04-11-2020, 06:09 AM
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
This was on BBC1 in the afternoon and who can resist watching Raiders again. What can you say about a movie that is practically perfect in every way? It's true that our hero Indy has no effect on the plot whatsoever but that's only the kind of flaw you notice on the fiftieth re-watch and matters not a jot. I'm sure you could watch this with just John William's thrilling music and still get the story, in fact you could probably watch with the sound switched off totally and still get it from Steven Spielberg's direction. The grimy, dusty, sweaty on-location realism is somewhat lacking in the more FX heavy sequels, something that is undermined in the George Lucas vandalised version that was screened. I'd usually watch a fan restoration, or a fan made 35mm transfer, so I'd forgotten how dated and jarring the pointless "special edition" changes look. Thankfully they are few and far between. I love that Spielberg and Editor Michael Kahn adopt the style of films from the era it's set in, old fashioned cross-fades, those plane/map traveling shots, classical editing techniques and rigorous use of establishing shots must have stood out against the experimental editing styles that were being used in the late 70s. My favourite moment in this re-watch was when the sailor points and says "I've found him... there!" as Indy heroically climbs onto the U-Boat, the Raiders march plays, all the crew start cheering him and he exchanges a salute with Captain Katanga. I bet cinema audiences cheered this moment back in 1981!
This was on BBC1 in the afternoon and who can resist watching Raiders again. What can you say about a movie that is practically perfect in every way? It's true that our hero Indy has no effect on the plot whatsoever but that's only the kind of flaw you notice on the fiftieth re-watch and matters not a jot. I'm sure you could watch this with just John William's thrilling music and still get the story, in fact you could probably watch with the sound switched off totally and still get it from Steven Spielberg's direction. The grimy, dusty, sweaty on-location realism is somewhat lacking in the more FX heavy sequels, something that is undermined in the George Lucas vandalised version that was screened. I'd usually watch a fan restoration, or a fan made 35mm transfer, so I'd forgotten how dated and jarring the pointless "special edition" changes look. Thankfully they are few and far between. I love that Spielberg and Editor Michael Kahn adopt the style of films from the era it's set in, old fashioned cross-fades, those plane/map traveling shots, classical editing techniques and rigorous use of establishing shots must have stood out against the experimental editing styles that were being used in the late 70s. My favourite moment in this re-watch was when the sailor points and says "I've found him... there!" as Indy heroically climbs onto the U-Boat, the Raiders march plays, all the crew start cheering him and he exchanges a salute with Captain Katanga. I bet cinema audiences cheered this moment back in 1981!
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