No. 59: Raiders of the Lost Ark
No one will ever find it again
December 06, 2011
1981, dir. Steven Spielberg. “Nazis by the jackbooted legion, including a Gestapo sadist always dressed in black, always giggling in happy anticipation of torturing someone,” wrote Richard Schickel in that Time magazine cover review, back when Time meant something and blockbusters busted blocks. Lawrence Kasdan’s script puts Indiana Jones in mortal danger an average of once every 73 seconds. “Inside the Ark are treasures beyond your wildest aspirations,” says Nazi-sympathizing rival archaeologist Belloq smarmily. And then his head explodes.
Matthew Fishbane is Creative Director at Tablet magazine.
