Indiana Jones and the Nostalgic Blog Entry

As I'm sure is the case with many students in this class, I cannot even count the number of times that I have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. However, this was my first time seeing the film on a big screen and in an academic setting, and I have to admit, this didn't much change my viewing of the film! Although the action sequences were more impressive on a larger scale, of course, and the set pieces dazzled more than ever, I still felt like I was just sitting back and having a good time with a great adventure movie. I let myself "get into" the film and take me for a ride, following Indiana Jones through his series of chases, battles, and pursuits of marvelous treasures. As always, I enjoyed the ride and felt like cheering when Indy finally beat the bad guys in the end. That's not to say that Raiders of the Lost Ark is just a piece of mindless entertainment, because it most certainly isn't! I just believe that Raiders is a better action film than it is an object of academic study. However, as Warren Buckland points out, Raiders of the Lost Ark definitely has plenty worth examining -- from its references to B-movie serials to its excellent use of off-screen space.

Buckland compares Raiders of the Lost Ark to a 1942 Republic serial called Nyoka and the Tigermen, highlighting many of the parallels between them, such as searching for a golden treasure or the female lead being tied up inside a tent, even down to a pet monkey appearing in both. While Nyoka and Raiders definitely share a number of similarities, I also was surprised how similar Raiders was to the Republic serial that we watched in class, Jungle Girl. In that one, the hero even runs from a rolling boulder -- and that's as classic Indiana Jones as you can get! Buckland also analyzes a number of scenes in the film where Spielberg uses his trademark technique of manipulating the audience's expectations through off-screen space. He describes a few key instances where this takes place, such as when the camera follows Indy through the forest, and only after he escapes from the cave with the idol do we find that this POV watching Indy came from his enemy Belloch and the Hovitos Indians working with him. In class, we talked about this use of off-screen space quite a bit, looking at how it can be both a menacing presence and a "savior" in the film, as in the scene with the Guardian Statue.

Raiders of the Lost Ark will always hold a special place in my heart, but not for its technical profiency, abundance of serial references, or masterful uses of off-screen space. Instead, I feel nostalgic watching Raiders of the Lost Ark again because of its engaging and fantastic story that established one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema, Indiana Jones. And to top it off, it's a great action/adventure film that will always keep me entertained!