"We are simply passing through history. This is history."

Rating: 10/10 (28 May 2008)

I confess, in all the ruckus and commotion over Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull I lost sight of what really mattered and what really brought out my inner child. Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the finest films ever made and do I dare say Spielberg's masterpiece? Yes I'm aware that Schindler's List is the better film but quality can be measured in so many different ways.
Harrison Ford first dons the fedora here and at first glance we can tell that this is his prized role and the one he will forever be loved for. Indiana Jones is a superhero but he is a superhero who can captures the movie goer's imaginations and hearts in a way that Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man could only do in his wildest dreams. The audience admires Indiana Jones because is brave, he's intelligent, he is the personification of the ideal romantic hero and most of all he is human in ways we can identify with. There's just something that all fits together about this picture. It is one of the few films that has truly grasped onto my inner child and imagination. Never has an adventure been as grand as it is Raiders.
Karen Allen is as important to this film's success as Ford's. She is the perfect love interest for Indiana Jones because she brings out the best qualities in him. She like Jones is spunky and full of the adventurous ambition. She isn't baggage and she quite often gives our hero a run for his money. She like Indy is also very human and likable. The romance here is real. It's hard to imagine real love and romance in an adventure film but it is real. We liked Marion Ravenwood as Indy's love interest because the scenes between her and Indiana Jones showed love in all the deepness and emotional conviction it has, and it didn't show us James Bond's make love and throw away love. The love in Raiders is as close to the real emotion as your going to get to in these types of films..
I really think the plot here is the best of the series of Jones films, all though it really isn't fair comparing the sequels to this simply because "This IS history". Hitler wanting the most sacred of Jewish artifacts to conquer the world is one of the most inspired premises of well, any film. We have the romantic hero in Indiana Jones but we also have evil in the form of the Nazis. The cult of personality surrounding Hitler stays with you. I consider myself to be smart and sensible and I don't get afraid much but the stock footage of Nazi rallies really scare the hell out of me. The Nazis were one of the must vile cults to ever exist and if any thing could embody modern day evil it would be them. Like Indy the villains are to be taken very seriously. By no means are the Nazis in Raiders cut out villains. Even our chief antagonist Rene Belloq is hesitant to ally himself to them, he says it is a necessary evil.
Execution is key to Raider's success. The script is intelligent but it also shows that it's roots where planted by the serials of the 30's. Spielberg and company take the material as serious as the grave. Nothing is played for laughs or shock value for the sake of laughs or shock value. In creating a homage to the classic serials, Spielberg actually outdid them and set a new unreachable high standard for the adventure/action flick.
I love the story of Indiana Jones' humble origins. Say what you will about George Lucas but steering Spielberg away from doing a James Bond film and pointing him toward this direction is one of the defining moments of cinematic history. Before you take the kids to see fun popcorn film Crystal Skull show them the cinematic master piece Raiders of the Lost Ark.