What Makes Raiders of the Lost Ark Different?
One writer says, “it’s not the boulder, it’s the book…”
Nearing 2000 posts on MickeyBlog.com, I have reported on a whole lot of stuff that interests me or informs me, or entertains me. Rarely do I report on a story that makes me jealous.
But, today, I read Brian Phillips’ “The Pulp and Pleasure of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ 40 Years Later” via TheRinger.com. And, darn it, I wish I had written this one.
Happy Anniversary, Indy
Not wanting to let the 40th anniversary of Raiders go, I searched “Indiana Jones” and found Brian’s terrific piece, which really breaks down the best bits (and glaring inadequacies) of a film some consider to be the best action-adventure of all time.
However, Phillips took a different path to his admiration and won this reader right the heck over.
He wrote:
For me, it’s not the boulder, it’s the book. Anyone who loves Raiders of the Lost Ark can probably name the moment early in the movie when they realized what they were watching… the twist that teaches you the crucial early lesson about what this adventure is going to be like—that the hero is smart and resourceful, but not invincible. He can take hits. He can lose.
And speaking particularly about “the book,” Brian added, “There’s a moment for everyone when that ahh hits them, and for me, as I said, it’s the book. Indy is back on campus, in his wire-rimmed glasses and his tweed suit.
“He’s explaining to the Army intelligence men about the Ark of the Covenant, that maybe this is what the Nazis are looking for in the desert; this is what Abner Ravenwood was researching before he disappeared.
“Again: He has the book right there. It’s, conservatively, 1 million pages long. He opens to the picture of the Ark in less than two seconds. This is a tiny, almost unmentionably trivial detail; at the same time, I’m positive that nothing more delightful has ever happened in a movie.”
Pulp Fact and Fiction
Frankly, that’s only the tip of the whip. Brian goes deeper and deeper into the legend, lore, and literature.
So, go over to TheRinger and read the whole article. Seriously, it’s awesome.
Then, meet me on the couch; queue up the movie.
Feature Image: Lucasfilm