Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
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A globetrotting archaeologist must race against Nazi forces to recover a powerful ancient artifact.
The story
Set in 1936, the film follows Indiana Jones, a globetrotting archaeologist who finds himself in a high-stakes race against Nazi German forces. Jones is tasked with recovering the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, an artifact rumored to make an army invincible. Teaming up with his former romantic interest, Marion Ravenwood, Jones must navigate various perils to reach the Ark first. They are pursued by a rival archaeologist, René Belloq, who is assisting the Nazis in their quest to seize the Ark's power for themselves.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1936, Indiana Jones recovers a Golden Idol from a Peruvian temple but is forced to flee as René Belloq steals it. Later, Jones is recruited by Army Intelligence to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can use its power to make their army invincible. He teams up with Marion Ravenwood to navigate a series of dangerous locations, including a bar in Nepal and the streets of Cairo. They eventually locate the Ark in Egypt, but it is seized by the Nazis. During a tense confrontation on an island in the Aegean Sea, the Ark is opened, releasing a supernatural force that destroys the Nazi forces. The Ark is then secured by the U.S. government. The film concludes with the Ark being stored in a secure warehouse in Washington, D.C.
- First release year
- 1981
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Lawrence Kasdan · screenplay; George Lucas · story; Philip Kaufman · story
- Cast and characters
- Harrison Ford · Indiana Jones; Karen Allen · Marion Ravenwood; Paul Freeman · René Belloq; Ronald Lacey · Major Arnold Toht; John Rhys-Davies · Sallah; Denholm Elliott · Marcus Brody
- Genres
- action; adventure
- Themes
- archaeology; adventure
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; humorous
- Premise and plot tags
- historical fiction; treasure hunt
- Reception
- The film was a critical success, praised for its action, humor, and set pieces. It became the highest-grossing film of 1981 and is considered by critics to be one of the greatest films ever made, with a lasting influence on popular culture.
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Art Direction · 1982 · win; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · 1982 · win; Academy Award · Best Sound · 1982 · win; Academy Award · Best Sound Editing · 1982 · win; Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · 1982 · win; British Academy Film Award · Best Production Design · 1982 · win; Grammy Award · score · win; People's Choice Award · Favorite Motion Picture · win; Hugo Award · Best Dramatic Presentation · win
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1999.; The film was originally conceived by George Lucas in the early 1970s.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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