Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | 100 Movies Every Catholic Should See #146

Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies.

The cultural impact of Raiders of the Lost Ark cannot be overstated.

Releasing in 1981 to near universal acclaim (except from Pauline Kael, of course), Steven Spielberg’s pulp classic forever changed the landscape of pop culture for the better. Indiana Jones inspired countless others to be interested in archaeology and/or history. Every boy since 1981 has wanted to be Indiana Jones or looked up to him in some capacity. It has been parodied, referenced, and used for inspiration across most genres in the art form and continues to age like a fine wine. But why?

Oddly enough, the original idea of Indiana Jones came from George Lucas. He came up with the idea after he wrapped shooting on his 1973 classic American Graffiti. He had always enjoyed serial adventure movies such as Buck Rogers, and had envisioned making a B movie inspired by it. He began brainstorming with director Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff) in 1975, but put down the project so he could work on a sci-fi film known as Star Wars (perhaps you’ve heard of it). While waiting for news of Star Wars’ reception in 1977, Lucas asked Spielberg if he would be open to directing it as they discussed upcoming projects. Spielberg thankfully agreed and chose Lawrence Kasdan to write the screenplay.

Originally titled The Adventures of Indiana Smith, the three of them (Kasdan, Lucas, and Spielberg) successfully outlined the script and even offered additional ideas for future installments over the course of 5 days. Eventually, Indiana Smith was changed to Indiana Jones out of fear of the character being confused with Steve McQueen’s Nevada Smith. Kasdan did struggle with writing the script and piecing all their ideas together, taking almost two years to complete it. The end product, however, was well worth the effort.

The Indiana Jones series is a spiritual epic. It is the story of one man’s faith and how it grows and changes over the course of his life. Raiders of the Lost Ark is a perfect microcosm for the whole series, inviting the audience to find faith with Indy. Faith. George Michael says you gotta have it. Jesus says you need it. It’s something that is needed more than ever in today’s society. An endearing part of humanity that separates us from all other creatures. Throughout the course of the film, Indiana Jones goes from the cynical skeptic who’s seen doubting while he prepares to just go find another “means to an end” to a fearful believer who ends up saving himself and others through his faith in the highest power.

Raiders of the Lost Ark shows its protagonist grow in respect and honor for God. While the Ark of the Covenant itself in the film is a classic example of a MacGuffin, the honor that this MacGuffin warrants transforms it from a cool museum piece to an awesome symbol of God’s power. Although if the real Ark of the Covenant were found and opened, it would probably not have the severe side effects that it does in the film (considering Christ fulfilled the Old Covenant and Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant), the film is so impactful that any modern archaeologist would at least hesitate before even attempting it.

Raiders pairs excellently with The Last Crusade (#14). Their relationship seems to be similar to that of the Old and New Testaments. This sentiment is also further pushed forward by the fact that both are heavily reliant on their respective sections of the Bible. Raiders is definitely a Jewish film, and The Last Crusade is a Catholic one that ties up Indy’s story of faith nicely.

During the production of Raiders, there were so many opportunities where things could have gone wrong. Countless twists and turns, difficult casting decisions, editing choices, and constant second guesses as to whether any of it would be good lay throughout this saga. It was ultimately under Spielberg’s continuity and ambition that one won out in the end. Spielberg committed to the bit so much that he defined the action-adventure genre. Everything in the film feels like it was done out of love and care. Raiders is truly an example of all of the pieces coming together to fit just perfectly.

Despite a hectic production and the never-ending wheelhouse of potential actors to play the lead, Harrison Ford thankfully won out. While all of the acting rules are expertly cast and have their own charm, Harrison Ford is the face of the series. His role as Indiana Jones is arguably more famous than his Han Solo performance. There is simply no one else who could be this character the way he was. He has the perfect amount of charm, sarcasm, wit, and ruggedness that is needed for this role. I would strongly advise that studios not attempt to reboot this series with anyone.

What Raiders also gets right is the fundamentals of filmmaking. Its shot composition and editing are regularly studied in film classes around the world. Every shot is hyper-intentional and does more than just show a character, but accentuates the drama and what is happening on a deeper level. The blocking (physical placement of characters within a scene) is the true standout in this film because everything feels so intentional. Long-time Spielberg collaborator Michael Kahn delivers a standout editing job that won Raiders one of its five well-deserved Academy Awards. The editing is fresh and never stale, effectively keeping audiences on the edge of their seats for the entire run time. The introduction of Indiana Jones at the very beginning of the film is a perfect microcosm for everything right with the movie from a technical perspective.

All of this to finally be tied up neatly In one of the most iconic film scores in the history of the art form. There is no Raiders of the Lost Ark without John Williams. I cannot possibly count how many times I have listened to this score. There is not a bad track in the entire film, and every song complements every scene with perfection that is often imitated but never matched. When I first saw Raiders in about the 5th grade, it changed what I thought music could do for a film. I finally saw it as an essential aspect to filmmaking, so much so that when in my music class to play part from a movie where we liked the music, I brought in my copy of Raiders of the Lost Ark and played the scene where Indy is pursuing the Ark on horseback. Instances where the music is noticeably heightening the cinematic experience through no shortcoming of the filmmaker, but through pure mastery of craft by the composer, occur throughout the entire runtime of the film. This is a feat that hardly any other film can claim to come even close to.

Altogether, the themes, characters, craftsmanship, and music make Raiders of the Lost Ark one of the most rewatchable films of all time. Indiana Jones’s spiritual journey from skepticism to belief distinctly separates this masterpiece from being pure entertainment for the masses and puts it firmly in the category of true art. It is a defining piece of cinema that I confidently recommend to any and all people. If you somehow have not seen it, put down your mobile device and find time TODAY to watch this must-see adventure as soon as possible.