globe looking for his next treasure, he serves as a Professor of Archaeology in an LA area University. It does seem that he is more comfortable in the field, but his position as Professor helps him to gain credibility when he is out searching for the next lost relic.

In this particular film, Indiana Jones is working for the United States Government in order to find the lost Ark of the Covenant. With the movie being set in 1936, there is a large movement by the Nazi party to attain pieces of History such as this, which will give them a convincing stronghold as the "Army supported by God." Possessing the ark, it is believed that the Nazi army would be nearly unstoppable. Knowing this, Jones is commissioned to find the Ark before the Nazi's can get a hold of it. What follows from here is a quest that makes for a grand spectacle on the big screen. Taking part partially in the deserts of Egypt, on a German air-strip, on the deck of a submarine, and in the jungles of Africa the movie takes us all over the world to conduct its highly dramatic action sequences.

What makes Raiders of the Lost Ark a great movie, is not only the leading character. While Harrison Ford does a great job as Indiana Jones, it becomes obvious to any viewer that the story serving as is launching pad is both very strongly written, and entertaining to a vast audience at the same time. Lucas and Spielberg had spent a lot of time on making sure that this project turned out exactly as they had thought it out. The film was completely original to its genre, and the cinematography the resulted from the great filming locations makes the film beautiful as well. Ford plays "the average man" very well, and in Indiana Jones, we have a character that has become the equivalent of an American James Bond. He does things the way that he wants, but in the end he always gets the girl.

Raiders of the Lost Ark will always have a place in film history, because of how well the story flows from the first scene until the ultimate climax of the picture. In fact, with so many great action sequences in the film, it is an easy movie to watch repeated times, and still come away with a sense of awe of what we have just seen. Even 24 years later, this film can hold its own with the newer action films that Hollywood produces. In fact, today's actors can thank in part Harrison Ford, for playing a role that has donated character traits to many of today’s action roles. The most evident to me has been Bruce Willis, who has made a career out of being the everyday man who can do extraordinary things when put in the right situation. Well deserving of its nominations for Best Picture and Best Director of the Year, Raiders of The Lost Ark is a film that I can easily recommend finds a place in every film lovers collection.