Anyone who wants to write a screenplay with an exposition scene should study this. This is how it's done. All of the information the audience needs is delivered in a naturalistic conversation where you have two characters who don't know anything about the Ark or archaeology asking the questions that we have as the audience. By the end of the scene we understand how high the stakes are. It's all perfectly done.
Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis did some pretty good ones in their films. Doc Brown is often expounding exposition in "Back to the Future" films, but almost everything he talks about never seems boring.
I really like how Indy and Marcus mouth the word "Tanis" together as they hear the information. They share a bond, and intellectually, are on the same page together. That's good stuff.
“Didn’t you guys go to Sunday School?” I laughed so long and so hard at that line. It was like Indy was disappointed that they didn’t even have the basics of the Old Testament down! ❤️
This comment is also related to the final scene where the Ark is opened. Because Indy had been to Sunday School, he knew that there will be consequences when nazis open the Ark. Therefore he knew to instruct Marion to keep eyes shut, thus saving them.
Yeah, that is so true. One of the subjects in school were religion studies and I learned about the Ark too. If I am not mistaken it was said that every mortal that only touches the ark dies immediately. Basic knowledge.
@@LakituKoopa Even the high priest was only allowed to handle the ark one day of the entire year. If he touched it any other time, he would be killed instantly. The Bible speaks of the ark killing Hebrews who handled it incorrectly just as much as killing the enemies of the Hebrews.
One of those few movies where Military Intelligence genuinely trusts and listens to the protagonist, not interrupting him every other word to talk down on him about how they know better
@@pittland44 Primarily to cause drama and pad out the scene. May have some basis in reality, but the only reason it doesn't happen in this movie is because the writer's trying to make the protag seem super smart and everyone else bumbling morons
@@chrisv9866 Hmm, I think you're on to something. I just rewatched Rocketeer and they have a scene like that with the FBI and they all immediately act like idiots and jerks. Contrast that with this scene that treats everyone like they're adults and is arguably the best exposition dump in cinema history, maybe only superseded by the Rebel Alliance briefing for the attack on the second deathstar. Which was made by the same people.
We all know we're here for the music at 4:26, right? One reason why _Raiders_ is the best Indy film is it's got the "scariest" artifact. From the very beginning you can tell it's _not_ something to mess with, and John Williams' score is most of the reason why.
There's a reason they brought it back for the trailer for KotCS. And it wasn't *just* nostalgia. The ark is an unseen presence in the first two thirds of the movie. And just before the climax, when you might have forgotten just what it *is* that's being fought over, they have the thing burn the swastika off the box it's being held in. A not so subtle reminder that this artifact is, as you say, *not* something to mess with.
The score just screams sorcery unleashed. It reminds me of a witches brew. Boiling, percolating. Something very sinister about to be let loose. Williams captures that perfectly.
+47imagine It's this stuff that lacks so hard in modern day blockbusters man. it's the wide shots too, the establishing shots, and holding of the scene completed like a painting, Steven brother. Not like these tight close-ups with one-liners and pithy, wittiness and music, SO MUCH SCORE underneath everything steals from the natural digetics of the scene that make it seem like this, like, real, reality. Believable.
dead on whoever said that. Unfortunately i was watching Bridge Of Spies recently, and it dawned on me how staged the scenes looked, how wooden the acting was and how fake his sets looked. Something that has been generally getting worse since his golden era. This film will never be outdone.
Quite true. Try watching the whole movie backwards ie. the actual opening of the Ark first, then this scene near the end. This scene holds more impact and meaning, and possibly creepier knowing firsthand what actually has taken place
The same effect when Indy is in Cairo and the old man deciphers the headpiece of the Staff of Ra. Then a chill wind blows through the place rattling wind chimes like God is hinting 'stay away'.
There are so many great elements that make it work: the large hall, the fact they leave an echo from the size of the room in the soundtrack, where they put the camera. But I suggest a big part of the fact the scene works is Denholm Elliot's performance (as Marcus Brody). He's a massive part of building up the suspense in the scene: it's him who gives that first, sinister line: "...sandstorm that lasted an entire year. Wiped clean ... by the wrath of God." And it's him again who delivers that last line, this time with the Ark theme winding through the soundtrack: "The Bible speaks of the Ark levelling mountains and laying waste to entire regions. An army that carries the Ark before it is invincible." Those lines wouldn't sound right coming from Indy, which is why they're given to Marcus.
The music that kicks in at 4:24 always sticks with me. Williams is a genius who knows exactly what a scene needs. The theme of the Lost Ark invokes awe, wonder, and fear altogether at once in the audience and sets the stage for a reckoning that come later.
This scene is filmed and acted so well that you feel like you're in the room with them as a silent observer. Like you were sitting at a table across the room listening in.
@Thomas Breen It will still be in the Holy Land. hidden somewhere for now, till the time that God wants it brought forth again. and it will only be done by a chosen few. those that handle the Ark have to be special people.
@@pittland44 Anything is possible, and it could be there too. but 2 things we can be sure of. 1) it still exists. 2) it will be brought forth, and come back to the third Temple when it is rebuilt in Jerusalem. there are already many things being made and prepared now for when that happens.
People who don't like this scene don't appreciate build-up of excitement, mystery or anticipation. "Good God." "Yes, that's just what the Hebrews thought." Perfect comic relief to one of the headiest segues into action ever filmed. There's nothing wrong and so much right with this scene in one of the most perfect action films ever.
Most people don't like this scene because it was ahead of it's time. Back between the 30s and the 80s action movies were just that, action. No thinking, just punching, shooting and whatever music was popular at the time. This movie encourages us to think, something we as action hungry maniacs couldn't comprehend. Then the Matrix came along, which made us get it and seek out other movies that made us think. Such as Raiders.
it's dead on in every way and the acting especially by Ford, who occasionally gets accused of being a bit wooden, is crisp and convincing. Still my favourite actor
I don't think anyone can accuse Harrison Ford of being a wooden actor. He plays Indiana Jones brilliantly (in the first three films anyway) and he wouldn't have been able to play the humour, which really makes the character work so well, if he'd been wooden.
If you find this scene to be boring, then you must find the rest of the film boring as well, therefore you can't fully appreciate a film with a solid story and characters. It's amazing how this film maintains a great balance of keeping you entertained and at the same time well informed with what's going on in the story without shoving vast amounts of information down your throat without feeling like it's all going over your head. If anything the army intel members here are representative of the audience by asking our questions as the conversation progresses. Lawrence Kasdan, Steven Spielberg, and the 4 actors in this scene did a wonderful job.
In it's own way, this scene reminds me of the scene in the first Jurassic Park movie when all of them are having dinner and talking about what they have just seen in the park, and the three archeologists express their major concerns about bringing the dinosaurs back. When you were a kid, it was boring. When you are older, it is a very, very profound scene. This scene in Raiders is a lot like that. It may seem "boring" to the one who wants mindless action, but in reality, it arguably is the most profound scene in the film. It is actually a lot more tense than people might credit it as being.
I've always loved scenes in movies where a few people gather around a very "mood" place like a darkened bedroom, an old library or an old school hall like this talking about legends, ghost stories or some mystical stuffs .. the mood, its all about the mood .. There are so many such beautifully set scenes in Raiders - the scene where Indy visited an arab guy to decipher the medallion is another one ..
Despite being just a scene of exposition and guys talking it is the best scene in the film. The mood, the music, the acting and the scriptural references make this such a magical, spine-chilling scene!
its probably my favourite scene in the whole movie, apart form the ending where the Nazis get taken up after being burned, melted , etc.. love Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Final Crusade.
@@TheMylittletony Yes it would be. it was and would still be to this day. there are a couple of references in the bible where people touched it unintentionally and died as a result. it is the Power of God, and the Power of His presence. that is why it has been kept hidden since its disappearance in ancient times. God knows we are corrupt and that to have such a source of power in our possession would only be used to try and gain power and control for selfish purposes. it is a source of power beyond comprehension.
