12 Reasons Raiders Of The Lost Ark Is (Still) The Best Indiana Jones Film
There's a recent phenomenon surrounding the "Indiana Jones" series — we often see articles saying why "The Temple of Doom" or "The Last Crusade" is actually the best installment, ignoring the seminal "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Now, the sequels are great in very different ways; "Temple of Doom" earns points for trying to do something different, and "The Last Crusade" successfully recaptured the magic of the original film, albeit with a more comic tone. But for every memorable moment in the sequels, there is an antecedent present in "Raiders." As Steven Spielberg himself put it: "The first Indy, for me, is the most perfect of the three. I've never gone back and said I could have done anything better than what I achieved on that film."
In all the clamor to name one of them the "best" Indiana Jones film, "Raiders" often gets dismissed as being a boring answer, and as such nobody seems too keen to defend it. If anything, it's so established that this is the best in the series that it seems to have picked up a reputation as being overrated now. So, it seemed as good a time as any to take a look at what made the first film so special.
Obviously, there are some constants throughout the original three films that remain strong throughout. The set design, Spielberg's direction, John William's iconic score, and Harrison Ford's energetic, take-no-prisoners performance are obviously incredible, but this is true of all three films, so they are ineligible for consideration here — there is one exception to this, but we'll come to that later.
The filmmaking
As "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the first film in the series, Spielberg and producer George Lucas had a lot more freedom when it came to shooting. According to John Rhys-Davies, "Steven was making it up as he [went] along!" This freedom wasn't present in "The Last Crusade" due to Spielberg's maturity as a director. In "Raiders," though, the filmmaking feels genuinely exciting, and there are several moments that were conceived entirely on the fly.
As with "Jaws," necessity frequently proved to be the mother of invention. One such example was the famous scene where Indy faces an imposing swordsman in the market square. The entire cast and crew had caught dysentery while on location, and Ford couldn't face the exhausting fight scene, so he said to Spielberg, "Why don't we just shoot the sumb***h?" The result is one of the most memorable, funniest scenes ever committed to film, and sums up the Jones character in a witty, concise moment.
Spielberg also allowed his actors room to improvise, leading to an overall more spontaneous, natural feel to the character's interactions. A scene between Belloq (Paul Freeman) and Marion (Karen Allen) was entirely conceived by the two actors during their lunch breaks. It's a scene that develops both characters beautifully, playing on Marion's earlier drinking prowess before pulling the rug out when it's revealed that Belloq can hold his wine better than she thought. It both humanizes Belloq to some extent and demonstrates Marion's resourcefulness, and it might not exist if the film were made today
The villains
You can't go wrong with Nazis as your villains. Whatever bad things happen to them, you never feel bad for them.
The main baddies in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" are the most distinct of the series. The imperious Colonel Dietrich (Wolf Kahler) is the perfect Nazi officer; an upright military type complete with square jaw, clipped diction, and a subtle dueling scar. Meanwhile, Ronald Lacey exudes sweaty menace as the obsequious, sadistic Toht. Together, they form the perfect representation of the Nazi ideology on film: dispassionate fanaticism and gleeful sadism.
Toht is clearly the more memorable of the two, clad all in black and sporting reflective rimless glasses. Combined with Lacey's half-snarling, half-simpering delivery, he's an unnerving presence, and clearly a homage to Peter Lorre's villainous roles from the 1940s. Initially meant to die very early on in the car chase, Spielberg enjoyed Lacey's performance so much, he kept him around. Even though Toht doesn't have a single line of dialogue after the chase, his presence in the film's climax leads to one of the series' most memorable deaths.
What sets "Raiders" apart from the rest of the franchise is the sheer caliber of the actors playing minor villains. Future Doctor Octopus Alfred Molina plays treacherous guide Satipo, and Dietrich's adjunct Gobler is played by Anthony Higgins, who gained arthouse fame a year later for his lead role in the brilliant "The Draughtsman's Contract."
The script
Lawrence Kasdan was fresh off writing "The Empire Strikes Back" when he was hired by Spielberg to write the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" script, and the result is a witty, efficient screenplay that constantly propels the story forward. There's a real economy and urgency to all the dialogue, but there's also a fair amount of depth bestowed on the supporting characters. Kasdan himself said, "The movies I loved from the '30s and '40s were rich with supporting characters. So even though some of them may only be on for three lines, they have to be a good three lines."
