669. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark
1981
Directed by Steven Spielberg

This is one of those really fun movies that I know I am not supposed to enjoy as much as Bergman or Fellini.  But this was a really welcome antidote to some of the more serious films I have had to watch lately.

Indiana Jones is an archaeology professor by day (I would totally change majors if he had taught classes at my college) and a fearless globetrotting adventurer by nights and university sanctioned breaks.  He is approached by intelligence agents and learns that the Nazis are attempting to find the Ark of Covenant in order to make their armies invincible.  He tries to find the Ark first, with the help of his old mentor's daughter.

This film is just fun from start to finish, which I am pretty sure is something I said about Star Wars.  I might even recommend this movie more, since you have don't have the sci fi element which some people find off putting while still maintaining the Harrison Ford-y splendor.   I also like that the female lead in this wasn't entirely useless.  And you can't beat that score or opening scene.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas decided to do this film while building a sandcastle together.  Adorable.

Indiana never loses his hat throughout the film as an homage to serials of the 1940s.

His name was originally supposed to be Indiana Smith.