Nazi Germany getting the upper hand in the war by using occult power was always a fascinating alternate history plotline. It's partly why the Wolfenstein games are so beloved. Just the idea of hearing about an "SS Paranormal Division" finding something buried in Ancient Ruins just tugs at your attention.
I never played the later games. Did they ever go into the actual Nazi revisionist society the Ahnenerbe? That group is the historical impetus for all the fictional Nazi occult stories, when Himmler led researchers and expeditions around the world for artifacts to place in museums to justify the existence of a legendary Aryan race. All the religious and occult symbols appropriated by the Nazis like swastikas, runes, sun wheels, were bastardized by the Ahnenerbe.
No. In Wolfenstein the Paranormal stuff is legit real and they use it to advance the war machine by creating augmented soldiers and large scale robotics. Most of their technology comes from reverse engineering knowledge from some ancient Jewish scientific society. I think that's the reason for the Holocaust in the games. The Nazis exterminated the Jewish so they couldn't let the truth behind their new technology get out.
What's fascinating about that topic, is the NSDAP really did have their own paranormal investigation division, called Division H, for Hexen, which is the German for witch. They investigated a lot of paranormal and occult phenomena, including looking for the ancestral home of the ancient Aryans in central Asia, as well as investigating things like genetic mutations and witch hunts. Oddly enough the other movie that has some basis in historic fact is Rocketeer. Because the Germans really did experiment with that type of technology, but weren't able to make it work before they had to divert resources to the war effort. I think, but I'm not 100% sure, that the newsreel style footage of jetpack experiments in Rocketeer is the actual footage from the 1930's, but I would have to double check that.
@@obtainerofrareantiquities1189 IF you did read the 'Exodus' then you would know that is not Grandma's Hope chest; you don't just walk up to the Ark and help yourself because you feel like it. You would NEVER survive it. With the exception of David, only the High Priest of Levi once a year during Yom Kippur could the High Priest enter the Holy of Holies and he just couldn't walk in there. He had to follow specific instructions and what to do and when to do it; we know of 5 instances where the high priest did not come out of the Holy of Holies alive. And as far as the Egyptian Scenario goes the raid that was discussed was during the time of Rehoboam King of Judah after the Tribes rebelled and became the Northern Tribes again. The Egyptians, like the Babaylonians were excellent record keepers. There is no mention of the Ark of the Covenant by either. Chances are the Ark never left Jerusalem. Its still buried there to this day but its rumored that the Jews know of its location and are waiting for the construction of the Third Temple.
Anand Vaid ... God created this world for us. He delivered the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. He empowered David to protect his country against Goliath. All good things!
From "The Complete Making of Indiana Jones" book: "It was done as an etching by a fine-art printing press in Berkeley to give the page the feel and look of and old manuscript," Edward Verreaux says. "It's a very beautiful and detailed drawing. It doesn't look half as good on screen as it does holding it in your hand."
Indeed. I think he should be nicknamed "Agent Piggy." Because "Piggy" was a nickname for Porkins in *Star Wars*, which he hated. And since he's a power-hungry bureaucrat American agent in *Raiders*, it suits him well for being a pig, hence his nickname "Agent Piggy."
It reminds me of that Jurassic Park scene when, after visiting the park, Grant, Malcom and the others discuss the ethical implications and deem the whole ride as an insult to science and morality. It's the kind of scene you don't pay attention to when you're a kid (you just see a bunch of people talking), but when you grow up, you start to consider the big amount of themes implied in it as well as the narrative brilliance. I also agree with you, it's the best scene in the movie. When Indy shows the map and that John Williams's track starts to play, the 5-year-old kid in me feels as scared and intrigued as in the first view. Awesome stuff.
This scene and even the music reminds me of the opening of Jaws when they find the girls remains and finally understand what they are possibly dealing with. It is that omininous sense of dread realized.
The only part of this conversation that was classified was the fact that Germany sent a team to Egypt. Everything else is technically public knowledge.
Whenever I see the part where he shows him the illustration and that eerie music begins playing... Something about that drawing and that music just strikes me.
Part of it is that the picture is just a *suggestion* of the ark. It doesn't really give any detail. That combined with the talk of the arks powers and the music's ominous tone lets your mind begin imagining the details.
One of the things I like about Spielburg's film is that he gives you hints as to what the film's objectives are and the goals of the protagonists. I tried watching the new Pirates film, and it was all a discombobulated mess of action and shallow story writing that nobody could hope to follow.
The music itself is also just a suggestion of the full theme that accompanies the Ark later in the film. The same theme re-appears in the score multiple times when important "Ark stuff" happens, always without the melody resolving. The final, and only resolved, time it plays is in the Ark opening scene - where it twists into the horror show as the Nazis meet their fate as unworthy. This is such a carefully constructed movie - it's really fantastic. Especially when you consider it was dreamed up as an homage to serial pulp films.
I love the part where he shows them the picture and the Arc theme music comes in for the first time. I must've seen this movie 20 times, but that never fails to give me chills!
Really makes you wonder who drew that picture for that book, like was there an artist who was going off some story about the Ark being opened and that scene unfolding?
Everything is perfect: the delivery, the framing, the exposition and the mood. John William's score kicking in over the book illustration is the cherry on the cupcake.
First time I saw this movie I was already totally blown away by the time they got to this scene. Then when Indy started speaking about the Ark & how to find it, it's power, etc, I was mesmerized. How could anyone not become a lifelong fan of this flick, no matter what genre they like the most?
I was 12 and felt the same way. However, in all honesty I was somewhat confused about what the Ark actually was; a chest or power source. When Indy and Sallah lifted the Ark from it's resting place, it was the most beautiful "prop" I had ever seen and assumed it was Egyptian. The cherubs looked like the goddess Isis, and they WHERE in Egypt. After the film I went home, opened up the encyclopedias and the Holy Bible, doing my research on the Ark. Not many "popcorn" movies can motivate a youngster to do that. I have been a lifelong fan of RAIDERS ever since.
well, people keep buying it. its not easy per say, but its lazy... comfortable, and familiar. and it makes money. why try to make people think when you dont have to?
I don't know about y'all, but I also like the pacing of the better Indiana Jones movies (forget the most recent offering). So many action flicks these days are too frenetic. Indiana Jones seemed to have unlimited story potential and could have been a long-lived cinematic institution like James Bond or Fast and Furious or what John Wick is becoming. But then it ended. Indiana Jones 4 was just bad.
National Treasure? Relic Hunter (even if it was a TV show)? Zorro? Jumanji 2? Adventure pulp has just fallen a bit out of fashion. But it isn't like every movie in the 80s was this good, nor is it like Indie was actually original (he's essentially a really good knock off of 50s pulp adventurer Alan Quartermain). Only thing I miss from this era is that very modern films tend to film very little practically (Crystal Skull was a great example of what to avoid) even if it hurts the sense of any real danger, and they sometimes cut the film in way too fast a manner and without having breathing room scenes you never really bond to the characters.
We can't even get a Michael Moorcock Elric movie out, because all anybody wants to see is the same goddamned annoying superhero films over and over again.
It's also my favorite scene from the trilogy! It beautifully ties the adventurous opening sequence to the introduction of the MacGuffin, but does so organically, taking time to show us the "civilian" side of Indy's life. It's also clever how it's basically Indy (and Brody) who briefs the agents rather than the other way around, which gives him even more credibility. It also anticipates both the Marion romance (the "falling out" bit) and the iconic "staff of Ra" moment. Also, the scene makes it clear from the start what the stakes are: that music..."fire and lightning...the power of God or something". Very ominous. I don't know much about screenplay writing, but I always thought this scene accomplished so much!
Probably the greatest movie ever created in the history of cinema! The closing line in which Marcus says, "an army which carries the ark before it... is invincible...," couldn't of gotten any better.
