Chris Gelderd counts down to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny by revisiting 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark…
In production for almost a decade, the final outing for everyone’s beloved professor and archaeologist Indiana Jones is now finally on the horizon. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be the fifth feature film for the man in the hat, and the first under the Disney studio banner.
Safe to say, it has been a production not without delays, controversy and rumour. From a global pandemic to cast injuries and shifting crew roles, bringing Indiana Jones back for one final adventure has been more challenging that recovering the Sankara Stones. But with Harrison Ford back as Indy, James Mangold in the directors chair and Steven Spielberg as executive producer, the franchise is set to go out with a bang.
But just where did it all begin for Henry Jones, Jr. on the big screen? As we countdown to the June 28th/30th general release, let’s go back to where it all began and chart the journey taken so far…
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The 1981 American adventure film that started it all is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey and Denholm Elliott.
After recently returning from a hair-raising expedition in the jungles of Peru, renowned university teacher and professional archaeologist Indiana Jones is hired by US Army Intelligence to find and locate the fabled Ark of the Covenant; something the Nazis are searching for. With Adolf Hitler obsessed with the occult and wanting to empower his army with the dangerous supernatural power within, Indy will need all the knowledge at his disposal to locate the Ark before the Nazis do.
Inspired by the classic 1930s/40s B-movie adventure serials populating TVs and cinema screens, this is a fitting tribute to that era but also a stand-alone period adventure film which features real stunt work, a clear-cut good v evil story and good-old fashioned adventure crossing exotic and often unseen global locations.
A film that is suitable for the family, albeit with a few scary moments, this is a perfect example of real filmmaking at its best that caters for all sexes, all ages and all generations – the handsome and roguish leading man, the thrills and excitement in the action sequences and a stellar cast of characters set in a period everyone understands. It is nothing but a well-crafted, passionately made tribute to the era when action heroes really were action heroes doing extraordinary things in a real and dangerous world, but they made it look so good and so cool.
With a superb cast and crew, all aspects of this film from the costumes, the score, props and locations make this an authentic adventure film that relies on everything working together with practical effects and techniques. Thankfully all before the dawn of CGI. Each stunt you see is exciting, bone-crunching and full of desire to thrill the audience. Counting only a handful of visual effects to create things not natural to this world, or something you could not do in real-life; everything here is real.
And of course who can forget the practical effects and design for such set pieces as the Peru Idol temple, the creepy Well of Souls and the horse vs truck chase. It replicates the era when stunt performers truly risked life and limb to bring us breathtaking acts of heroism and defiance against evil. And those working behind the camera brought an unwavering creative talent to let fantastical imagination come to life, transporting audiences to exciting, dangerous and unseen places. That is the foundation of what Indiana Jones represents and sets out to do. The true B-movie adventure hero.
Thanks to an iconic performance by Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, he is the 1930s B-movie hero we all need; by day he is mild-mannered university professor and after hours, he is the tough and resourceful hero. He looks good, conveys so much with his physical features over just dialogue to create a character all men want to be, and all women want to be with. He is clever, brave, dangerous and heroic. Because of this, everyone else just falls in around him to give him the love interest, the rivalry and the friendships he needs.
Karen Allen is feisty and a tough female-lead in a male dominated era. Paul Freeman is a slippery and cunning villain. John Rhys-Davies is the likeable friend who throws himself into action. Ronald Lacey is the eerie, imposing Nazi agent. It is text-book characterisation, with no blurred lines of who is good or bad; it is simple, as it should be, and everything from their musical motifs to their dialogue and costumes reflect their character perfectly. We cheer for the heroes, and we hiss at the villains like all good films should have you do. It’s no surprise coming from the minds of Spielberg and Lucas this is the stuff of simplicity and daring-do heroics.
Coupled with a truly legendary score by composer John Williams that never fails to send goosebumps down the spine, this is what you get when filmmaking is at its best to deliver sheer cinematic entertainment and escapism the old-fashioned way. Everything is so much more enjoyable seeing it happen before your very eyes in perfect harmony. Just perfect, on so many levels. Unless you want to start the whole ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ vs ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ title? Bar THAT…it really IS perfect on so many levels.
What are your thoughts on Raiders of the Lost Ark? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Starring along with Harrison Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), John Rhys-Davies (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Shaunette Renee Wilson (“Black Panther”), Thomas Kretschmann (“Das Boot”), Toby Jones (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Oliver Richters (“Black Widow”), Ethann Isidore (“Mortel”) and Mads Mikkelsen (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”).
Directed by James Mangold, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981, is once again composing the score.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny arrives in cinemas on June 30th, 2023.
