User:Evildeadbuzz/Raiders

Raiders of the Lost Ark (also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) is a 1981 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise, and pits Indiana Jones (Ford) against the Nazis, who search for the Ark of the Covenant, in an attempt to make their army invincible. The film co-starred Karen Allen as Indiana's former lover Marion Ravenwood; Paul Freeman as Indiana's nemesis, French archaeologist René Belloq; John Rhys-Davies as Indiana's sidekick, Sallah; and Denholm Elliott as Indiana's colleague, Marcus Brody.

Raiders of the Lost Ark originated with Lucas' desire to create a modern version of the serials of the 1930s and 1940s. Production was based at Elstree Studios, England, and filming also took place in La Rochelle, Tunisia, Hawaii, and California from June to September 1980. Released on June 12, 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark became the top grossing film of 1981 and remains one of the highest-grossing films ever made. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won five (Art Direction, Film Editing, Sound, Visual Effects, and Sound Effects Editing). Raiders' critical and popular success led to three additional films, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), as well as a television series: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992-1996).

Plot
In South America, 1936, treasure hunter/archaeologist Indiana Jones braves an ancient temple filled with booby traps in the Peruvian jungle to retrieve a Golden Idol. Upon escaping the temple, Indiana is confronted by rival archaeologist René Belloq and the indigenous Hovitos people. Surrounded and outnumbered, Indiana is forced to surrender the idol to Belloq, and flees from a jungle chase onboard a waiting seaplane.

Shortly after returning to America to the college where he teaches archeology, Indiana is informed by two Army intelligence agents that the Nazis, in their quest for occult power, are searching for his old mentor, Abner Ravenwood. Ravenwood is in possession of the headpiece of an artifact called the Staff of Ra and is the leading expert on the ancient Egyptian city of Tanis. Indiana deduces that the Nazis are searching for the Ark of the Covenant, the biblical chest built by the Israelites to contain the fragments of the Ten Commandments, and is said to grant the power of God to whoever holds it. The Staff of Ra, meanwhile, is the key to finding the Well of Souls in Tanis, which is where the Ark is buried. The agents subsequently authorize Indiana to recover the Ark with the promise of displaying it in a museum. Indiana travels to Ravenwood's tavern in Nepal for the headpiece, only to find that he had died and that the headpiece is in the possession of his daughter and Indiana's embittered former lover, Marion. The tavern is suddenly raided by a group of thugs commanded by Nazi agent Major Toht. The tavern is burned down in the ensuing fight, during which Toht burns his hand on the searing hot headpiece as he tries to grab it. Indiana and Marion escape with the headpiece, with Marion declaring she will accompany Indiana in his search for the Ark so he can repay his debt.

Indiana and Marion travel to Cairo where they learn from Sallah, Indiana's friend and a skilled digger, that the Nazis are currently digging for the Well of Souls with the aid of Belloq and a replica of the headpiece modeled after the scar on Toht's hand. In a bazaar, Nazi operatives kidnap Marion and fake her death in front of Indiana, who strengthens his resolve to find the Ark. That evening, while deciphering the markings on the headpiece, Indiana and Sallah realize that the Nazis have miscalculated where to dig for the Well of Souls. Using this to their advantage, Indiana and Sallah infiltrate the Nazi dig and use the Staff of Ra to correctly determine the location of the Well of Souls. Shortly afterward, Indiana discovers that Marion is captured but alive, but does not free her out of fear that it will draw the Nazis' attention to him. Indiana gathers a small group of diggers and uncovers the Well of Souls, which is filled with venomous snakes (of which Indiana is deathly afraid). Upon obtaining the Ark, Belloq and the Nazis arrive to take it for themselves. They proceed to toss Marion, who had refused to reveal any information to the Nazis despite Indiana's perceived betrayal, down into the well with Indiana and seal them both in. However, Indiana and Marion manage to navigate the underground temple and escape. After chasing down a convoy of trucks holding the Ark, Indiana manages to take it back before it can be shipped to Berlin.

