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IMDbPro

Raiders of the Lost Ark

  • 1981
  • PG
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
979K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
216
88
Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Wolf Kahler, Ronald Lacey, and Terry Richards in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Watch Official HD Trailer
Play trailer2:35
24 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionAdventure

In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.

  • Director
    • Steven Spielberg
  • Writers
    • Lawrence Kasdan
    • George Lucas
    • Philip Kaufman
  • Stars
    • Harrison Ford
    • Karen Allen
    • Paul Freeman
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.4/10
    979K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    216
    88
    • Director
      • Steven Spielberg
    • Writers
      • Lawrence Kasdan
      • George Lucas
      • Philip Kaufman
    • Stars
      • Harrison Ford
      • Karen Allen
      • Paul Freeman
    • 1KUser reviews
    • 282Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #56
    • Won 4 Oscars
      • 38 wins & 24 nominations total

    Videos24

    Official HD Trailer
    Trailer 2:35
    Watch Official HD Trailer
    Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Trailer 1:37
    Watch Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Trailer 1:25
    Watch Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Trailer 1:24
    Watch Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Trailer 1:21
    Watch Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Trailer 1:18
    Watch Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Trailer 0:18
    Watch Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Trailer 0:21
    Watch Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection
    Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures
    Trailer 2:22
    Watch Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures
    Indiana Jones Collection
    Trailer 1:47
    Watch Indiana Jones Collection
    Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: All Four on Blu-Ray
    Trailer 1:15
    Watch Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: All Four on Blu-Ray
    Raiders of the Lost Ark
    Trailer 2:31
    Watch Raiders of the Lost Ark

    Photos394

    Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Harry Fielder, and Alan Austen in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Harrison Ford, Terry Leonard, and Sergio Mioni in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Harrison Ford, Denholm Elliott, Don Fellows, and William Hootkins in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Harrison Ford and Denholm Elliott in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Vic Tablian in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • Indy
    Karen Allen
    Karen Allen
    • Marion
    Paul Freeman
    Paul Freeman
    • Belloq
    John Rhys-Davies
    John Rhys-Davies
    • Sallah
    Ronald Lacey
    Ronald Lacey
    • Toht
    Denholm Elliott
    Denholm Elliott
    • Brody
    Alfred Molina
    Alfred Molina
    • Satipo
    Wolf Kahler
    Wolf Kahler
    • Dietrich
    Anthony Higgins
    Anthony Higgins
    • Gobler
    Vic Tablian
    Vic Tablian
    • Barranca…
    Don Fellows
    Don Fellows
    • Col. Musgrove
    William Hootkins
    William Hootkins
    • Major Eaton
    Bill Reimbold
    • Bureaucrat
    Fred Sorenson
    Fred Sorenson
    • Jock
    Patrick Durkin
    Patrick Durkin
    • Australian Climber
    Matthew Scurfield
    Matthew Scurfield
    • 2nd. Nazi
    Malcolm Weaver
    Malcolm Weaver
    • Ratty Nepalese
    • (as Malcom Weaver)
    Sonny Caldinez
    Sonny Caldinez
    • Mean Mongolian
    • Director
      • Steven Spielberg
    • Writers
      • Lawrence Kasdan(screenplay by)
      • George Lucas(story by)
      • Philip Kaufman(story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    The Life and Times of Harrison Ford

    The Life and Times of Harrison Ford

    Take a look back at Harrison Ford's movie career in photos.
    See more Harrison
    View image
    View image
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The famous scene in which Indy shoots a marauding and flamboyant swordsman was not in the original script. Harrison Ford was supposed to use his whip to get the sword out of his attacker's hands, but the food poisoning he and the rest of the crew had gotten made him too sick to perform the stunt. After several unsuccessful tries, Ford suggested "shooting the sucker". Steven Spielberg immediately took him up on the idea, and the scene was successfully filmed.
    • Goofs
      In the flying scenes, the map lists several countries by their modern names instead of their 1936 names. Siam did not become Thailand until 1939. Transjordan did not become Jordan until 1949.
    • Quotes

      Marion: You're not the man I knew ten years ago.

      Indiana: It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

    • Crazy credits
      The mountain in the Paramount logo dissolves into the mountain in the Peruvian jungle.
    • Alternate versions
      ABC edited 24 seconds from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.
    • Connections
      Edited from Lost Horizon (1973)
    • Soundtracks
      I am the Monarch of the Sea
      (1878) (uncredited)

      From "H.M.S. Pinafore"

      Music by Arthur Sullivan

      Lyrics by W.S. Gilbert

      Sung a cappella by John Rhys-Davies

    User reviews1K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    A blockbuster how it was meant to be
    Nowadays we keep forgetting how beautiful blockbusters can be. Too much CGI makes everything possible and therefore very often also arbitrary. In Raiders you actually seem to feel the physical pain some of the actors/stuntmen had to go through to provide 2 hours of pure entertainment.

    Of course the story isn't waterproof, the Nazi weren't that present in Egypt in 1936 and how did Indy survive that ride on the submarine again? But lots of good and variable action scenes are accompanied by a story that develops fast and excitingly and is always close to being implausible but luckily never is.

    Spielberg, Lucas and most of all Harrison Ford created a hero that is nowadays iconic. With their attempt to make an homage to adventure comics of the 1930's they created their own legend.

    It's funny, exiting, thrilling and romantic. What more can you ask for?
    helpful•279
    75
    • belzebuebchen
    • Dec 6, 2004

    FAQ22

    • What are all these German soldiers doing in British controlled Egypt prior to World War II.? Appeasement aside, the British might be a little worried about a large group of armed Germans being in a League of Nations mandated British Protectorate.
    • Did Belloq actually eat the fly that landed in his mouth towards the end?
    • What kind of hat does Indiana Jones wear?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 12, 1981 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Hebrew
      • Spanish
      • Arabic
      • Nepali
    • Also known as
      • Indiana Jones
    • Filming locations
      • Sidi Bouhlel, Tozeur, Tunisia(city of Cairo)
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Lucasfilm
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $18,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $248,159,971
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,305,823
      • Jun 14, 1981
    • Gross worldwide
      • $389,925,971
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 55 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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