THE MASTERPIECE
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Harrison Ford as dashing artefact ace Indy.
AT THE POINT in Raiders Of The Lost Ark where intrepid archaeologist™ Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) leaves the Raven bar after dramatically reuniting with old flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), have you ever wondered where he goes? Did he find Nepal’s Nando’s? Back to his hotel room to watch sitcom Saved By The Belloq? That you’ve probably never considered this is just one of the millions of magic tricks Raiders pulls off in just 115 minutes. The product of a five-day story conference between director Steven Spielberg, producer George Lucas and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, it is once-in-alifetime cinematic alchemy, a profound mix of breathless storytelling, unforgettable characters, off-the-hook action set-pieces, underrated acting (Harrison Ford, best performance in a blockbuster ever? — discuss), indelible moments, impeccable moviemaking and bad dates. It’s a bona-fide American pop classic that is deeply embedded in the culture —a whole episode of The Big Bang Theory is dedicated to its supposed plot-flaw — but somehow feels evergreen.