Indiana and Marion leave Cairo to escort the Ark to England on board a tramp steamer. The next morning, their boat is boarded by the Nazis who once again steal the Ark and kidnap Marion. Indiana stows away on the Nazis' U-boat and follows them to an isolated island where Belloq and the Nazis plan to test the power of the Ark before presenting it to Hitler. Indiana reveals himself and threatens to destroy the Ark with a rocket launcher, but Belloq calls his bluff for, as archaeologists, they both want to see it opened. Indiana surrenders and is tied to a post with Marion as Belloq performs a ceremonial opening of the Ark, which appears to contain nothing but a pile of dust, the ruined remains of the Ten Commandments. Suddenly, spirits emerge from the Ark; aware of the supernatural danger of looking at the opened Ark, Indiana warns Marion to close her eyes. Belloq and the Nazis, who do not look away, are all killed by the Ark's divine powers, and the Ark closes itself with a crack of thunder. Back in Washington, D.C., the Army intelligence agents tell a suspicious Indiana that they are sending the Ark away to be studied by "top men." In reality, the Ark is sealed in a wooden crate and stored in a giant government warehouse filled with countless similar crates.

Cast

 * Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones, an archeology professor who often embarks on perilous adventures to obtain rare artifacts. Jones initially claims he has no belief in the supernatural, only to have his skepticism challenged when he discovers the Ark.


 * Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, a spirited, tough former lover of Indiana's. She is the daughter of Abner Ravenwood, Indiana Jones' mentor, and owns a bar in Nepal.


 * Paul Freeman as Dr. René Belloq. Jones' arch nemesis, Belloq is also an archaeologist after the Ark, but he is working for the Nazis. He intends to harness the power of the Ark himself before Hitler could, but he is killed by the supernatural powers of the Ark.


 * Ronald Lacey as Major Arnold Toht. Toht is an interrogator for the Gestapo, who tries to torture Marion Ravenwood for the headpiece of the Staff of Ra. He is killed by the supernatural powers of the Ark when his face melts.


 * John Rhys-Davies as Sallah. Sallah is "the best digger in Cairo", and has been hired by the Nazis to help them excavate Tanis. Although he fears disturbing the Ark, he is an old friend of Indiana Jones, and agrees to help him obtain it.


 * Denholm Elliott as Dr. Marcus Brody. Marcus is a museum curator, and buys whatever artifacts Indiana obtains for display in his museum. The U.S. government agents approach him in regards to recovering the Ark, and he sets up a meeting between them and Indiana Jones.


 * Wolf Kahler as Colonel Dietrich. Dietrich is a ruthless Nazi officer leading the operation to secure the Ark. He is killed by the supernatural powers of the Ark when his head implodes.


 * Alfred Molina, in his film debut, as Satipo. Satipo is one of Jones' guides through the South American jungle. He betrays Jones and steals the golden idol, but is killed by one of the traps in the temple.

Vic Tablian plays Barranca and the Monkey man. Producer Frank Marshall played a pilot in the airplane fight sequence. The stunt team was ill, so he took the role instead. The result was three days in a hot cockpit, which he joked was over "140 degrees".> Pat Roach plays the large mechanic with whom Jones brawls in this sequence, as well as Toht's Sherpa henchman in Marion's bar. He had the rare opportunity to be killed twice in one film. Special-effects supervisor Dennis Muren made a cameo appearance as a Nazi spy on the seaplane Indiana Jones takes to Nepal.

Reception

 * http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=raidersofthelostark.htm
 * 3rd highest on April 6, 1982
 * http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm
 * http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm
 * http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1981&p=.htm
 * http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=indianajones.htm
 * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/raiders_of_the_lost_ark/
 * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/raiders_of_the_lost_ark/?critic=creamcrop
 * http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/raidersofthelostark