A classic adventure

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 2001)

Maybe it's just me, but I always rooted for the bad guys in this classic adventure tale. Actually, I rooted for all the characters equally, but this is one of the few films where the bad guys are just as developed and three dimensional as the good guys. Even the sequences that didn't turn out exactly as intended (the death of the swordsman being the best example) are stellar moments in filmmaking.
Giving such a simple explanation of Adolf Hitler's fascination with religious relics was a bit of a cop-out (the man was actually raised in a Catholic family), but that was okay. This is a simple story and bogging it down in details would have been a mistake. This is why so many weapons, vehicles, and military divisions are shown in the film when they didn't exist for years after the film's date. All of these details are bent in order to serve the story, which is quite a compelling one at that. How could one not be fascinated by a race between good guys and bad guys to recover a relic that could save or destroy the world?
Then there's the score music. John Williams is generally about as subtle as a train wreck, but this works so well in favour of the film because the story has even less subtlety. I doubt that anyone who's seen this film can think of adventure films without thinking about that strangely appealing rhythm. Sure, it gets on your nerves after about a hundred or so repetitions, but varying it in accordance with the onscreen action is what makes John Williams' scoring style so compelling. There's very few composers in the world today who can match him in complementing the film.
Harrison Ford plays Indiana Jones like he was born for the role. Hearing that the sword-swinging sequence was filmed the way it was because Harrison was suffering diahorrea on the shooting day was quite a revelation. I defy anyone to have picked that from watching the film without having been told so. His sense of humour about the whole production comes across in favour of the end result, too. When asked about safety concerns on the stunt sequences, he simply told the press that he wasn't concerned because they would have filmed more of the film first if he was in any danger. What a trooper.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark is worth of ten points, no question. It is one of the most enjoyable film's I've ever sat through. Just try and get the Indiana Jones theme out of your head after the film's over!