Saturday, March 16, 2019

#1111: Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981) (My Favorite 1111 Movies)

Not 5 minutes into Raiders and we get a stunningly young Alfred Molina. The great Alfred Molina. This won't be the last time Moline shows up on this list. I do love the opening cave scene. It makes you feel like you're at Universal Studios, or something. I could use more cave scenes and less desert caravans. I prefer the more cave heavy Indiana Jones flick. But, as it ends up, you really can't trust that Alfred Molina can you? Raiders definitely represents that brand of suspension of disbelief film where you have to blissfully disregard historical, archeological and practical facts in order to fully enjoy where Spielberg is taking you. Yet, this movie is decidedly more on the rails and methodical at its core than its sequel. That scene where Marion gets taken away in a basket really reminds me of a part of Buster Keaton's The General. I appreciated that. But, what makes Raiders most charming is its ability to make you always aware that you're in an elaborate film set most of the time, rather than in real locations. It all looks very impressive, while nevertheless obviously manufactured. Yet, this is really more of an asset to Raiders than a liability. It's nice to feel like you are constantly in an extravagant movie ride.

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