The opening of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” presents one of the most iconic action sequences of film history. From the sparse, but calculated, way Steven Spielberg introduces our hero, Alfred Molina’s brave young Satipo (just kidding, I was referring to Harrison Ford’s Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr., of course), to the endlessly referenced, ripped-off and parodied boulder chase, the opening of one of the most influential blockbusters of all time has a lot of details to be scrutinized.
That’s probably what our friends at Cinefix must have thought, since they put together a simple, yet informative, deconstruction of the scene as part of their “Art of the Scene” series. The first half of the eight-minute video focuses on the project’s inception and pre-production process, which, even for the casual fan, will be more than familiar. However, once the sequence’s bizarre Scrooge McDuck connection and Ben Burtt’s insanely detailed sound design kicks in, there will be more than enough fresh tidbits for the newly initiated and hardcore Indy fans alike. You can watch the video below. [No Film School]