The greatest pure adventure film ever made.

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 2003)

Raiders of the Lost Ark is, in my opinion, not only the finest film in the Indiana Jones trilogy but also the greatest pure adventure film ever made. Better than The Adventures of Robin Hood (with Errol Flynn), Where Eagles Dare, The Mask of Zorro, Romancing the Stone, The Mummy or any James Bond film. This unadulterated thrill ride first exploded onto the big screen in 1981 and remains unsurpassed, despite many good and not-so-good imitators.
Combining the immense talents of George Lucas as writer and producer, and Steven Spielberg as director, this film echoes the great cliffhanger serials of Hollywood yesteryear but also outshines them by a long way. Set in the 1930s, Harrison Ford is perfectly cast as Indiana Jones. Jones is essentially a grave robber, a mercenary archaeologist who has hair-raising adventures uncovering rare artefacts. He gets hired by the US government to uncover the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis, and is propelled into a thrilling globetrotting adventure. Along the way he is helped by old flame Marion (the superb Karen Allen) and friend Sallah (the equally superb John Rhys Davis).
There are really too many great scenes to mention. From its riveting opening (that boulder scene), to the Nepal bar fight, the Arab swordsman, the map room, the snake pit, the truck chase and the supernatural finale as God's wrath is unleashed, this is as exciting as films get. Spielberg is firing on all cylinders here and having great fun. There are also many laugh-out-loud moments. Where else will you see a monkey perform a Hitler salute?
Ultimately, what really makes this film so interesting, is how Indy is just as obsessed with finding the Ark as the villain Belloq (the wonderfully slimy Paul Freeman). Twice he chooses to abandon Marion because of his obsession. As Belloq observes `you are a shadowy reflection of me', the clichÃ© for once rings true. In subsequent Indiana Jones films, he is far a more straightforward hero, here he is a much darker and more interesting character.
Needless to say, the special effects, sound, music (the peerless John Williams), production design, editing, cinematography etc are well up to scratch. It's impossible to find a more rattling good yarn than this film.