Why did it have to be snakes?...

Rating: 9/10 (14 July 2007)

I have recently re-watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, after seeing it many times on television in my childhood, but watching it now for the first time in years (and certainly the first time since I have become a big film fan) it is obvious just how superb this film really is.
My enjoyment has been dampened slightly due to having seen it many times before (and seeing no end of parodies and homages to many of the key scenes over and over again in television programmes such as The Simpsons and Family Guy) but now I can appreciate the wonderful cinematography, the fantastically low-key lighting and brilliant acting by Ford to create a very tree-dimensional character in Indy. I was also astonished at just how many of the key moments from this film have gone down in cinema history and are imprinted on the minds of audiences everywhere. Even if they haven't seen the film many people will still be aware of scenes such as the fantastic opening (with Indy navigating through a trap-filled cave and narrowly escaping from a giant boulder), so I think it says a lot about a film when it has so many moments that have gone on to become so famous. Apart from the possible expectations of Star Wars and The Godfather, I can't think of any other films that achieve this memorability so well. My personal favourite moments from the film, as well as the opening scene which I have already mentioned, have got to include the hilarious moment when a swordsman challenges Indy, showing off his sword skills only for our hero to casually shoot him and continue on his way. Another fantastic moment is the plane fight, where Indiana is fighting a large henchman resulting in the man getting quite brutally killed in the propeller of an aeroplane. Not to mention the glorious melting faces of the villains at the end of the film when the ark is opened.. Despite my positively glowing account of the film so far, it's not without its faults. The film is so well known by now that it has admittedly lost a lot of the original sparkle (which is similarly true for the Star Wars trilogy) and also some of the special effects and matte backgrounds don't always convince...but these things are expected as they are due to age. Despite these small niggles, Raiders of the Lost Ark is pure cinema, a funny, engaging exciting adventure that is full of charm. If you've been living in a cave the last 25 years and haven't seen this film, then you need to. NOW!