Raiders of the Lost Ark

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones: An archaeology professor and adventurer
• Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood: A spirited, tough bar owner and Jones’ former lover
• Paul Freeman as René Belloq: A rival archaeologist to Jones, in the employ of the Nazis
• Ronald Lacey as Major Arnold Toht: A sadistic Gestapo agent
• John Rhys-Davies as Sallah: An Egyptian excavator and old acquaintance of Jones
• Denholm Elliott as Marcus Brody: A museum curator and Jones’ loyal friend

Storyline:

The film opens with Indiana Jones in South America, where he narrowly escapes a series of deadly traps while retrieving a golden idol from an ancient temple. After this adventure, he returns to the U.S., where he is approached by government agents who inform him that the Nazis are searching for the Ark of the Covenant. They enlist his help to find it before the Nazis can harness its power.

Jones travels to Nepal to locate Marion Ravenwood, who possesses a medallion that reveals the Ark’s location. After overcoming tensions from their past relationship, they set off for Egypt, where they encounter Belloq and the Nazis, who are excavating for the Ark.

As they pursue the Ark, Jones and Marion face numerous challenges, including capture and betrayal. The climax occurs when Jones and Marion are tied up as Belloq opens the Ark in a ritualistic ceremony. However, they remember that looking directly at its contents is deadly. The ensuing chaos destroys Belloq and his Nazi cohorts while Jones and Marion survive.

In the end, the Ark is secured by U.S. military authorities and stored in a vast government warehouse, never to be seen again.

About Movie:

Raiders of the Lost Ark is an American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, featuring a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, a daring archaeologist who races against Nazi forces to recover the Ark of the Covenant, believed to grant invincibility to its possessor. Joining him is his former love interest, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), as they confront rival archaeologist René Belloq (Paul Freeman) and navigate dangerous adventures across various exotic locales.

George Lucas conceived Raiders of the Lost Ark in the early 1970s as part of a desire to revive the adventure serials of earlier decades. After developing the concept with Philip Kaufman and later Lawrence Kasdan, Spielberg joined as director. Principal photography took place from June to September 1980 across various locations including Tunisia, France, and Hawaii.

Upon its release on June 12, 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark received critical acclaim for its thrilling action sequences, humor, and engaging storytelling. It became a massive box office success, grossing approximately $389 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of its time.

Budget & Box Office Collection: