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Raiders of The

Raiders of The

D4 Weekend/Friday, June 12, 1981 1 rl 17 ,~======, l~~ ~ ~======-

Harrison Ford plays , an archeol091st who barely escapes with his life several limes in "Raiders of the

Spielberg and Lucas make a modern movie serial itching to once again be Superman. The opportunity soon comes. In one of those dull, now-it's-time-to-slt-on.your. with something for everyone - but is that enough? hands expository sequences, we dis- cover, during a top-secret American , have said in inter- Intelligence briefing, that the Nazis , directed by Steven ences reared Onone-damn-thing-after- are carrying on a mysterious excava- Spielberg, produ"Ced by frank Marshall, executive views that "Raiders" is their tribute to another TV heroics, that lack of producers, George lucaa, , movie serials, but neither of them is script by lawrence Kssdan, dialributed by inspiration may be reassuring. Lucas 'Raiders'/O-5, Col. 1 Pararnount Pictures. Rated PG. old enough to have been formed by and Spielberg's approach carries no Indiana Jones .,. Harrison Ford those serials, which were mostly awe - neither for the wondrous Marion. . popular In the '308 and '408. What treasures of antiquity at the heart of Diefrich Wolf Kahler really appears to have formed them Beucq , . Paul Freeman their movie, nor for the magic of are the serial hand-me-downs on TV. movies. They've scaled down their Godard once characterized the people imaginations in tribute to trash. By Peter Rainer in his movie "Masculin-Feminin" as At the beginning of the movie, set Herald Examiner film critic "the children of Marx and Coca-Cola." in 1936,Indiana Jones

berg wasn't able to dramatize the repressive, faceless bureaucrats in 'Raiders' "Close Encounters" - the military men who deceived the dreamers - Continued from page 0-4 he's incapable of making anything out of the American Intelligence guys in tion in what appears to be the lost "Raiders." We don't understand why Egyptian city of Tanis. Indiana fires they shelve the Ark at the end; it up when he hears the news: Tanis, it doesn't seem at all in their best turns out, is the location of .the Well of interests. tbe Souls tomb, which may contain Spielberg bas difficulty lampoon- tbe Ark of the Covenant, a gold- ing pulp because, on some basic level, encrusted wooden chest that, accord- be hasn't yet grown beyond it. When ing to Biblical lore, contains the Rhys-Davies' excavator rumbles on broken tablets of the Ten Command- about the Ark being "not of this ments. The Ark is supposed to have Earth," his words are meant to be supernatural powers, and all that jazz, taken straight. I understand Spiel- although the movie doesn't make berg's desire not to camp it up, but, clear whether those powers would when we're dealing with penny-dread- work for or against whoever pos- ful dramatics, what price purity" sessed it. Anyway. Hitler I a Messiah- Spielberg is at his best here in the freak, wants it and, just in case there action sequences - the opening [un- is something to all this rnumbo-jumbo, gle jaunt; a truck-chase where Indiana American Intelligence decides that it one-ups a "Stagecoach" stunt; Indiana wants the Ark, too. Indiana is hired to and Marion's 'escape from the Well of retrieve it before the Nazis do. the Souls, where snakes slither But, to find it, be needs the Indiana (Harrison Ford) is reacquainted with former IIame Marion (Karen Allen). through holes-in-the-wall and cobras headpiece to the staff of Ra. He finds roll inside skulls like massive tongues. it in Nepal, in the possession of an old derring-do and Fred C. Dobbs stubble, barroom confrontation, Belloq tells Like Hitchcock, Spielberg can make flame, Marion (Karen Allen), the he's a sexless creation. There's no Indiana, "You and I are alike. We've tecbnique itself a source of Wit, and daughter of his now-deceased mentor. romance in the movie; the only time both fallen from the pure," and my this gift really pays off in tbe movie's Marion, down on her luck, runs a Indiana and Marion feel amorous, he response was "Huh?" Indiana is im- best scene: a showdown between dank bar; she greets Indiana with a falls asleep on her. I'm not sure why purity-free; even when he can't get Indiana and a black-caped swordster. wallop to the mouth. "Do you know Lucas and Spielberg, and screenwri- himself to blow up the Ark and save The scene's capper is so abruptly what you did to my life?" she screams. ter , kept things so Marion, he's a good guy. We never see comic that it bas the crack of (Presumably, he once took advantage chaste; a little romantic kitsch would tbe sort of "dark" aspects that would Indiana's whip. , of her, although it's hard to imagine have given their movie "heart." make Indiana, even in this boy's-book Still, "Raiders" seems more like a • Indiana getting steamy over any As it is, Indiana and Marion aren't format, a more interesting character: Lucas film than a Spielberg film. It , woman, unless she's in the shape of a much of a couple: She's as exasperat- We never see his mercenary instincts, doesn't spring out at you the way r relic.I When the Nazis, who are also. Spielberg's earlier films did. Even after the Staff of Ra, track them though the movie, which was edited • down, Marion and Indiana join forces, by the wizardly Michael Kabn, really • fight their way free, and move on to Like Hitchcock, Spielberg can make technique t moues, it isn't elating. We pause to ask Tanis, where Belloq is in charge of the itself a source of wit, and this gift really pays all the dumb questions that we're ,• Nazi excavation. After a slew of never supposed to ask in this type of skirmishes, Indiana locates the Ark, r off in the movie's best scene: a showdown film - like bow come the Nazis didn't but, for his troubles, gets entombed spot Indiana's excavators at the Well r• with Marion and 6,()(X) poisonous between Indiana and a black-caped swordster. of the Souls, or wby didn't the Nazis snakes while Belloq and the Nazis open the Ark in Tanis, or how was • speed off toward Munich with the ingly ornery as the Unsinkable Molly his attraction to the occult, his desire Indiana able to make it all the way to • Ark. Of course, it never gets there; Gibraltar by clinging to a submarine but, before it's finally opened, Marion Brown - a spunknik - and she for self·aggrandizement. • conning tower? • is kidnapped by the Nazis, and Indi- doesn't draw Indiana out. And yet, Indiana may be an adventurer, but • ana hijacks the truck transporting the we're supposed to believe that there's he's not an oddball or a crackpot - It's possible to enter Lucas' uni- r Ark and hops a Nazi sub. Finally, something major going On between and that may explain why Spielberg verse and still expand as a filmmaker; t- Indiana and Marion, bound. and tbem. When Indiana ambushes Belloq doesn't do more with him. Spielberg Irvin Kerschner, the director of "The gagged, witness the opening of the and the Nazis and threatens to blow loves crackpots. ("Close Encounters of Empire Strikes Back," proved that. Ark. Or, more accurately, they don't up the Ark unless Marion is released the Third Kind" is practically dedi- Spielberg, however, doesn't appear to witness its opening, since Indiana, to him, we're not even treated to a cated to them.) He loves their ding bat have craved expansion; after the who knows about such things, shouts close-up of her reaction. What should dreams, and no one in "Raiders" debacle of "1941," where he carried "Don't look, don't look!" to Marion be the romantic higb point of the really has them. Most of tbe movie's stylistic pyrotechnics to almost sur- while, all around them, the power of movie turns out to be rather pertunc- characters are stock heroes or stock real lengths, Spielberg may bave God is heating up. It's a Nazi melt- tory. . villains - in other words, they're in decided to downplay his gifts and just down. Harrison Ford has the sly, wllTm Spielberg's worst range. In most cases, tell a story. I wish he bad shot the the actors playing these roles perform works. In "Close Encounters," Spiel- Wearing his bat almost constantly, presence of a true star and, for a ( like a Westerner, Indiana Jones, sport- while, his lanky lope and no better than they would if a berg worked such wonders that, when ing a whip and a six-shooter and a drawl seem archetypically American Republic Studios back had been at the the mother ship finally landed, it professorship, is himself a kind of in a way that's quite funny. But the helm: There's Ronald Lacey's fetal· seemed to shed God's light. In "Raid- religious icon - a boy's fantasy-life script doesn't give Indiana enough faced Nazi agent; John Rhys-Davies' ers," God's Iigbt, emanating from the buccaneer. I say "boy's" and not shadings. Belloq sees more in bim Pavarotti-like excavator; Woll Kah· Ark, looks suspiciously like our old "man's" because, despite Indiana's than we do; at one point, during a ler's commandant. And, just as Spiel- friend The Force.