OptimisticCynic715 yeah he does. Ever notice when Indy say's "and the museum get's the Ark"? the look on Marcus's face is a blatant lie. Shame they tried make him comic relief in Crusade, still a good film that blows modern cinema out the water thougb
Marcus is a badass in Raiders. He even says to Indy if I were ten years younger I'd be going with you to get the ark. Yet for some reason he turns into a dumbfuck in Crusade.
This is one of the great exposition scenes in movie history. I remember seeing the film in the theater in 1981 and getting chills during this scene. It’s one of many, many reasons why Raiders is one of the great films in movie history. It’s not just the action sequences, but brilliantly written and performed scenes like this
A great example of how every single scene in this movie is flawless. Here we have the longest stretch of dialog in the movie, and you can tell that Spielberg pulled out all the stops even on such a straightforward scene of exposition. For example, there is something about the rhythm of the conversation that is very memorable. Notice how there are repeated examples of characters interrupting or cutting off other characters, which of course happens constantly in real life, but which you very rarely see in movies: 1:021:431:523:23 . I don't know anything about the technical aspects of film, but I imagine the reason this is so rare in movies is that it takes mastery of the craft by every member of the team (writer, director, editor, actors, etc.) to pull that off and have it feel so natural that you almost don't even notice it.
Sometimes Jones, with all his knowledge just makes it up as he goes. You can see that with the whole chalkboard thing. Thats part of what I liked about these movies....knowledge mixed with the unknown. Its an adventure.
A bit similar, perhaps, to Dr. Jackson's sketching out on the whiteboard, what shortly afterwards, will be determined to be Earth's symbol on the Stargate, though the latter, with a bit more nerd goofiness.
Denholm Elliott was just phenomenal in this scene and franchise! And it also has Porkins from Star Wars, to boot! Seriously, could you ever imagine Marcus Brody being played by anyone else other than Denholm? NO, neither can I.
May Denholm Elliot who played who played (Dr. Marcus Brody) in this classic film R.I.P. Passed away 10/6/92 age 70 from turberculosis caused by the deadly AIDS virus. So sad.
2:04 "Either of you guys ever go to Sunday school?" I remember the laugh that line got in the movie theatre the first time I saw this movie. And in a scene that was slowly building with suspense. What a great movie!
Perfect example of how you can have humor in a tense scene without ruining the tension with silliness. The "No time to discuss this in a committee" argument between Han Solo and Princess Leia in _The Empire Strikes Back_ is another great example. A *really* great way of ruining tension with silliness posing as humor is the completely misplaced contemporary-style "humor" in _The Force Awakens_ and _The Last Jedi_
The illustration of the ark and the accompanying music sure adds that sense of dread and perfectly foreshadows what would happen later without giving away the horrors that lie within the ark.
Looking at just this scene makes me feel like it is reminding me of 70's Spielberg directing. Though Temple and Crusade have the same creators as this one, this feels like the pace is more calm and comfortable. This is still close to the 70's given it was made in 1980 and released in 81. But I think the last time we get this kind of Jaws like feel from Steven is in E.T. Then his films never felt the same again. He still made great films after, but they move differently. Kind of like a fighter who stops taking the same kind of risks as he did before he won the title.
+gutz1981 I hear you with a lot of this, I really do. I just posted this above when "47 Imagine" commented how natural and great this scene is --- It's this stuff that lacks so hard in modern day blockbusters man. it's the wide shots too, the establishing shots, and holding of the scene completed like painting, Steven brother. Not like these tight close-ups with one-liners and pity, wittiness and music, SO MUCH SCORE underneath everything steals from the natural digetics of the scene that make it seem like this, like, real, reality. Believable.
I love the music and imagery at the end of this scene, when Ford opens the bible and shows them the picture of the Ark. John Williams and Spielberg, two geniuses.
roytheboy68 Me too. That's one of my favorite aspects of this movie. Every time the Ark is on the screen, you get that pulsating Ark music that accompanies it. Brilliant, really.
+Patrick Harris Agree totally with you .. one reason Raiders seems better than the other 2 Indys is that the mysterious power of the Ark seems to pervade and engulf the mood of all the scenes throughout the whole movie .. you get this sense of wonderful atmosphere of something heavy and mysterious overhanging all the events .. To me thats the reason Raiders is simply magical ..
Absolutely agree. The Ark is a character in its own right. The impending sense of mystery (and doom) is palpable. Akin to the One Ring being a character in the LOTR movies.
_"The Bible speaks of the Ark leveling mountains and laying waste to entire regions. An army which carries the Ark before it...Is invincible."_ Shit just got real.
@@martynspeck Well, it's the movie Bible in any case, without a doubt. But, there's this: 1 Samuel 6:19 - And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten [many] of the people with a great slaughter.
Raiders is on TV all the time, and since I've seen it a hundred or more times, I tend to flip channels at certain points. BUT, I LOVE this scene. Two great moments: 3:51 where Brody beams with pride that his protege is so enthused and knowledgeable about archaeology, and that moment where the two federales look at each other (2:52) when they realize that Jones and Brody know exactly what Hitler's fascination with the occult and the Ark is all about.
Excellent scene. Great info delivery, foreshadowing, and background info. The use of the music is fantastic, and sets a good eerie and awesome, reverent tone. I was going on 9 when it came out, and hadn't heard of the Ark, despite going to church school in K and 1st, and sonetines Sunday school after that. So it was quite a film. Still one of the best
I remember the day this scene was filmed in my hometown of Stockton, California ... this was filmed inside and outside of the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific.... I has some of the oldest buildings still in use by any University in California and the entire building is still time specific to this movie and as such is why it was chosen for this scene.
One of the best 'info dumps' ever put on film, IMO. Subtle camera movement keeps you visually interested, the editing feels very natural which cuts for reaction. Nice use of over-the-shoulder and the strange angle on the chalkboard maintains the focus on Indy throughout his drawing and explanation with the left-to-right motif already established in his classroom. Someone commented below that this and E.T. 'feel' different than his later stuff in how the camera and scene moves. There's a 'reality' that is just not present in Spielberg films after E.T.. He was young here, still artistically hungry.
I was just thinking of making that exact comment lol. I wonder how much of that was on-set audio and how much was the incomparable Ben Burtt doing his thing.
I watch this part on repeat especially because of the music, hearing Indy’s “Lightning, fire. Power of God.” part, and hearing Marcus say “An army which carries the Ark before it...is invincible.”.
This scene is the most important for the most tone of the film. That the Ark is not a prize to be taken, but a supernatural force that is capable of unimaginable devastation and destruction. Incredible scene....
I don't think his illness was why the character was changed. And if he'd been that ill, he wouldn't have had such a big part in Last Crusade, which was far bigger than his part in Raiders. He actually carried on working until about a year before he died in 1992. In 1991 he had one of his biggest parts as George Smiley in a British TV film called A Murder of Quality.
I think the reason the character changed was because Last Crusade was a bit overloaded with characters. So they decided to make Marcus into a bumbling idiot for light relief and Sean Connery became the older mentor figure that Marcus appeared to be in the first film.
People always complain about how they turned Marcus into an idiot in Crusade, but I don't see it. We only see him at the beginning and end of Raiders and as he say's he's too old to go after the Ark himself. I can buy it that him going on an actual adventure is out of his comfort zone. He's played pretty much the same in Crusade's first half, but only once he's out of his element by traveling to Cairo, only then do they start the comical bits. And you know what? I find that stuff funny. Denholm Elliot HIMSELF was OK with Marcus's more comical moments in this film (watch the Behind the Scenes doc on Last Crusade in the 2003 DVD set to hear him talk about it) and I think he makes it work. The transition from Indy saying Brody can blend himself in anywhere to the shot of him saying "Can anyone speak English around here?" is one of my favorite bits in the series. Brody still gets in some badass bits like when he tells Donovan he'd rather spit in his face and how he's meddling with powers he can't comprehend. Having him and Sallah return in Crusade is a good thing.
