"IN SEARCH OF THE LOST ARK" (1981) Original title: "The raiders of the lost ark" Duration: 115 minutes Genre: Adventure Country: USA
Director: Steven Spielberg Writer: Lawrence Kasdan , according to a story by George Lucas & Philip Kaufman Music: John Williams Photo: Douglas Slocombe Editor: Michael Kahn Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott, Wolf Kahler, Alfred Molina SYNOPSIS:
Year 1936. Indiana Jones is a professor of archeology, happy to venture in pursuit of getting valuable relics. After returning from an unsuccessful mission in South America, the U.S. government will commission a new task, the search for the Ark of the Covenant, the place where it is believed that Hebrews placed the commandments that God had given to Moses, whose legend, an invincible power to whoever possesses. For this reason, the Nazis are also after her.
OPINION:
After the premiere of "1941" , which brought together two majors like Universal and Columbia to deal with the big budget film and the big fiasco that marked the film, Spielberg had to step back on Earth. Earlier, in a meeting with his friend George Lucas, told him that he wanted to do a film in the style of James Bond. Lucas, I had a huge desire to revitalize the classic adventure genre, he replied that he had something better than that and introduced the character of Indiana (name of dog Lucas) Smith. A name later changed because Spielberg reminded the character and title of a Steve McQueen movie called "Nevada Smith" .
The election of the protagonist thought the actor Tom Selleck , that in those time filming a series called Magnum , which prevented the film star. Then the actor tried to join a successful gender adventure with "The High Road to China" (1983). The man who got the part was Harrison Ford, who at that time lived a successful stage through "The Wars" and that this role definitive achieved stardom. Ford, gives a superb performance as a hero make it out of any situation and still be a human being with flaws and phobias, including fear of snakes.
A film as perfect as this is a compendium of multiple reference pictures. The costume of the hero character brings us back to Charlton Heston in "The Secret of the Incas" . The prologue of the film was inspired by a comic where Uncle Scrooge, the nephews of Donald Duck east and were escaping darts, knives, tunnels flooded and ... a big ball! The classic flavor of the film is a tribute to the serials of the 30 and 40 in the fifteen minutes that I had a hero's odyssey, to finish with a final in the air that was resolved in the next week. They were usually shot with cheap sets and a tiny budget. So, maybe Lucas and Spielberg did not want a big budget for his film. The first impression you give to see her is to be a blockbuster. It is so spectacular and so well filmed that gives us the feeling that had all the money in the world to do it. Nothing is further from the realities. Lucas and Spielberg were based in a budget of twenty million dollars, although the studies felt they could do for less than fifty million. The Paramount that Spielberg did not trust, to go east of Shark budgets and 1941, coupled with the fiasco of the latter, doubts about the security of the two friends but they risked and gave eighty seven days to shoot the film. Spielberg filmed in seventy-three days.
Work of writing was done by Lawrence Kasdan , who wrote the screenplay for adventure in the history of cinema. Kasdan met the challenge of merging into a coherent story all ideas and spectacular scenes they had in mind Lucas and Spielberg. He did and got a flawless script. But despite the brilliant libretto by Kasdan, the film is full of improvisations, lines of dialogue as when Marion Ravenwood (name of the grandmother Kasdan's wife) talks to Indy about the years since their last meeting and as these do not go in vain and Jones replies that's not the years, honey, it's shooting (Km) . Memorable scenes such as shooting the warrior of the sword, as explained in several pages of script as a fight between Indiana Jones and his whip against egpcio and his sword was suppressed by a single bullet. The day of the shooting scene, Harrison Ford was sick because of a Tunisian block. I was so bad I wanted to get to the hotel immediately. So Spielberg and actor decided to abolish the fight by firing. A couple of hours after Ford was in the hotel. This scene is among the funniest of the film, like that of rack of Toht , who played the Nazi terrorífoco Ronald Lacey. One gag that did not work in 1941 but here was perfect.
Like any masterpiece worthy of the name, it needs the conjunction of all elements and all of them are outstanding. Therefore, the assembly Michael Kahn, editor Steven usual, is superb. photography Douglas Slocombe is simply superb and the soundtrack of John Williams teacher amazing and unforgettable. The main theme has left an indelible mark on the cinematic memory of any film fan. Also fabulous piece of music that accompanies the ark, mysterious and terrorífoca. A soundtrack that deserved to win the Oscar and failed. The film won five Oscars, editing, sound, art direction, visual effects and a special for its innovations tenológicas. Also nominated film, director, picture and soundtrack. As this is a genre film, it won and the prize for best film went to a sports drama titled "Chariots of Fire" . That year, 1981, the best movie of the year was undoubtedly "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but was left without the prize.
At that time there were no digital fx and everything was done the old fashioned way. Seen today not has lost none of its splendor and spectacle and take as reference the final scene, the opening of the ark, which caused such an impact on me. Arrol and terrifying, the script simply described the scene as a cataclysm and posted to combine the three possible solutions offered artists of Industrial Light & Magic, ghosts, a storm of fire and strange lights. A visually stunning scene as all that make the film, which sums up this mixture of amusement and horror that achieves some moments of the film.
Finally, let the work of its director. This film shows that this man should be in a position privileged position in the pantheon of the gods of cinema. Get the most out of any scene, from the masterly prologue that shows the style that has the tape and summarizes the ongoing saga of the prodigious chase trucks. No one is like Spielberg to shoot these films. As George Lucas said: "With In Search of the Lost Ark learned one thing, if you hire the best manager in the world, making movies is a breeze."
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