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Raiders of the Lost Ark
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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 104 | slideshow) Videos
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) -- Trailer for the first in this classic film series

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Steven Spielberg
Writers:
George Lucas (story) and
Philip Kaufman (story) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Raiders of the Lost Ark on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 June 1981 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Adventure more
Tagline:
Indiana Jones - the new hero from the creators of JAWS and STAR WARS.
Plot:
Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 4 Oscars. Another 24 wins & 21 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(143 articles)
Watch This: On Set 'Star Wars' Home Movies
 (From Cinematical. 10 July 2009, 4:02 PM, PDT)

‘Wolfman’ Reshoots Equals New Creature Design
 (From Screen Rant. 10 July 2009, 12:19 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
"I don't know...I'm making this up as I go." more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (South Africa: English title) (DVD box title) (USA) (video title)
more
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
USA
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)
Certification:
USA:PG (edited for re-rating) | USA:R (original rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Italy:T | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Israel:PG | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2004) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | West Germany:16 | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating)
Company:
Lucasfilm more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The German aircraft in the desert is a complete fantasy product, although with various design elements borrowed from other German aircraft projects. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Before the airplane fight, Gobler addresses Dietrich in German as "Herr Major", indicating Dietrich's rank equivalent to Major. After the airplane fight, his voice has changed (see above unsynchronized goof), and he changes Dietrich's rank to "Oberst" (equivalent to Colonel). more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Satipo: [picking up poison dart] The Hovitos are near. The poison is still fresh, three days. They're following us.
Barranca: If they knew we were here, they would've killed us already.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Great Mouse Detective (1986) more
Soundtrack:
A British Tar more

FAQ

A note regarding spoilers
How did Indy survive when the Nazi submarine submerged?
Why does Indy and Marion's relationship appear tumultuous when they meet?
more
70 out of 98 people found the following comment useful:-
"I don't know...I'm making this up as I go.", 17 March 2004
10/10
Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

A leading candidate for the best adventure movie of all time. Harrison Ford plays Indiana Jones, a professor of archaeology and treasure hunter who is hired by the United States government in the 1930's to find and retrieve the mythical "Ark of the Covenant" before the Nazis do.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" offers an almost non-stop variety of thrills and is able to sustain itself for its entire 116-minute running time. There's so much to make note of here - the flawless cast, the flashy special effects, the incredible sets, the efficient pacing of the film, the memorable scenes like the chamber full of snakes and the truck chase, etc. I won't go into great detail in describing it but suffice it to say that if you enjoy adventure movies you're advised to catch this 1980's blockbuster *at least* once. It's a great dose of escapist fun that still entertains almost thirty years later. This was one of my favorite movies growing up and is still a favorite today. It certainly made the combination of a fedora and a whip quite iconic.

Followed by "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", the TV series "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles", and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".

Conceived by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg (official story credit goes to Lucas and Philip Kaufman) and scripted by Lawrence Kasdan.

10/10

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
BEST ACTION SCENE OF ALL TIME!!!!!! imhlong
What occult artefacts or phenomena do you want an Indy 5 or 6 to cover ? PauL00
Top 5 most memorable movie charactersof all time luks-11
What was written on eyelids? (Spoilers) frankwhat
Harrison Ford HighClassHaddock
The Most Overrated Film Ever! satyanshu_singh
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Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. The Secret of Treasure Island
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