I found that line funny actually. There's these two academic guys out of their element fighting Nazi thugs and they're commenting on the absurdity of their situation. I don't get why many geeks have such a stick up their ass about the humor in Crusade, yet give all the goofy stuff in ToD a pass. I guess everything has to be grim n' gritty to be great, right?
I always loved this scene. How harrison ford is able to bring a big sense of reality along with his narration. He could narrate a animal kingdom story or even a pure work of fiction and make it incredibly important. I also love how when they keep talking about ravenwood and the obsession with the ark the beauracrats interrupt him with the down to earth reality of esentially being like cops saying "we have a warrant for mr.ravenwoods arrest and we want to know where he is" love this scene
William Hootkins. Such a great character actor who was in Flash Gordon, he was Porkins the X-Wing pilot, he was in Batman and all sorys of great movies from our childhoods.
The timing the facial expressions,gestures, dialogue delivery the combination of these four professionals in this scene just hit it out of the ballpark.
This scene is almost from the point of view of the intelligence men. It’s a great way to give background exposition to the audience because we are learning just as they are.
I love the cinematography in this movie, and this scene in particular, so much. Look at the shot starting a 0:44. LOOK AT IT. The explanation begins and _we take a seat at the table._ I love it.
"Any of you guys ever go to Sunday school?" That's really funny actually, think about how many kids and their parents who DID go to Sunday school found that line funny when they 1st saw this.
This movie was just perfect! Spielberg and Lucas nailed this! Great story, great casting, great cinematography, and so on and so on! Raiders is in the same top five list as Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, The Empire Strikes Back, and Back to the Future!
Anyone who wants to write a screenplay with an exposition scene should study this. This is how it's done. All of the information the audience needs is delivered in a naturalistic conversation where you have two characters who don't know anything about the Ark or archaeology asking the questions that we have as the audience. By the end of the scene we understand how high the stakes are. It's all perfectly done.
Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis did some pretty good ones in their films.
Doc Brown is often expounding exposition in "Back to the Future" films, but almost everything he talks about never seems boring.
Two good ones I think of are Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) about Pandora’s Box and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) about the Nexus in Star Trek.
Actually the directing here is a bit stylistically dated. It would look bland to audiences today in a new film.
And, timing. I think Spielberg is a master at pacing scenes.
@@dgontar I don't know, if the other elements are there, might still work.
"Good God"
"Yes that's is just what the Hebrews thought"
One of the best lines in film history
Yes, Yanez is hebrew :)
ba dum tss
I mean it's a good line but your bar is set very low
It's what they knew..
Yeah lol.
Perfect scene. I like the way Dr. Brody is shown as a fellow scholar, and not a buffoon.
Yes- I liked this interpretation of Brody much better.
Indy 3 was ruined by the way they treated Marcus - it was totally unnecessary
@@simonrees9441 Yes, that film did considerable disservice to Brody and Sallah. Such a shame.
I really like how Indy and Marcus mouth the word "Tanis" together as they hear the information. They share a bond, and intellectually, are on the same page together. That's good stuff.
He ran a museum!
“Didn’t you guys go to Sunday School?” I laughed so long and so hard at that line. It was like Indy was disappointed that they didn’t even have the basics of the Old Testament down! ❤️
This comment is also related to the final scene where the Ark is opened. Because Indy had been to Sunday School, he knew that there will be consequences when nazis open the Ark. Therefore he knew to instruct Marion to keep eyes shut, thus saving them.
such an amazing line😂
2 movies of Indiana have Bible journeys
First ark then the holy grail
Yeah, that is so true. One of the subjects in school were religion studies and I learned about the Ark too. If I am not mistaken it was said that every mortal that only touches the ark dies immediately. Basic knowledge.
@@LakituKoopa Even the high priest was only allowed to handle the ark one day of the entire year. If he touched it any other time, he would be killed instantly. The Bible speaks of the ark killing Hebrews who handled it incorrectly just as much as killing the enemies of the Hebrews.
One of those few movies where Military Intelligence genuinely trusts and listens to the protagonist, not interrupting him every other word to talk down on him about how they know better
Why do you suppose so many other movies fall into that trope?
@@pittland44 Primarily to cause drama and pad out the scene. May have some basis in reality, but the only reason it doesn't happen in this movie is because the writer's trying to make the protag seem super smart and everyone else bumbling morons
@@chrisv9866 Hmm, I think you're on to something. I just rewatched Rocketeer and they have a scene like that with the FBI and they all immediately act like idiots and jerks. Contrast that with this scene that treats everyone like they're adults and is arguably the best exposition dump in cinema history, maybe only superseded by the Rebel Alliance briefing for the attack on the second deathstar. Which was made by the same people.
@@chrisv9866- Porkins learned his lesson not to interrupt the MC. He'd lived longer if he lisentened to his wingman back on the Death Star.
We all know we're here for the music at 4:26, right?
One reason why _Raiders_ is the best Indy film is it's got the "scariest" artifact. From the very beginning you can tell it's _not_ something to mess with, and John Williams' score is most of the reason why.
There's a reason they brought it back for the trailer for KotCS. And it wasn't *just* nostalgia. The ark is an unseen presence in the first two thirds of the movie. And just before the climax, when you might have forgotten just what it *is* that's being fought over, they have the thing burn the swastika off the box it's being held in. A not so subtle reminder that this artifact is, as you say, *not* something to mess with.
Daniel Allen agreed, wonderful writing and buildup of suspense.
The score just screams sorcery unleashed. It reminds me of a witches brew. Boiling, percolating. Something very sinister about to be let loose. Williams captures that perfectly.
The music is beyond perfect. Truly.
"The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" did a pretty good job of it in the first half.
This is such a well-acted scene. All four actors do such a good job making this look very natural.
+47imagine It's this stuff that lacks so hard in modern day blockbusters man. it's the wide shots too, the establishing shots, and holding of the scene completed like a painting, Steven brother. Not like these tight close-ups with one-liners and pithy, wittiness and music, SO MUCH SCORE underneath everything steals from the natural digetics of the scene that make it seem like this, like, real, reality. Believable.
+Myk McGrane best scene in movie if listen in store for real adventure. to seek and find the lost ark, yes from the 10 comandments
What movie would u like to direct and how much money would you like?
dead on whoever said that. Unfortunately i was watching Bridge Of Spies recently, and it dawned on me how staged the scenes looked, how wooden the acting was and how fake his sets looked. Something that has been generally getting worse since his golden era. This film will never be outdone.
47imagine holy balls that's Porkins?!
This is actually quite a creepy and chilling scene especially when the music starts
this is one of my all time movie scenes
brilliant
Quite true. Try watching the whole movie backwards ie. the actual opening of the Ark first, then this scene near the end. This scene holds more impact and meaning, and possibly creepier knowing firsthand what actually has taken place
The same effect when Indy is in Cairo and the old man deciphers the headpiece of the Staff of Ra. Then a chill wind blows through the place rattling wind chimes like God is hinting 'stay away'.
James Robert nicely done
There are so many great elements that make it work: the large hall, the fact they leave an echo from the size of the room in the soundtrack, where they put the camera. But I suggest a big part of the fact the scene works is Denholm Elliot's performance (as Marcus Brody). He's a massive part of building up the suspense in the scene: it's him who gives that first, sinister line: "...sandstorm that lasted an entire year. Wiped clean ... by the wrath of God." And it's him again who delivers that last line, this time with the Ark theme winding through the soundtrack: "The Bible speaks of the Ark levelling mountains and laying waste to entire regions. An army that carries the Ark before it is invincible." Those lines wouldn't sound right coming from Indy, which is why they're given to Marcus.
The music that kicks in at 4:24 always sticks with me. Williams is a genius who knows exactly what a scene needs. The theme of the Lost Ark invokes awe, wonder, and fear altogether at once in the audience and sets the stage for a reckoning that come later.
