The Plot Line Of Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark

George Lucas had the story, but not the time to direct. He was too deeply involved with his Star Wars movies. He described the idea to Steven Spielberg, suggesting he direct a film based on it. Spielberg agreed, and what evolved was Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film was not expected to be a blockbuster, but it was. It earned 5 Oscars and led to 3 more movies featuring the exploits of Indiana Jones. The name was changed to Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in keeping with the titles of these additional films.

Tom Selleck was the first actor chosen to star, but he was committed to Magnum P. I. And had to turn the role down. Lucas had resisted offering the lead to Harrison Ford because Ford had previously been in not only Star Wars but another Lucas film, American Graffiti. Lucas did not want Ford to be handicapped by appearing to be a constant actor in his films. Ultimately, however, the role was given to Ford not long before filming was to begin. The movie is credited by many with turning Ford into a true star and establishing him as a fan favorite.

Debra Winger had first refusal for the part of Marion Ravenwood. Karen Allen was then signed to play the part of Marion, the daughter of Indy’s mentor, Abner. John Rhys-Davies was cast as Sallah, Indiana’s Egyptian friend. The museum curator Marcus Brody was portrayed by Denholm Elliott. Paul Freeman was cast as Belloq, the French archaeologist who is Indy’s nemesis.

Total budget for the movie was about twenty million dollars. By comparison, the first Star Wars movie, released in 1977, had an eighteen million dollar budget. Blade Runner, filmed a year later, carried a twenty eight million dollar price tag. Raiders grossed in excess of $380 million at the box office, the most of any film that year. Paramount, who had finally agreed to finance the film after every other studio turned it down, was no doubt pleasantly surprised.

The action takes place in 1936, centering around the exploits of Indiana Jones, the archaeologist. He teaches at a college and travels to remote parts of the globe in search of valuable artifacts. Within the first few minutes, he hacks his way through the jungle and dodges booby traps to retrieve a priceless idol. Belloq, however, has a tribe of natives on his side, and forces Indy to hand over the idol. Jones escapes from the natives and goes back to the classroom. Almost immediately, he is contacted by federal agents, who tell him that the Nazis, led by Belloq, are after the Staff of Ra. Indy’s friend, Abner, is the last known owner of the staff. Indy realizes that the Nazis are searching for the Ark of the Covenant and flies to Nepal in search of Ravenwood. He finds Abner is dead, but the staff’s headpiece is in the possession of Abner’s daughter. Marion, however, bears Indy no love and delays giving him the headpiece. The Nazis raid her bar, and she and Indy escape with the headpiece. They endure many more dangerous encounters before finally losing the Ark to the Frenchman Belloq and his Nazi colleagues. However, Belloq wants to test the Ark before he delivers it to Adolph Hitler, so he opens it. This kills everyone except Jones and Marion, who keep their eyes closed. At the end, the Ark arrives in America and is promptly stored in a warehouse.

The film earned Oscars for Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound Effects Editing, Sound, and Visual Effects. It lost the nomination for Best Picture. Visual effects were furnished by Industrial Light and Magic, and Ben Burtt was in charge of sound effects. John Williams composed the score and was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to Vangelis, who provided the score for Chariots of Fire.

Filming proved to be a challenge for the cast and crew. Tunisia stood in for the scenes set in Egypt, and many people became ill from dysentery and other diseases. It was particularly hot, and some of the scenes took a toll on the actors. The scene where Indy shoots the swordsman who has been displaying his prowess with the weapons was not in the original script. Ford was ill and did not feel up to playing the scene as written. He suggested shooting the character, and Spielberg agreed. Ford was also injured when an airplane wheel ran over his knee while filming a fight scene.

Raiders of the Lost Ark has remained a favorite with fans of all ages since its release. An enhanced version was released on DVD in 2008 which corrected some of the visual errors in the film. Interested viewers can find it sold separately or as part of a boxed set.

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