Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

What is wrong with the costumes?

 

As an 11 year old, I had an amazing amount of fun watching this movie multiple times at the theater. Great thrill ride, total classic. Didn't love the second one, loved the third one, but not as much as the first.

 

Actually, I had a problem with two costume choices. One of them was the dress that Belloq gave her. It looked like a gown for a 17 year-old debutante from a small town, circa 1935. Marion was too old to be wearing such a dress and Belloq too mature and experienced to know better. There was also the red and white outfit that she wore for the Cairo marketplace scene. What was that? And she wore wedge sandals with it, which were not in fashion in 1936. Those are the only two costumes I had a problem with. And I'm certain that others do not agree with me.

 

Well she was only supposed to be about 24 or 25 at the most? (She was underage during her and Indy's last liaison ten years previous so I would have put her at about 15 years old back then)

I think the idea is that the dress is supposed to be hideous, and supposed to be inappropriate. Belloq makes the point that they are miles from civilisation and yet he has still managed to acquire one. It may well have been for a 17 year old debutante from a small town, circa 1935 lol (love the description)

As such the dress isn't likely to be the height of sophistication. She even scoffs at it when he shows her. From a meta perspective, the plot device was simply to get Marion into a damsel-in-distress dress, but one which the character as written would never actually choose to wear.

Can't say anything about this as I don't know enough about ladies period fashion to comment lol. I'll have to take your word for it.

 

During Raiders she was supposed to be 27 years old according to the 2008 guide, while the script had her at 25:

https://indianajones.fandom.com/wiki/Marion_Ravenwood

 

So, we're saying that Raiders is not realistic?

 

I used to like The Last Crusade better. But lately I prefer Raiders. In my opinion, this is the best film in writing career Kasdan. And also the best story written by Lucas for other director.

 

Raiders is as close to a perfect popcorn film as you're going to get. The talent behind the camera may never be equaled again.

 

Also editing.

 

Heads up for those in the U.K. who, like me, feel that they have to watch Raiders whenever it’s on tv. It’s being broadcast on channel 4 this afternoon. Which I think is the first time that this channel has shown an Indy film, maybe they’ve bought the rights to show them from the bbc?

 

Agreed. The writing is far more sophisticated in Raiders than in the other movies, and that includes my beloved Temple of Doom. The exposition is delivered in a very mature way in Raiders of the Lost Ark, it isn't spoonfed to the viewer. As a child, there were some elements of Raiders that I didn't understand. The sequence with the old man who deciphers the head-piece for example, the scenes at the university at the beginning. It was only later when I could follow the scenes did I realise just how efficient the script is at delivering the amount of exposition required.

 

This is a good analysis from a screenwriter who says the university chapel scene is some of the best written exposition in film history: https://scriptmag.com/screenplays/m...school-the-best-exposition-scene-ever-written

 

I agree with everything in that article, which is indeed a good analysis. The script and screenplay are superb. Another really good scene is with Belloq in the hookah cafe, where Belloq outlines what the ark is from his perspective and why he wants it. "It's a transmiddeur!"

 

Raiders certainly transcends genre and is one of the greatest films ever made. That and ANH/ESB are my favorite films.

 

Currently watching Raiders on channel 4 in the U.K. this is a heavily edited version, so far no shot of Forelrestal’s head turning on the spikes, no shot of Satipo on the spikes either and no shot of Barranca with the arrows in him. I’ve never seen this cut before in all the years I’ve been watching it whenever it’s been broadcast on tv.

When i first saw raiders when I was 10 or 11 I thought it was a real treat because it seemed like an adult film to me. Yes it has the odd comedy moment here and there but it’s themes and key moments seemed so serious, (they still do), and they don’t treat the viewer as an idiot either. The exposition scene is the gold standard for me when they explain the plot in the school. It’s the perfect film all round IMO.

 

I wonder if they are using the 'airplane' version of the film since it's early in the evening.

 

If they cut that, then it doesn't sound like you guys will get the face melt scenes

 

I'm sorry, but I just don't see it. I really don't. I get it that "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the first in the series, but the idea that it had more sophisticated writing than the other films? I just don't see it. I love that film, but I'm just not inclined to put it on a pedestal in compare to the franchise's other movies.

 

Most of the scenes, especially the exposition scenes are delivered in a less "on the nose" and direct manner that came to define the later movies in my opinion. There is a slightly more mature way in the way each scene is set up and played out. Even the teaching scene at the beginning feels a bit more organic than when the scene is repeated in Last Crusade which ends up being a big wink to the later "X marks the spot" scene in the library. You have to work that little bit harder with Raiders to keep up with the details of what is going on, because they are presented in a way that feels as if the characters are talking to each other in a natural manner rather than just for the benefit of the audience directly to let them know what is going on.

 

I guess the bazillion Oscar nominations Raiders got were just a fluke...(it won 5)

 

Raiders of the Lost Ark is actually my personal favorite film of ALL time. It's helped give me a deep love for film-making as a whole, since I feel like Raiders is a film where everything comes together just perfectly. The right cast, the right crew, the right script, the right music, etc. I have spent a lot of time learning about the making of the movie and it fascinates me. There is just so much passion put into the film and it's the type of movie that I would want to make if I pursued a career in film.

 

I still have last years broadcast of Raiders on my satellite box that was on BBC TV which was shown at an earlier time in the day, and that has much more in it than the version shown last night at a later time on a different channel. I don't know if there are different edits floating around or if Channel 4 decided to edit it themselves, but it was a terrible version. No face melting either in last nights version.

 

Managed to get hold of these little gems. The rare 1981 making of Raiders paperback, along with a first issue of the novelisation of the film too.

 

Holy cow I used to have the making of Raiders book. Thanks for the pic it brought back memories. Was it expensive?