We have all undoubtedly heard the refrain “they don’t make movies like they used to” – and while this is often spouted out by some nostalgic curmudgeon in response to what they perceive to be a decline in the cinematic culture, it is a relevant thought when it comes to certain filmmakers. We can view them as being limited or overly sentimental, but no one understands the impact of a well-made blockbuster quite like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, two of the most formative figures in New Hollywood cinema, and filmmakers whose very names are immediately associated with both financial success and artistic resonance. Despite having a lot of admiration for much of their work, I have never been one to worship them as being supposedly superior (especially not in comparison to some of their peers), but it is undeniable that they were exceptional craftsmen, and the calibre of their work, when done well, is impeccable. Their most notable collaboration is likely on the creation of Indiana Jones, the famed archaeologist and adventurer that has existed within our culture for nearly half a century now, with Lucas’ idea to create a throwback to the iconic adventure stories he consumed in his youth being developed by Spielberg, who took the reigns, working closely with Lucas (who acted as writer and producer) to bring this character to life, and in the process make cinematic history. The first of what was intended to be a trilogy is Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which we are introduced to the titular character, as well as his motley crew of colleagues and adversaries, as they go about voyaging through some of the most exotic locations on earth in search of remnants of the past that hold a lot of relevance for the present world. Captivating, enthralling and always wildly entertaining, there is very little doubt that Raiders of the Lost Ark is quite an achievement, and one that bears a lot of importance in terms of the direction the genre would take in subsequent years.

The recent image of Lucas has usually been to view him as someone who conceived of a couple of strong ideas to which he was deeply dedicated for a few years, before handing them over to the corporate side of the film industry, and then stepping away into his own wealth-fueled obscurity while profiting off them in the background. Luckily, we have grown to be a bit more lenient to Lucas in this regard, especially through the continued re-evaluation of his work, which shows that, despite not being nearly as prolific as his peers, he was still a very important filmmaker. Raiders of the Lost Ark has always been perceived as something of a secondary work, especially since his involvement behind the camera was always eclipsed by Spielberg, who was equally as passionate about the material as him, and had a more active role in terms of helming these films. However, if we look slightly deeper, we find that there is a lot of merit in what each of them brings to the film, especially since both are directors who usually utilize a multimodal method of storytelling when assembling their films, which are often far more complex in execution than they are in theory. The appeal of Raiders of the Lost Ark has been its dedication to being a throwback to the classic era of adventure stories, with those swashbuckling heroes that traverse foreign lands being fondly remembered by a large portion of the population, but then combining them with more modern, experimental sensibilities that may not be particularly revolutionary (since they were still trying to market it to a large audience), but had a few gonzo components that both pay tribute to and subvert traditional tropes of the genre. This is where the genius of this film resides, and it is something that the entire franchise has readily embraced, despite some difficulties that may have come about in the process. There is a lot of fascinating content embedded deep within this film, and looking at it from a contemporary perspective proves just how remarkably experimental many of these ideas could be when given the opportunity to develop into their own narrative features, which are the foundation of this entire franchise, and proof of the genius of the two terrific filmmakers behind these stories.

When it came to choosing the right actor to don the iconic fedora and whip, Lucas and Spielberg certainly had their work cut out for them, and any cursory introduction to this film will make it clear that essentially every working actor that fit the role in terms of physicality and age had their name bandied about as a potential star. However, as fascinating as it is to imagine hypothetical scenarios where Tom Selleck or Jeff Bridges played the role (as they were the closest contenders, and both would have been terrific), it is difficult to imagine anyone better suited for the role than Harrison Ford, since he was perfectly adept at playing both sides of the character, whether the straight-laced academic or wise-cracking adventurer, with his humour and incredible command of both his dialogue and movements making him the very definition of a cinematic legend. By the time Raiders of the Lost Ark was made, Ford was established beyond the point of needing this to be anything close to a breakthrough role – he had already made history as Han Solo in Star Wars, Lucas’ other major franchise, and had taken on a number of other films that drew on his immense talents – yet it was Indiana Jones that consolidated him as one of our greatest action heroes. Ford’s charisma on its own has propelled countless films – he is one of those actors whose involvement almost immediately promises some kind of quality, regardless of the size of the role. It does help that he is also an enormously gifted actor, someone who is not merely capable of handling the stuntwork, but also commanding the screen in the character-based moments. Unlike other iconic action heroes that primarily exist to be the embodiment of valiance and raw strength, Indiana Jones is a fully-formed, three-dimensional character with an abundance of depth, and while a lot of this is due to how he was written, it was clearly Ford who added his own nuances that elevated him beyond an archetype, which is already an astonishing achievement when we think about how easily the character could have been far less impactful on a much deeper level.