It helps that Spielberg shoots every scene as if it was the film's most important moment. Exposition has never been so effortlessly fluid. Take the scene where Jones and Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) are summoned to a meeting with government officials Eaton (William Hootkins) and Musgrove (Don Fellows) to discuss Abner Ravenwood's disappearance and the Nazi's archeological dig in Egypt. While these scenes are normally a staid, sober moment, in the hands of Kasdan and Spielberg, it becomes very compelling. In a genius move, credited to George Lucas, the scene is given a dynamism missing from usual debriefing scenes by simply having Jones be the one explaining the significance of Tanis to the government men.
It demonstrates Jones' own expertise and fills the government men with nuance and character. Musgrove is friendly and attentive, while Eaton is cynical, and positively dripping with disdain. Hootkins especially gives an object lesson in derisory body language as he dismisses everything he's hearing from Indy and Brody, and this derision and skepticism foreshadow the ending when the government takes ownership of the Ark themselves.
The plotting
For all the smug "well, actually" posts out there pointing out plot holes in classic movies, what's remarkable about "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on a rewatch is how the smallest leap in logic is explained in the script. There are layers of detail that are laid out subtly but clearly, but the rapid pacing means that it's easy to miss. In the moment none of this matters, but it's a film that is particularly rewarding on a rewatch for the sheer amount of foreshadowing and attention to detail that went into the plotting.
The most interesting one for us is just how the Nazis were able to commence their dig in the first place. Memorably pointed out by Indy and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), the Nazis are "digging in the wrong place!" But how were they able to even begin digging without the medallion? It puzzles both Sallah and Indy, and nobody ever explicitly says it, but we are shown exactly how they know. The Nazis only have half the inscription because they are basing the measurements for the Staff of Ra on Toht's mutilated hand, where the engraving on the medallion is seared into his flesh. For years, I always just assumed the shot of Toht's hand was just included as a gruesome detail, but it's all in service to the plot.
The assistant
Yes, today it's more than a little culturally insensitive to cast a white Welshman as an Arab master digger (something that should perhaps have been reassessed before bringing Sallah back for "The Dial Of Destiny"), but there's no denying the warmth of John Rhys-Davies' performance.
Perhaps Indy's most valuable friend (okay, Ke Huy Quan's Short Round might inch him out, but it's very close), Sallah is everything you want from an ally: wise, big-hearted, trustworthy, and "the best digger in Egypt."
Spielberg originally envisaged the character as a skinny Bedouin character, like Sam Jaffe in "Gunga Din," but upon meeting Rhys-Davies, he reconceived the character as a Falstaff-type, crossed with the actor's role in "Shogun." The result is one of the most wholesome characters in the series. He's a ubiquitous figure in Egypt, and it's a nice detail that despite his obvious prowess as an excavator, he is largely ignored by the Nazis because, of course, they wouldn't pay any attention to someone they believed to be so beneath them.
The irony is that Sallah is both incredibly cultured (his fondness for Gilbert and Sullivan musicals immediately marks him as an idiosyncratic figure among his peers) and incredibly strong. The scene where he and Indy lift the stone lid off the Ark shows just how strong he is, as does the sequence where he casually runs a rope over his shoulders to allow Indy to climb down into the Well Of Souls. More important than all of this is the affability Rhys-Davies exudes as Sallah, along with his distinct turns of phrase ("I am so pleased you are not dead!") that make him endlessly endearing.
The tone
While "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is a fun homage to the action-adventure serials of the 1930s, the script isn't a joke. There is a dry sense of humor running through the film, but it takes the hunt for the Ark incredibly seriously. There are elements that mark the film as a lot darker than its premise would suggest, and indeed some that wouldn't be out of place in a John Carpenter or Sam Raimi horror film. The exploding skulls remain the most horrifying moment of the entire series, and one that Spielberg has tried and failed to best in all the subsequent installments.