Gives me chills
Williams never misses
Long way from the original "Ballad of Gilligan's Island" 😮😅🤓😎✌🏻
When that man dies, I am gonna cry real tears..
Yes...Good God....
This scene is filmed and acted so well that you feel like you're in the room with them as a silent observer. Like you were sitting at a table across the room listening in.
@Thomas Breen It will still be in the Holy Land. hidden somewhere for now, till the time that God wants it brought forth again. and it will only be done by a chosen few. those that handle the Ark have to be special people.
The camera even lowers slightly when the other characters sit down
@@catey62 Honestly I think it's in Ethiopia. I think they were given the Ark for safe keeping.
@@catey62
Yeah, sure.
@@pittland44 Anything is possible, and it could be there too. but 2 things we can be sure of. 1) it still exists. 2) it will be brought forth, and come back to the third Temple when it is rebuilt in Jerusalem. there are already many things being made and prepared now for when that happens.
People who don't like this scene don't appreciate build-up of excitement, mystery or anticipation. "Good God." "Yes, that's just what the Hebrews thought." Perfect comic relief to one of the headiest segues into action ever filmed. There's nothing wrong and so much right with this scene in one of the most perfect action films ever.
You nailed it right on the head. Looks like we think alike (notice my comment at the top) lol
Most people don't like this scene because it was ahead of it's time. Back between the 30s and the 80s action movies were just that, action. No thinking, just punching, shooting and whatever music was popular at the time. This movie encourages us to think, something we as action hungry maniacs couldn't comprehend. Then the Matrix came along, which made us get it and seek out other movies that made us think. Such as Raiders.
it's dead on in every way and the acting especially by Ford, who occasionally gets accused of being a bit wooden, is crisp and convincing. Still my favourite actor
I don't think anyone can accuse Harrison Ford of being a wooden actor. He plays Indiana Jones brilliantly (in the first three films anyway) and he wouldn't have been able to play the humour, which really makes the character work so well, if he'd been wooden.
If you find this scene to be boring, then you must find the rest of the film boring as well, therefore you can't fully appreciate a film with a solid story and characters. It's amazing how this film maintains a great balance of keeping you entertained and at the same time well informed with what's going on in the story without shoving vast amounts of information down your throat without feeling like it's all going over your head. If anything the army intel members here are representative of the audience by asking our questions as the conversation progresses. Lawrence Kasdan, Steven Spielberg, and the 4 actors in this scene did a wonderful job.
In it's own way, this scene reminds me of the scene in the first Jurassic Park movie when all of them are having dinner and talking about what they have just seen in the park, and the three archeologists express their major concerns about bringing the dinosaurs back.
When you were a kid, it was boring. When you are older, it is a very, very profound scene.
This scene in Raiders is a lot like that. It may seem "boring" to the one who wants mindless action, but in reality, it arguably is the most profound scene in the film. It is actually a lot more tense than people might credit it as being.
It’s so well written. It sets up the rest of the film
I've always loved scenes in movies where a few people gather around a very "mood" place like a darkened bedroom, an old library or an old school hall like this talking about legends, ghost stories or some mystical stuffs .. the mood, its all about the mood ..
There are so many such beautifully set scenes in Raiders - the scene where Indy visited an arab guy to decipher the medallion is another one ..
totally agree!! need more movies with these kind of scenes.
88feji thanks for your lovely comment
And when Indy and sullas are lifting the ark out of its sarcophagus is another
bad dates!
The wind chimes..
This, and Quint's monologue about the Indianapolis in Jaws, are two of the best-written scenes in movies.
Spielberg at his best
Tremendous scenes, classy and based in facts is what make them.
Both Spielberg movies that have references to the 19th state in the Union....are we sure he's not a native Hoosier??
Despite being just a scene of exposition and guys talking it is the best scene in the film. The mood, the music, the acting and the scriptural references make this such a magical, spine-chilling scene!
Daniel Andersson one of my fave scene too
its probably my favourite scene in the whole movie, apart form the ending where the Nazis get taken up after being burned, melted , etc.. love Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Final Crusade.
Judging by the board behind them, some electromag physics professor was tripping balls in that room before them
J21Marshall Indy’s got no time for that mumbo jumbo!
It's real blurry.....but at least one of the terms (i.e. h=v^2/2g) is a projectile motion equation.
@@09rja Would that be a reference to the ark being more powerful than firearms?
So he was doing science which these people did not?
@@TheMylittletony Yes it would be. it was and would still be to this day. there are a couple of references in the bible where people touched it unintentionally and died as a result. it is the Power of God, and the Power of His presence. that is why it has been kept hidden since its disappearance in ancient times. God knows we are corrupt and that to have such a source of power in our possession would only be used to try and gain power and control for selfish purposes. it is a source of power beyond comprehension.
Nazi Germany getting the upper hand in the war by using occult power was always a fascinating alternate history plotline. It's partly why the Wolfenstein games are so beloved. Just the idea of hearing about an "SS Paranormal Division" finding something buried in Ancient Ruins just tugs at your attention.
I never played the later games. Did they ever go into the actual Nazi revisionist society the Ahnenerbe? That group is the historical impetus for all the fictional Nazi occult stories, when Himmler led researchers and expeditions around the world for artifacts to place in museums to justify the existence of a legendary Aryan race. All the religious and occult symbols appropriated by the Nazis like swastikas, runes, sun wheels, were bastardized by the Ahnenerbe.
No. In Wolfenstein the Paranormal stuff is legit real and they use it to advance the war machine by creating augmented soldiers and large scale robotics. Most of their technology comes from reverse engineering knowledge from some ancient Jewish scientific society. I think that's the reason for the Holocaust in the games. The Nazis exterminated the Jewish so they couldn't let the truth behind their new technology get out.
Supposedly the Nazis were looking for the spear of Longinus, and the Trident of Neptune. He really was a nut case about that stuff.
The first Hellboy movie has a heavy dose of that as well. It's no Raiders, but it's a fun watch.
What's fascinating about that topic, is the NSDAP really did have their own paranormal investigation division, called Division H, for Hexen, which is the German for witch. They investigated a lot of paranormal and occult phenomena, including looking for the ancestral home of the ancient Aryans in central Asia, as well as investigating things like genetic mutations and witch hunts. Oddly enough the other movie that has some basis in historic fact is Rocketeer. Because the Germans really did experiment with that type of technology, but weren't able to make it work before they had to divert resources to the war effort. I think, but I'm not 100% sure, that the newsreel style footage of jetpack experiments in Rocketeer is the actual footage from the 1930's, but I would have to double check that.
“Didn’t you guys ever go to Sunday school?”
well, we are in a liberal state right now, celebrating Kwanzaa
I finally read the Books of Exodus and know the 'truth'. It kind of ruins it for me but I still love this movie.
I asked my coworkers that one time when I brought up something biblical then I watched this movie that night
@@Dbusdriver71 What did it ruin? I've read Exodus too and I'm genuinely curious
@@obtainerofrareantiquities1189 IF you did read the 'Exodus' then you would know that is not Grandma's Hope chest; you don't just walk up to the Ark and help yourself because you feel like it. You would NEVER survive it. With the exception of David, only the High Priest of Levi once a year during Yom Kippur could the High Priest enter the Holy of Holies and he just couldn't walk in there. He had to follow specific instructions and what to do and when to do it; we know of 5 instances where the high priest did not come out of the Holy of Holies alive. And as far as the Egyptian Scenario goes the raid that was discussed was during the time of Rehoboam King of Judah after the Tribes rebelled and became the Northern Tribes again. The Egyptians, like the Babaylonians were excellent record keepers. There is no mention of the Ark of the Covenant by either. Chances are the Ark never left Jerusalem. Its still buried there to this day but its rumored that the Jews know of its location and are waiting for the construction of the Third Temple.
"God God!"
"Yes, that's just what the Hebrews thought."
