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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
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Executive producer George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg minted fresh excitement from the cliffhanger serials of their youth in this breathless fantasy extravaganza. Hold on tight, because it starts at full throttle and never lets up as unorthodox archaeologist Indiana Jones (a part that fits Harrison Ford like a glove) searches Egypt for the fabled Ark of the Covenant and finds himself up to his neck in booby-trapped caves, snake chambers, Nazi spies, religious demons, damsels in distress and even a spot of romance. The brilliantly evocative 1930s-set saga uses all the old clichés as if they've just been newly minted and dazzling special effects to craft a wonderful action yarn that rattles along with wit, invention and the raw spirit of true adventure. The climactic unleashing of the artefact's awesome holy fire remains a spine-tingling masterwork of visual effects ingenuity and ambitious dramatic force. No surprise then that one of the four Oscars this fabulous production picked up was for visual effects (the others were for art direction, sound and editing). The cast, including Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott, John Rhys-Davies and Paul Freeman (as the smoothest villain imaginable), is at its best in this definitive action masterpiece, which captures storyteller Spielberg at the height of his powers to delight the imagination with terrific eye-grazing tableaux, nail-biting tension and engaging characters. The two sequels that followed, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, were merely pale imitations of this gloriously nostalgic paean to Hollywood's Saturday matinée ideals and atmosphere. AJ
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| Contains violence. |
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Tell us what you think
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Running time
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110min
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Country of origin
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US
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Genre
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Period Action Adventure
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Alternate title
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Chapter 24 in the Complete Adventures of Indiana Jones: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark,
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Lawrence Kasdan, from a story by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| Academy 1981 |
Best Picture |
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Nominee |
| Academy 1981 |
Directing |
Steven Spielberg |
Nominee |
| BAFTA 1981 |
Best Film |
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Nominee |
| BAFTA 1981 |
Best Supporting Artist |
Denholm Elliott |
Nominee |
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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