The tone can perhaps best be shown through the characterization of museum curator Marcus Brody. In "The Last Crusade," he's a figure of fun, a punchline to the joke, a buffoon. His appearance in "Raiders" is less substantial, but even in his few scenes, you get the sense that he's a serious intellect and something of a mentor to Indy. He's just as knowledgeable when it comes to the mythology of Tanis (just look at the brief look of understanding that passes between the two men when the city is first brought up), and seems to grasp the weight of the situation immediately — much quicker than Indy himself. His delivery of "Wiped clean by the wrath of God" conveys all the gravitas the line demands, and his subsequent doubts about the expedition sow the seeds of unease that are borne out by the film's climax.
The set pieces
Comedian Bill Burr once said of "Goodfellas" that it's the film equivalent of an incredible closing joke, but where every scene is like the perfect closer, with one incredible part after the other. You could say the same about "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in terms of the set pieces. It's pretty telling that arguably all the most memorable action sequences from the franchise are contained in the first film. It's effectively a "greatest hits" of action scenes, starting with perhaps the most parodied-slash-referenced sequence of all time, as Indy tries to retrieve the Hovitos idol, narrowly escaping with his life.
The set pieces have been much imitated but never bettered. From the moment Indy leaves the safety of the museum, the film goes from one all-time great action sequence to another, from the scene in Marion's bar to the Well Of Souls scene to the fight on the plane, and best of all, the prolonged truck chase. Inspired by the stunts of Yakima Canutt (the stuntman from "Stagecoach" who threw himself into all his stunts with a terrifying disregard for his own safety), this sequence is just the perfect nail-biting chase, with the audience feeling everything as Indy is punched, shot, and dragged along by the truck, only barely clutching onto his whip.
The Ark
The "Indiana Jones" series is characterized by the mystical artifacts that serve as the films' main objective: find the Ark of the Covenant; find the Sankara stones; find the Holy Grail. What sets "Raiders of the Lost Ark" apart from the others is the Ark's nature. In the other movies, the objects themselves are pretty benign, and either don't hold that much mystery or have helpful guidelines for attaining it (the notebook in "The Last Crusade"). The Ark is different.
No one in the film knows what will happen when they open the Ark — it's a truly unknowable object. And yet, it's surrounded by ominous warnings. From the sinister drawings shown to the government men to the fate of the mouse that ventures into the packing crate, there is something dreadful about the Ark that makes it strangely compelling. Brody, Sallah, the Imam, and even Belloq recognize its unearthly power. There's a mystery surrounding the Ark that just isn't as potent in the subsequent films. When Indy and the diggers first unearth it, it feels as if the elements are warning him to stay away — a warning that Indy fails to recognize.
As well as a portent of doom, the Ark also functions as an allegorical Pandora's Box. It's an item that should not be observed by mortals. It's reminiscent of "the great whatsit," the item that shouldn't be opened whatever you do, as shown in Robert Aldrich's "Kiss Me Deadly," where characters find out too late what happens when their curiosity gets the best of them.
The cinematography
Douglas Slocombe was a genius cinematographer whose career started with the Ealing comedies like "The Lavender Hill Mob," "Kind Hearts and Coronets," and the iconic horror anthology, "Dead Of Night." "Raiders of the Lost Ark" remains arguably his most impressive work — his use of anamorphic Panavision looks incredible, allowing for some extreme closeups and beautiful widescreen shots. As Spielberg put it, "Dougie is also one of the few cinematographers I've worked with who lights with hard and soft light ... Just the contrast between those styles within the framework of also using warm light and cool light and mixing the two can be exquisite."
It's true that Slocombe did the cinematography for all three original "Indiana Jones" films, but there's something about the first one that stands out. It set the standard for the rest of the series, with staging and framing that are much better than they need to be, for what could easily have been viewed as a throwaway pastiche of the 1930s serials. Pretty much every frame is beautifully lit and staged, to the extent that if you pause the film at any given moment, chances are you are looking at one of the most beautifully constructed shots in cinema.
So impressive is the cinematography and shot composition that Steven Soderbergh posted the film in its entirety on his website (ostensibly for educational purposes) to demonstrate the choices made by Spielberg and Slocombe in putting together the shots and how since film is primarily a visual medium, the story should be evident without dialogue. It's a black-and-white, soundless version of the picture, and it's the best way of highlighting the masterful scene construction.