Paulpatine Laujghed like crazy when they said that xD
doesn't he say "good God"? I always thought he did
ninjast4r ... "Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness." Sounds pretty good to me.
Dobbys Boggart loool read the old testament!!!
Anand Vaid ... God created this world for us. He delivered the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. He empowered David to protect his country against Goliath. All good things!
The late great Ralph Mcquarrie drew that bible illustration!
I had no idea. That's awesome!
Did he really?! AWESOME! That man is a legend!!
Tyson L Really? That and "Star Wars"...
Impressive...
From "The Complete Making of Indiana Jones" book: "It was done as an etching by a fine-art printing press in Berkeley to give the page the feel and look of and old manuscript," Edward Verreaux says. "It's a very beautiful and detailed drawing. It doesn't look half as good on screen as it does holding it in your hand."
Aww I didn’t know that
I love the fact that Porkins (Red 6) is in this scene as well
Great spot!
cripplehawk William Hootkins. He also played Lieutenant Eckhardt in Batman '89.
+cripplehawk /looks startled
Jesus H. Christ. You're right. And in 30 years I never saw him before.
Indeed. I think he should be nicknamed "Agent Piggy." Because "Piggy" was a nickname for Porkins in *Star Wars*, which he hated. And since he's a power-hungry bureaucrat American agent in *Raiders*, it suits him well for being a pig, hence his nickname "Agent Piggy."
kryptonianpowers
How do we know he's power-hungry? All we know from Raiders is that he is a (presumably) high-ranking government agent.
It reminds me of that Jurassic Park scene when, after visiting the park, Grant, Malcom and the others discuss the ethical implications and deem the whole ride as an insult to science and morality.
It's the kind of scene you don't pay attention to when you're a kid (you just see a bunch of people talking), but when you grow up, you start to consider the big amount of themes implied in it as well as the narrative brilliance.
I also agree with you, it's the best scene in the movie. When Indy shows the map and that John Williams's track starts to play, the 5-year-old kid in me feels as scared and intrigued as in the first view. Awesome stuff.
This scene and even the music reminds me of the opening of Jaws when they find the girls remains and finally understand what they are possibly dealing with. It is that omininous sense of dread realized.
Well said darkanguiel! I notice so many more things in this scene as an adult than I did as a kid.
"This is all strictly confidential" So let's talk about this in a big auditorium where our voices carry.
And there's an echo!
@ I'm sure he's being watched every second he's at work....maybe every second of the day.
The only part of this conversation that was classified was the fact that Germany sent a team to Egypt. Everything else is technically public knowledge.
Only people around is young girls “frothing at the gash” for Indiana
Happy to tell you that the makers didn't take the movie too seriously. ( How did Indy survive his journey with that submarine, for instance)
Whenever I see the part where he shows him the illustration and that eerie music begins playing...
Something about that drawing and that music just strikes me.
Part of it is that the picture is just a *suggestion* of the ark. It doesn't really give any detail. That combined with the talk of the arks powers and the music's ominous tone lets your mind begin imagining the details.
One of the things I like about Spielburg's film is that he gives you hints as to what the film's objectives are and the goals of the protagonists. I tried watching the new Pirates film, and it was all a discombobulated mess of action and shallow story writing that nobody could hope to follow.
The music itself is also just a suggestion of the full theme that accompanies the Ark later in the film. The same theme re-appears in the score multiple times when important "Ark stuff" happens, always without the melody resolving. The final, and only resolved, time it plays is in the Ark opening scene - where it twists into the horror show as the Nazis meet their fate as unworthy.
This is such a carefully constructed movie - it's really fantastic. Especially when you consider it was dreamed up as an homage to serial pulp films.
The Ark Theme *always* gives me goosebumps...John Williams at his absolute finest.
Me too, never gets old
I love the part where he shows them the picture and the Arc theme music comes in for the first time. I must've seen this movie 20 times, but that never fails to give me chills!
It's perfect
Really makes you wonder who drew that picture for that book, like was there an artist who was going off some story about the Ark being opened and that scene unfolding?
Everything is perfect: the delivery, the framing, the exposition and the mood. John William's score kicking in over the book illustration is the cherry on the cupcake.
Back in the 80's when some films made you think.
SamStuart07 And even more amazingly without injecting any politically correct viewpoints or changing history to fit some secularist human narrative.
@@ruadhrose History?
@@stephengibson4823 Yes it's a fiction. But the obsession of Hitler for the occult is historically accurate.
especially Summer Films
Wouldn't want the general population to think now would we? Mindless sheep is much more controllable
First time I saw this movie I was already totally blown away by the time they got to this scene. Then when Indy started speaking about the Ark & how to find it, it's power, etc, I was mesmerized. How could anyone not become a lifelong fan of this flick, no matter what genre they like the most?
I was 12 and felt the same way. However, in all honesty I was somewhat confused about what the Ark actually was; a chest or power source. When Indy and Sallah lifted the Ark from it's resting place, it was the most beautiful "prop" I had ever seen and assumed it was Egyptian. The cherubs looked like the goddess Isis, and they WHERE in Egypt. After the film I went home, opened up the encyclopedias and the Holy Bible, doing my research on the Ark. Not many "popcorn" movies can motivate a youngster to do that. I have been a lifelong fan of RAIDERS ever since.
I do wish someone would make more adventure movies like this instead of the mindless unimaginative crap being released the last 20 years.
You mean like movies about comic book characters? Lol
well, people keep buying it. its not easy per say, but its lazy... comfortable, and familiar. and it makes money. why try to make people think when you dont have to?
I don't know about y'all, but I also like the pacing of the better Indiana Jones movies (forget the most recent offering). So many action flicks these days are too frenetic.
Indiana Jones seemed to have unlimited story potential and could have been a long-lived cinematic institution like James Bond or Fast and Furious or what John Wick is becoming. But then it ended. Indiana Jones 4 was just bad.
National Treasure? Relic Hunter (even if it was a TV show)? Zorro? Jumanji 2? Adventure pulp has just fallen a bit out of fashion. But it isn't like every movie in the 80s was this good, nor is it like Indie was actually original (he's essentially a really good knock off of 50s pulp adventurer Alan Quartermain).
Only thing I miss from this era is that very modern films tend to film very little practically (Crystal Skull was a great example of what to avoid) even if it hurts the sense of any real danger, and they sometimes cut the film in way too fast a manner and without having breathing room scenes you never really bond to the characters.
We can't even get a Michael Moorcock Elric movie out, because all anybody wants to see is the same goddamned annoying superhero films over and over again.
It's also my favorite scene from the trilogy!
It beautifully ties the adventurous opening sequence to the introduction of the MacGuffin, but does so organically, taking time to show us the "civilian" side of Indy's life. It's also clever how it's basically Indy (and Brody) who briefs the agents rather than the other way around, which gives him even more credibility.
It also anticipates both the Marion romance (the "falling out" bit) and the iconic "staff of Ra" moment.
Also, the scene makes it clear from the start what the stakes are: that music..."fire and lightning...the power of God or something". Very ominous.
I don't know much about screenplay writing, but I always thought this scene accomplished so much!
well said :)
Spielberg is a genius
This my god this scene was genius
Yes, that's just what the Hebrews thought.
The falling out thing was about the dude, not Marion.
Brian Merritt
Marion is Professor Ravenwood's daughter. Indiana Jones slept with his mentor's teen daughter, that's why they had a falling out.
Probably the greatest movie ever created in the history of cinema! The closing line in which Marcus says,
"an army which carries the ark before it... is invincible...," couldn't of gotten any better.
Marcus seems competent in Raiders, but befuddled in Last Crusade.
OptimisticCynic715 yeah he does. Ever notice when Indy say's "and the museum get's the Ark"? the look on Marcus's face is a blatant lie. Shame they tried make him comic relief in Crusade, still a good film that blows modern cinema out the water thougb
I couldn't agree more. That line is beautifully crafted, note perfect, and delivered with brilliance by Marcus.