son did about 96 percent of tbe overall of America and to know what story is 'Hey you're not supposed to look!'" action involved. Only the really dan- timely and is going to grab people's One film tbat everyone's going to Effects gerous things - like crawling under attention, you're going to bave to take want to take a good long look at is tbe truck - I wouldn't allow him to an anthropological point of view. "Poltergeist," Spielberg's currently Continued from page 0-5 do. We used four people including George does. In 'Star Wars' I had a shooting horror production, for wbicb myself as doubles for him, mostly great deal of respect for him because Edlund is also providing special et- thused. "He's such a conscientious because we were shooting two units at be knew American kids were lacking fects. "Tobe Hooper is directing," Edlund said. "Now you know bis , performer that if you go and tell him tbe same time. He could bave easily in fantasy material. All tbey bad w~re h a few weeks in advance what you said no. It's very difficult to go car chases and stuff they could see'on 'Texas Cbainsaw Massacre'? Well tbis would like to see him do, be's enough through certain things without get· the street every day." is a bloodless . Steven and of a professional that be'd spend ting hurt and then bave the moxie to From the reaction of the kids at Tobe have this tbing full of suspense hours ~rying to learn tbe skills. He pick yourself up and do it again. last week's special screening, the two and bumor. It's going to be more a really is that cbaracter Indiana Harrison is that kind of person." men were certain tbat Lucas - general audience than a spook·movie cUlt·type film." As for rumorS that Jones." Both Randall and Edlund agreed thanks to Spielberg - had done it J• Randall spoke admiringly of the that a large share of the credit for again. "Frank Marshall (tbe film's "Poltergeist" may be Spielberg's an· time Ford spent in learning how to "Raiders" , success belongs to another producer) said there was this little kid swer to Kubrick's "," use the bullwbip that his archeologist· scientist-adventurer - executive pro- sitting next to him," Edlund said, "and Edlund couldn't say for sure. "I've adventurer cbaracter wields to get ducer and cO·autbor George Lucas. "1 during tbe opening of the Ark se- never seen 'The Sbining' but the 'himself out of many a scrape, and the thinI< he likes tb think of himself as an qulmce when I'ndy and Marion close complaInts I heard about it werll tbat risks the actor took in dotng many of anthropologist," Edlund said. "In tbelr eyes, tbis kid was trying to cover it built up and never paid off. ThIs one the action scenes. "1 would say Harri· order to capture the hearts and minds his daddy's eyes and he kept saying will definitely payoff."

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