The love interest
Marion Ravenwood's introduction is up there with the best scenes in "Raiders." She is immediately established as a hard-drinking, no-nonsense, strong-willed character who isn't intimidated by the villains, or as easily charmed by Indy as he might have hoped.
The love interests in the original three films are arguably spotty at best, Willie Scott is an airhead who doesn't grow at all over the course of "The Temple of Doom," and Elsa Schneider is, well, a Nazi. Marion and Indy have a shared history, which immediately makes her more interesting. Upon seeing Indy for the first time in almost a decade, the first thing she does is punch him squarely in the jaw. She is not a character to be messed around.
There are some issues with Marion's characterization later in the film, but these are largely overcome by the sheer spiritedness of Karen Allen's performance. Not content with simply waiting to either be kidnapped or rescued, you can see her actively fighting back, attacking her assailants with anything that comes to hand. This is demonstrated again later when she launches herself at Dietrich when he boards the Bantu Wind. Allen brings out the character's resourcefulness. Marion is the perfect foil for Jones; there is a constant balancing act between a self-reliant heroine and a damsel in distress. Marion is never passive — she may need rescuing when she gets locked in the plane, but she only goes in there to shoot approaching Nazis with a machine gun.
The antagonist
We've kept Rene Belloq separate from the other baddies for a very simple reason. After Indy himself, Belloq is perhaps the most interesting character in the entire franchise, and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" benefits massively from his presence. Someone who is just as intelligent as Indy, but uses that intellect for opportunistically selfish reasons, he is one of the greatest antagonists of all cinema.
All the other films in the series have tried to emulate Belloq's success — the "shadowy reflection" of Indy — and none have come close. Maybe Spielberg grew uneasy about featuring a villain so similar to his hero. He's the only antagonist who consistently bests Jones, and they clearly view each other as equals, even if Indy holds Belloq in contempt. He might not be a match for Jones in terms of physicality, but he doesn't need to be. He speaks more languages and is able to insinuate himself wherever the power resides to get what he wants.
Belloq has a greater understanding of Jones' own motivations than pretty much any other character. The scene where he tells him to blow the Ark back to God isn't a gamble. He knows that Indy is just as curious as he is to see what's inside — if anything, that scene is his ultimate victory over Jones. Even at the end, Belloq isn't undone by Indy, but by his own hubris.
It can't be stressed enough just how great Freeman is in the role — he perfectly captures both Belloq's charm and arrogance. He's even permitted a few humanizing moments — which cannot be said for any other villain in the series — clearly smitten with Marion, he's genuinely regretful as she is thrown into the Well Of Souls.
Indiana Jones at his best
Harrison Ford is consistently great in all the "Indiana Jones" films, but Indy's characterization is arguably at its strongest in "Raiders of the Lost Ark." It shows Jones at his most enigmatic, ruthless, and fallible.
Belloq isn't as wrong as Indy would like when he says, "It would take only a nudge to make you like me." The Indiana Jones of "Raiders" isn't so much a cocksure hero as a callous anti-hero. He coldly kills villains when required, and while the scene where he shoots the swordsman is played for laughs, it does show just how unheroic Jones really is. This is also the only installment that really takes time to show his archaeology credentials, and Ford is equally convincing as the action hero and a studious academic. Also, unlike the later films, in "Raiders" you really see the physical toll that all the action takes on him — he's actually shot, for one thing, and we see his bruised, battered body in the scene where Marion tends to his wounds.
That infuriating argument from "The Big Bang Theory" that Jones doesn't affect the outcome of the film at all is irrelevant. The point is that it's Jones himself who changes over the course of the film. At the start, he dismisses Brody's fears as "mystical hocus pocus" and disregards all the warnings from Sallah, the Imam, and even Belloq, but by the end, he's a firm believer, turning away from the biggest archaeological find of all time. Indy's decision to close his eyes might seem like it comes out of nowhere, but in actual fact, his decision is informed by the numerous signs he's encountered throughout the film, which all point to something dreadful happening once the Ark is opened.