All three of us Drake brothers share a common top three movies list of all time which we organically and individually came up with. Each of us is writing an article about one of those films. They embolden the characteristics a cinema masterpiece should have including rewatchability, classic potential, and that feeling of joy while watching. These helped shape us into movie lovers. Please enjoy! Spoilers may follow.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is a film that deserves to be on this list. It's classic in every way from the action to acting to camera work to directing and everything else.
I want to start with Harrison Ford as the hero Indiana Jones. He was the perfect fit, and it is hard to see anyone else as the character. It's crazy to know that he wasn't even the first choice. Tom Selleck was number one. Although I believe he would have been good too, Ford was the right guy. Karen Allen as Marion is a great performance.
She was not a typical damsel in distress, and I loved it when she was brought back for the fourth movie. Also, Denholm Elliott as Marcus Brody is fun to watch.
What can I say about directing? Steven Spielberg may be the greatest director of all time. He certainly has made my top favorite films, and he is still going strong today. The story itself is invigorating. A suave archeologist is treasure hunting for one of the world's greatest lost items: The Ark of the Covenant. Set in 1936, he is dealing with a new threat to the world with the Nazi party as they too try to claim this relic. So many scenes are memorable including the opening scene with Indy running from the boulder and then the natives. TV shows parody this all the time including popular shows like Family Guy.
The scene where Harrison Ford just shoots the swordsman in the town market instead of a fight is sweet. It's hilarious considering a fight was coordinated, but he was sick and didn't want to do it that day. The bar fight was awesome as well as the snake pit. Indiana Jones loathes snakes as we all know. Another iconic scene is Ford's fight against the Nazi at the plane. This is another moment that shows enjoyment to parody as the man gets cut by the plane engine.
The car chase where he has to climb under the truck is pretty epic too. We can't forget the end scene. They went for it in terms of gore. One of the villains literally melts and another explodes. Of course, the score from John Williams is classic. I'd say that a majority of Americans recognize the musical score when played. I even played it in concert band one time, and I loved every second. Oh ya, I have the poster of this movie in my room, and it will proudly be displayed for as long as possible.
For negatives, I'm not sure story wise how the ark was never found before them. Indy and Marion escaped through a loose stone wall when trapped to get out so go figure.
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