Claire Desimone

Like many female leads in action movies of the period, Marion Ravenwood is a proactive woman capable of fighting but still needs a man. A man who, in Indy’s case, she’s constantly irritated by and has legitimate reason to hate Indy is a stereotypical man’s man, someone who’s so manly that even as an academic his forte is punching people. Because he’s the hero, he gets away with casual misogyny, violence, and has to heroically dodge women’s affection (ex. One of his students). This doesn’t make him terrible, but his example is better left in the confines of cinema and mythmak But like the serial adventures that inspired Spielberg and George Lucas to create Indy, some parts of Raiders of the Lost Ark didn’t age well. None of these detract from the movie’s cultural impact and its entertainment value, but they cast some harsh light on what is normally seen as an adventurous and light-hearted throwback. Here are 10 things from Raiders of the Lost Ark that didn’t age w What, you didn't know there was a riveting 1930s period drama hiding under this classic adventure film? The famous Dr. Jones was uncovering ancient mysteries and fighting Nazis before it was cool, and immersion in this time period is what contributes to the status Raiders of the Lost Ark as a fan and critic favor Steven Spielberg is quite possibly the most imaginative and diverse director of his generation, and this is best seen in his blockbuster legend Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones’ (Harrison Ford) cinematic debut has him fighting Nazis around the world in a breathtaking adventure movie that only Spielberg could make. Since then, action movies followed Raiders’ example and Indy’s presence was never forgot It's so cool that you got to know Marion doing the bar scene, because it's such an amazing introduction, and Marion is such a powerful character who really holds her own. And it was a level of characterization - if you compare it to Bond, which Indy was riffing on - that was head and shoulders above the others. How did you bring that energy and vibrance to the charac The love interests in Indiana Jones movies have been a bit hit-or-miss over the years, but surely everyone agrees that Marion Ravenwood is the best of them all by a wide margin. As heroic and fun as Indy is, Marion is just as entertaining and a true badass in her own ri We're looking back at a movie that came out 40 years ago and has had such an impact. When you hear that movie name, what is the thing you think of? Do you think of the shoot? Do you think of the reception it got? What is the one memory that you take from this mo Gorgeous clothes, amazing interpersonal drama, all told in a time and place that has been relatively forgotten in western cinema. Cancers love creativity, so before Medieval Europe or wartime Europe sucks all of the historical air out of the room, check out Lust, Caution , and learn something about war and espionage in 20th century Ch While Indy is trying to hijack a German plane, he’s interrupted by a mechanic challenging him to a fight on the runway. Despite sizing up the mechanic and determining him to be way too big for him to win, Indy puts up the best fight he This is a story that takes place in 17th century France and revolves around the illicit and occasionally reckless affairs of the bored upper class. Our last selection was the same, and that means almost exactly the same. Valmont is about the same characters and has almost the same storyline as Dangerous Liaisons , just in a different movie. So, how can Valmont be so differ A Himalayan bar with a drinking contest. The American bartender drinking a local heavyweight under the table. The already recognizable fedora-d silhouette walks into view. The introduction of Marion Ravenwood in **Raiders of the Lost Ark walkthrough Ark ** remains as vividly exciting and defining in 2021 as it did to audiences when the film first released in 1981. And, indeed, the scene had influence pre-dating that, being the audition script that Karen Allen screen-tested with when auditioning for the r I got to know it in little bits and pieces, because I met Steven first in New York. He came to New York, and we just talked for 15 or 20 minutes. He didn't tell me much about the film, it was just considered Steven Spielberg's next project. And then about a week later, he sent me the scene in the Ravenwood bar. I read that scene, and he wanted me to fly to Los Angeles and audition - they actually wanted to do full-on screen tests - with two men who were possible Indiana Joneses. One was Tim Matheson, who I had worked with in the first film I'd ever done called Animal House. And another was a New York actor named John Shea, who I knew a little bit just from New York - which at the time felt like a very small actor community. My first connection to it was really just that one scene. And in that one scene, working on that one scene over and over again, I fell in love with the character. It's such a wonderful introduction to the character in the film, And then when they asked me to do the film, they sent me for the first time the whole script, so I got to read the script after they had made an offer to