Marcus is a badass in Raiders. He even says to Indy if I were ten years younger I'd be going with you to get the ark. Yet for some reason he turns into a dumbfuck in Crusade.
I wouldn't go that far. Its a great film. But the greatest ever created? Please. Its a Saturday Matinee Republic Serial. WIth a budget.
the moment when you open a book with 2483 pages and exactly find the thing you´re looking for
PatCruiser Indy probably has a photographic memory and recalls the page number. He might be a brawler but he is no fool.
See the bookmark?
Saves time though...
I like how he opened that gigantic book to the exact page with the picture of the ark.
"An army which carries the ark before it...is invincible" Thats always been my favorite line in ROTLA
I looove the mood in this scene! It's just like when the Goonies are in the attic talking about One Eyed Willy. Spielberg magic!!!
One Eye Willie,,just helping
Thnx...duh!
Jesper Hellvik I love the music that accompanies the scene even though very brief.
Why the "duh" JESPER?shows me complacency of ones mentality,duh,really,just stating
Mike Rodgers The music does it all! John Williams is amazing!
This is one of the great exposition scenes in movie history. I remember seeing the film in the theater in 1981 and getting chills during this scene. It’s one of many, many reasons why Raiders is one of the great films in movie history. It’s not just the action sequences, but brilliantly written and performed scenes like this
A great example of how every single scene in this movie is flawless. Here we have the longest stretch of dialog in the movie, and you can tell that Spielberg pulled out all the stops even on such a straightforward scene of exposition. For example, there is something about the rhythm of the conversation that is very memorable. Notice how there are repeated examples of characters interrupting or cutting off other characters, which of course happens constantly in real life, but which you very rarely see in movies: 1:02 1:43 1:52 3:23 . I don't know anything about the technical aspects of film, but I imagine the reason this is so rare in movies is that it takes mastery of the craft by every member of the team (writer, director, editor, actors, etc.) to pull that off and have it feel so natural that you almost don't even notice it.
Sometimes Jones, with all his knowledge just makes it up as he goes. You can see that with the whole chalkboard thing. Thats part of what I liked about these movies....knowledge mixed with the unknown. Its an adventure.
Exactly!
Why is your profile pic a gay confederate flag
We're fightin' to keep them Yankee boys outta our country! Yaaaas!
Hey! You call him Dr. Jones!
A bit similar, perhaps, to Dr. Jackson's sketching out on the whiteboard, what shortly afterwards, will be determined to be Earth's symbol on the Stargate, though the latter, with a bit more nerd goofiness.
Perfectly executed scene, tone, plot, dialogue, elements and music. Beautiful movie. 10 out of 10.
Denholm Elliott was just phenomenal in this scene and franchise! And it also has Porkins from Star Wars, to boot! Seriously, could you ever imagine Marcus Brody being played by anyone else other than Denholm? NO, neither can I.
"An army which carries the Ark before it... is invincible."
+Chris B Just look at the Infinity Stones
No. The Ark is not a lucky charm. When it was stolen from the Jews, the pagans who kept it were cursed by it until they sent it back.
Trump has the Ark.
@@HardRockMaster7577 If only
JonathanToolonie Given how some people in Congress appear to be having their faces melting, I have my doubts.
Quite probably one of the most well-written scenes in cinema history.
May Denholm Elliot who played who played (Dr. Marcus Brody) in this classic film R.I.P. Passed away 10/6/92 age 70 from turberculosis caused by the deadly AIDS virus. So sad.
Such a great movie. Too bad they don't make them like this anymore.
2:04 "Either of you guys ever go to Sunday school?" I remember the laugh that line got in the movie theatre the first time I saw this movie. And in a scene that was slowly building with suspense. What a great movie!
Perfect example of how you can have humor in a tense scene without ruining the tension with silliness. The "No time to discuss this in a committee" argument between Han Solo and Princess Leia in _The Empire Strikes Back_ is another great example. A *really* great way of ruining tension with silliness posing as humor is the completely misplaced contemporary-style "humor" in _The Force Awakens_ and _The Last Jedi_
Gets me every time
I just laughed how the guy on the left looks so insulted that Indy would ever DARE to question his holy Sunday School attendance record!
THIS scene to me is the genius of Spielberg's action movies. He never just gets to the action. There's always exquisite foreplay.
The illustration of the ark and the accompanying music sure adds that sense of dread and perfectly foreshadows what would happen later without giving away the horrors that lie within the ark.
They don’t make books like that anymore.
Love the sound of the ‘locking mechanism’.
I know right! I half expected some super natural being or force to come out of that book when he opened it!
That sound effect is an old suitcase being opened I think
well yeah, we have kindles and netflix. paper books are not needed, and you know... save the trees.
There's a bookbinder to be found in you yet....
Crazy I always loved the sound of that book being unlocked and opened
Looking at just this scene makes me feel like it is reminding me of 70's Spielberg directing. Though Temple and Crusade have the same creators as this one, this feels like the pace is more calm and comfortable. This is still close to the 70's given it was made in 1980 and released in 81. But I think the last time we get this kind of Jaws like feel from Steven is in E.T. Then his films never felt the same again. He still made great films after, but they move differently. Kind of like a fighter who stops taking the same kind of risks as he did before he won the title.
+gutz1981 I hear you with a lot of this, I really do. I just posted this above when "47 Imagine" commented how natural and great this scene is --- It's this stuff that lacks so hard in modern day blockbusters man. it's the wide shots too, the establishing shots, and holding of the scene completed like painting, Steven brother. Not like these tight close-ups with one-liners and pity, wittiness and music, SO MUCH SCORE underneath everything steals from the natural digetics of the scene that make it seem like this, like, real, reality. Believable.
+gutz1981 reading comments is better than mysterie movie 2000 characters
Yeah, it’s like the Quint scratching on the chalkboard scene in Jaws.
He knew what he was doing here.
Master of the two-shot and pacing...
Thats some analysis, short version you could just say Raiders of lost Ark... IS a great Fuckin Movie!
This scene is brilliant because it sets up the whole movie and prepares the audience for a great thrill ride.
@4:32 "Good God! Yes, that's just what the Hebrews thought."
Always liked that exchange.
Denholm Elliott, has the best and most ominous lines in this scene. Love it!
I love the music and imagery at the end of this scene, when Ford opens the bible and shows them the picture of the Ark. John Williams and Spielberg, two geniuses.
roytheboy68 Me too. That's one of my favorite aspects of this movie. Every time the Ark is on the screen, you get that pulsating Ark music that accompanies it. Brilliant, really.
roytheboy68 Sure but it is not the bible that he opens.
+Patrick Harris
Agree totally with you .. one reason Raiders seems better than the other 2 Indys is that the mysterious power of the Ark seems to pervade and engulf the mood of all the scenes throughout the whole movie .. you get this sense of wonderful atmosphere of something heavy and mysterious overhanging all the events ..
To me thats the reason Raiders is simply magical ..
+roytheboy68 Giving Best Original Score to "Chariots of Fire" over this was easily one of dumbest decisions in hind-sight.
Absolutely agree. The Ark is a character in its own right. The impending sense of mystery (and doom) is palpable. Akin to the One Ring being a character in the LOTR movies.
_"The Bible speaks of the Ark leveling mountains and laying waste to entire regions. An army which carries the Ark before it...Is invincible."_
Shit just got real.
Which proves what utter nonsense it all is, given that the Ark didn't seem to really put the Hebrews over the top. Maybe the solar battery ran out?
Then arc is the present day nuclear bomb...
Very real. There are some that say the ark is kept hidden in a small chapel in Ethiopia. Only one person is allowed to go anywhere near it.
@@thiscorrosion900 Well, that's the movie Bible that speaks of that. In the real Bible it represented the presence of God.
