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Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
Part-time professor and part-time adventure-archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is called in to find an important relic before a Nazi-sponsored team can find it. His pursuit of the ark finds him reuniting with an old friend, Sallad (John Rhys-Davies), a former acquaintance, Marion (Karen Allen), and an old enemy, Belloq (Paul Freeman).
Like probably most people in this thread, I've seen the Indiana Jones movies a few times. I have always enjoyed them well enough, but never loved them. Then a few years back someone linked a transcript of a conversation that took place in 1978 between several filmmakers involved in the film and, um . . .
So with that in your mind, watching a scene that goes:
Marion: I've learned to hate you in the last ten years!
Indiana: I never meant to hurt you.
Marion: I was a child. I was in love. It was wrong and you knew it!
Indiana: You knew what you were doing.
"You knew what you were doing." Yikes. I mean, this is now the main association I have with his character: this is a dude who would sleep with someone who is still young enough to be losing baby teeth. (Later in the conversation they admit that they can't actually say on screen how old she was, they'll just have to imply it by casting someone about ten years younger than him).
Some people might say that it's not fair to judge a film by what's not actually on screen, but I would argue that it is actually on screen. It was something I questioned the first time I saw it, but assumed it was a classic case of casting a women much younger than her male counterpart but we're supposed to believe they are about the same age.
ANYWAY.
This is the kind of movie that is your classic 80s adventure. There are memorable setpieces (like the infamous rolling ball) and memorable lines ("Why did it have to be snakes?"). There are memorable moments of comedy (like shooting the guy in the market).
I think my 12 year old self would have given this a big thumbs up. But I'm not my 12 year old self, and so by the time Indiana Jones was burning animals to death, a lot of the magic had worn off for me. I definitely get why this film is so beloved and would be considered a crowd pleaser. I am just really no longer the audience for it.
I do like Harrison Ford, and props to Karen Allen for her physical comedy chops. The film does have that big-scale adventure momentum to it that I bet would make it a lot of fun to see on the big screen.
Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
Part-time professor and part-time adventure-archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is called in to find an important relic before a Nazi-sponsored team can find it. His pursuit of the ark finds him reuniting with an old friend, Sallad (John Rhys-Davies), a former acquaintance, Marion (Karen Allen), and an old enemy, Belloq (Paul Freeman).
Like probably most people in this thread, I've seen the Indiana Jones movies a few times. I have always enjoyed them well enough, but never loved them. Then a few years back someone linked a transcript of a conversation that took place in 1978 between several filmmakers involved in the film and, um . . .
George Lucas: I was thinking that this old guy [Marion's dad] could have been his mentor. He could have known this little girl [Marion] when she was just a kid. Had an affair with her when she was eleven.
Lawrence Kasdan: And he was forty-two.
George Lucas: He hasn’t seen her in twelve years. Now she’s twenty-two. It’s a real strange relationship.
Steven Spielberg: She had better be older than twenty-two.
George Lucas: He’s thirty-five, and he knew her ten years ago when he was twenty-five and she was only twelve.
George Lucas: It would be amusing to make her slightly young at the time.
Steven Spielberg: And promiscuous. She came onto him.
George Lucas: Fifteen is right on the edge. I know it’s an outrageous idea, but it is interesting. Once she’s sixteen or seventeen it’s not interesting anymore.
Lawrence Kasdan: And he was forty-two.
George Lucas: He hasn’t seen her in twelve years. Now she’s twenty-two. It’s a real strange relationship.
Steven Spielberg: She had better be older than twenty-two.
George Lucas: He’s thirty-five, and he knew her ten years ago when he was twenty-five and she was only twelve.
George Lucas: It would be amusing to make her slightly young at the time.
Steven Spielberg: And promiscuous. She came onto him.
George Lucas: Fifteen is right on the edge. I know it’s an outrageous idea, but it is interesting. Once she’s sixteen or seventeen it’s not interesting anymore.
Marion: I've learned to hate you in the last ten years!
Indiana: I never meant to hurt you.
Marion: I was a child. I was in love. It was wrong and you knew it!
Indiana: You knew what you were doing.
"You knew what you were doing." Yikes. I mean, this is now the main association I have with his character: this is a dude who would sleep with someone who is still young enough to be losing baby teeth. (Later in the conversation they admit that they can't actually say on screen how old she was, they'll just have to imply it by casting someone about ten years younger than him).
Some people might say that it's not fair to judge a film by what's not actually on screen, but I would argue that it is actually on screen. It was something I questioned the first time I saw it, but assumed it was a classic case of casting a women much younger than her male counterpart but we're supposed to believe they are about the same age.
ANYWAY.
This is the kind of movie that is your classic 80s adventure. There are memorable setpieces (like the infamous rolling ball) and memorable lines ("Why did it have to be snakes?"). There are memorable moments of comedy (like shooting the guy in the market).
I think my 12 year old self would have given this a big thumbs up. But I'm not my 12 year old self, and so by the time Indiana Jones was burning animals to death, a lot of the magic had worn off for me. I definitely get why this film is so beloved and would be considered a crowd pleaser. I am just really no longer the audience for it.
I do like Harrison Ford, and props to Karen Allen for her physical comedy chops. The film does have that big-scale adventure momentum to it that I bet would make it a lot of fun to see on the big screen.