However, it is important that we don’t give too much credit to Lucas for conceiving of this idea, or Ford for commanding the screen in a way that the character of Indiana Jones became iconic within the first few minutes of appearing on screen – or rather, credit must be shared with Spielberg, who is doing some of his most technically challenging work with Raiders of the Lost Ark. Coming up with these ideas is challenging enough, but putting them into practice in a way that is both exciting and logical is another matter entirely, which is why this is such an impressive feat of direction. We often look at Spielberg as someone who peddled in the maudlin and overly sentimental (one just needs to look at the film that he would make after this one to see just how saccharine he could be), and while this film does indeed have its moments of emotion, they are surrounded by more impressive elements that don’t necessarily distract from them, but at least make them at least partially more understandable, at least on a logical level. The direction of Raiders of the Lost Ark is clear, concise and always profoundly entertaining – from its first enigmatic moments in which we are introduced into this world and come to learn about these characters, to its fascinating and thrilling climax, Spielberg’s direction is extraordinary. It is a feat of not only creating an entire world (which makes sense considering how this was conceived as being the first in a series, rather than a standalone film – and with those two names attached, they were certainly not taking much of a gamble in terms of potential success), but making sure every detail is perfectly placed, existing within this story in a way that feels logical but still extremely exciting, which is a testament to Spielberg’s fantastic direction. Whether or not this is Spielberg’s most impressive directorial work on a technical level is a matter of interpretation, and many have debated it for decades, but it is undeniably one of his strongest efforts, even if he did take a few more calculated risks in other works. He is the reason Raiders of the Lost Ark works so well, with the pacing and humour being perfectly complemented by his willingness to create a film that is as fun as it is insightful, an important distinction around which the entire film is constructed.

As much as we could try and explain the directorial brilliance of Raiders of the Lost Ark, or how Ford’s performance is a landmark for a number of reasons, the reality is that this film has stood the test of time not because of these elements on their own, but rather the cumulative power of everything working together in tandem. This is a film that exists primarily as a feat of collaboration, and the only reason it works so perfectly together is because it assembles a number of artists at the peak of their careers to help bring this story to life in a way that is meaningful and always entertaining. We could wax poetic about Lucas’ screenplay or Spielberg’s direction, but they would be nothing if it wasn’t for the cinematography by Douglas Slocombe (a legendary cinematographer whose work goes back to the peak of these adventure films, making him the perfect candidate to work on this film), which captures the past in a way that is both nostalgic and dynamic, the editing by Michael Kahn that helps this film move at a rapid-fire pace (the fact that this film clocks in at under two hours in a cinematic landscape where so many demands to go over that time is a marvel in itself) or John Williams’ absolutely iconic score that is amongst his most intricate and recognizable. This isn’t even acknowledging the hordes of other creative individuals that worked on the film, whether in the costume or production design departments, the people involved in the sound mixing or special effects, or the many talented actors that stood in Ford’s shadow and still made an impact. It feels like a true communal effort to bring this film to life, and the fact that it never feels cobbled together, but rather perfectly synthesized and fluid in how it functions is absolutely incredible. It all feels so compelling and entertaining, and never once seems gaudy, which is always a risk with any kind of period film, especially one at such an enormous and intimidating scale.

There is a reason Raiders of the Lost Ark is frequently cited as one of the most important films ever made, and revisiting it decades after its release makes it clear that this film is as entertaining and compelling today as it was when it was first shown to audiences. There is something truly intoxicating about this film, which offers more excitement than many others produced at the same time, which goes a long way in explaining just how impactful this film was from a narrative and conceptual level, as well as in its creative pursuits, all of which are bonded together in a perpetual cycle that explains the remarkable detail that went into telling this story on multiple levels. Yet, it’s the less academic components that are most impactful – the fact that this is simply an exhilarating action film led by one of the most charismatic actors of his generation, directed by someone who understands that a film can only be effective when employing a blend of intricate detail and broad strokes, which work in tandem to create something both exciting and thought-provoking. The world-building is exceptional, and it is clear that Raiders of the Lost Ark was made by a team truly committed to every aspect of the film, whether it be in terms of creating a character that could feasibly become one of the most iconic in cinema history (which was certainly the case), or the overall experience of just seeing a film fully committed to the art of entertaining viewers more than challenging them, but without being too dull in its estimation of what we can understand and appreciate. Five decades later, Indiana Jones remains one of the most fascinating characters in the history of film, and credit needs to to go the entire team, who take a lot of risks in the pursuit of something that they know has the potential to be memorable – and considering how successful this franchise has gotten, it is clear it was well worth the risk.