@@martynspeck Well, it's the movie Bible in any case, without a doubt. But, there's this:
1 Samuel 6:19 - And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten [many] of the people with a great slaughter.
Man, when that music plays near the end, I get chills throughout my entire body.
I always hum that theme. It's been in my head since the age of 7 until now
"Tanis development proceeding..." Indy looks over at Marcus, whose face lights right up!
I'm Indian jones
This movie was something special to watch at the time.
It had everything you could want in an adventure movie.
One of my favorites scenes in the movie. Thanks for sharing this.
Raiders is on TV all the time, and since I've seen it a hundred or more times, I tend to flip channels at certain points. BUT, I LOVE this scene. Two great moments: 3:51 where Brody beams with pride that his protege is so enthused and knowledgeable about archaeology, and that moment where the two federales look at each other (2:52) when they realize that Jones and Brody know exactly what Hitler's fascination with the occult and the Ark is all about.
"Somewhere in Asia"... well, that narrows it down.
my wife and I saw this the week it came out and went back the next night to the same theater and saw it again, enjoying it just as much
Excellent scene. Great info delivery, foreshadowing, and background info. The use of the music is fantastic, and sets a good eerie and awesome, reverent tone. I was going on 9 when it came out, and hadn't heard of the Ark, despite going to church school in K and 1st, and sonetines Sunday school after that. So it was quite a film. Still one of the best
I remember the day this scene was filmed in my hometown of Stockton, California ... this was filmed inside and outside of the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific.... I has some of the oldest buildings still in use by any University in California and the entire building is still time specific to this movie and as such is why it was chosen for this scene.
Why did i click on this on my reccomended videos?! Now i want to rewatch the movie again!
One of the best 'info dumps' ever put on film, IMO. Subtle camera movement keeps you visually interested, the editing feels very natural which cuts for reaction. Nice use of over-the-shoulder and the strange angle on the chalkboard maintains the focus on Indy throughout his drawing and explanation with the left-to-right motif already established in his classroom.
Someone commented below that this and E.T. 'feel' different than his later stuff in how the camera and scene moves. There's a 'reality' that is just not present in Spielberg films after E.T.. He was young here, still artistically hungry.
This is my favorite scene in all of the Indy movies....i wish i knew someone who could have conversations like this
That look at 2:10 by the guy on the left looked like a sarcastic "here we go..." lol
He's an Intelligence analyst who only deals with 'facts' as he knows them.
love the sounds in this scene, especially opening the book and drawing on the board. The conversation was interesting, too.
I was just thinking of making that exact comment lol. I wonder how much of that was on-set audio and how much was the incomparable Ben Burtt doing his thing.
Even as a kid I enjoyed this scene. It's always been my favorite.
I watch this part on repeat especially because of the music, hearing Indy’s “Lightning, fire. Power of God.” part, and hearing Marcus say “An army which carries the Ark before it...is invincible.”.
This scene is the most important for the most tone of the film. That the Ark is not a prize to be taken, but a supernatural force that is capable of unimaginable devastation and destruction. Incredible scene....
Marcus seems to change between Raiders and Last Crusade.
The actor was ill, so he got rewritten into more of a comic relief character.
I don't think his illness was why the character was changed. And if he'd been that ill, he wouldn't have had such a big part in Last Crusade, which was far bigger than his part in Raiders. He actually carried on working until about a year before he died in 1992. In 1991 he had one of his biggest parts as George Smiley in a British TV film called A Murder of Quality.
I think the reason the character changed was because Last Crusade was a bit overloaded with characters. So they decided to make Marcus into a bumbling idiot for light relief and Sean Connery became the older mentor figure that Marcus appeared to be in the first film.
People always complain about how they turned Marcus into an idiot in Crusade, but I don't see it. We only see him at the beginning and end of Raiders and as he say's he's too old to go after the Ark himself. I can buy it that him going on an actual adventure is out of his comfort zone.
He's played pretty much the same in Crusade's first half, but only once he's out of his element by traveling to Cairo, only then do they start the comical bits. And you know what? I find that stuff funny. Denholm Elliot HIMSELF was OK with Marcus's more comical moments in this film (watch the Behind the Scenes doc on Last Crusade in the 2003 DVD set to hear him talk about it) and I think he makes it work. The transition from Indy saying Brody can blend himself in anywhere to the shot of him saying "Can anyone speak English around here?" is one of my favorite bits in the series.
Brody still gets in some badass bits like when he tells Donovan he'd rather spit in his face and how he's meddling with powers he can't comprehend. Having him and Sallah return in Crusade is a good thing.
I found that line funny actually. There's these two academic guys out of their element fighting Nazi thugs and they're commenting on the absurdity of their situation.
I don't get why many geeks have such a stick up their ass about the humor in Crusade, yet give all the goofy stuff in ToD a pass. I guess everything has to be grim n' gritty to be great, right?
Absolutely the best of the series, and to me, it’s not even close.
I'm happy Porkins found a new job after crashing his X-Wing.
he is now Red 6.5
I'm surprised they didn't name his character Chubkins for this movie
1000+ page book and Indy turns to the exact page he is looking for on the first try. What a pro.
Acting at its best, voice tone, timing, body language. Actual art.
This scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Chilling to say the least. And the music of John Williams... just perfect.
BEST SCENE OF THE ENTIRE FILM!!! BRILLIANT!!!
I can tell by the look on Agent Piggy's face that he's insulted when Indy said "Any of you guys ever go to Sunday school?"
I love the part when they look at the Ark in Indy's book and the music from the Well of Souls is slowly played. Just awesome!!!
Good to know Jek Porkins -- callsign: Red Six -- was able to recover from his crash above the Death Star and find government work.
I always loved this scene. How harrison ford is able to bring a big sense of reality along with his narration. He could narrate a animal kingdom story or even a pure work of fiction and make it incredibly important. I also love how when they keep talking about ravenwood and the obsession with the ark the beauracrats interrupt him with the down to earth reality of esentially being like cops saying "we have a warrant for mr.ravenwoods arrest and we want to know where he is" love this scene
William Hootkins. Such a great character actor who was in Flash Gordon, he was Porkins the X-Wing pilot, he was in Batman and all sorys of great movies from our childhoods.
The timing the facial expressions,gestures, dialogue delivery the combination of these four professionals in this scene just hit it out of the ballpark.
Hands-down one of the most epic films ever
"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."
Love how proud Marcus looks of Indy when he's using the blackboard.
This scene is almost from the point of view of the intelligence men. It’s a great way to give background exposition to the audience because we are learning just as they are.
I love the cinematography in this movie, and this scene in particular, so much. Look at the shot starting a 0:44. LOOK AT IT. The explanation begins and _we take a seat at the table._
I love it.
Porkins went on to play Lieutenant Eckhart in 'Batman', as well as Hitler in the third Indy movie.
a 5 minute dialogue in the movie that made the movie so much better. these are the types of set up scenes you don't get anymore in a movie.
"Any of you guys ever go to Sunday school?" That's really funny actually, think about how many kids and their parents who DID go to Sunday school found that line funny when they 1st saw this.
His Father was into the Grail while his mother is Hebrew
This trilogy bookended the 80's perfectly 81-84-89.
"There's a picture of it right here." - opens up the book on the exact page.
The subtle, weird comedy in these early Spielberg-Lucas collaborations was so good.
One of the best movies of all time
This movie was just perfect! Spielberg and Lucas nailed this! Great story, great casting, great cinematography, and so on and so on! Raiders is in the same top five list as Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, The Empire Strikes Back, and Back to the Future!
more depth in this 5 min clip than most entire movies of recent years..
4:26. The Ark theme is one of the most underrated and chilling musical themes to a movie. Truly fits the mysterious and dangerous tone the ark sets.
Forget historical accuracy, this is one of the best conversation scenes ever!
Oh when they just made films this whole film is incredible and rewatching it over reminds me of what we have lost in 🎥 filmmaking