Thirty Years Of Raiding

Today marks the 30th anniversary for the release of possibly the single greatest adventure film ever made.  Conceived on a beach in Hawaii by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” would introduce us to the globetrotting exploits of archeologist Indiana Jones, a character so iconic he would come to represent the spirit of cinematic adventure for decades to come.

I had first heard of Dr. Jones while attending a theater arts camp at the ripe old age of 12.  My fellow bunk mates had already seen the film earlier in the summer and breathlessly related its contents nearly shot for shot.  It didn’t take much convincing that after camp ended I absolutely HAD to see this film, and when I did, it fundamentally changed me as a person and my path throughout this life.



My parents divorced at the end of third grade, and my mother never remarried.  I have only one younger sister, so there was a considerable void of male role models in my life.  I often turned to characters in film to help fill this void, seeking inspiration and guidance from such larger than life people like James Bond, Han Solo, and Yoda.  However, none of these characters seemed as tangible to me as Indiana Jones.

Here was a fictional character surrounded by a non fictional world.   World War II actually happened.  The Nazis were VERY real villains.  Archeology is a legitimate field of study.  People wore fedoras and leather jackets.  A bullwhip can be used as a weapon.  Harrison Ford brought one single quality to the role that made you believe all of this was possible:

He made Indiana Jones human.

Jones was intelligent, but he still made mistakes.  He fell down, but he always got up.  He retained a sense of humor amongst the most dire of circumstances.  He was dedicated, passionate, and knew his place in this world.  He loved what he did.  He went after something and never stopped until he achieved his goal.

Not me!

How could you not look up to this man?  Upon exiting the theater in late summer of 1981, I believed this was the man I wanted to grow up to be.  I had a hat (non fedora), a whip made of rope, and a faux leather jacket.  I also had Indy’s satchel bag, or “man purse” as my sister likes to call it.  I had plenty of adventures in my back yard, made a short film with my best friend at the time where I cleverly spliced in footage from “Raiders” after its release on VHS, and even studied archeology for a bit.

Time passes.  The innocent trappings of youth give way to the challenges of adulthood.  While the physical persona of Indy (hat, jacket, etc.) would gradually fall away (I never looked good in a fedora, much to my dismay), his adventurous spirit never did.  If not for him I might not have explored this world as much as I have in the last 30 years.  I’ve hiked the Adirondacks, descended into caves, white water rafted, and traveled to other countries.  

Indiana Jones is an influential father figure to me.  He’s one of the best dads I’ve ever had.

As for the film, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” continues to be an inspiration to this day.  It’s a masterfully crafted quest item that features crisp editing by Michael Kahn, an iconic score by John Williams, and some outstanding practical stunt work by Vic Armstrong.  The desert chase sequence alone is one of the single greatest pursuits ever devised and captured on film.  

It’s one of the very few films that I know every single line of dialogue, as well as each musical cue.  I know every continuity error and gaffe throughout its 115 minute running time.  I’ve only seen the other sequels a handful of times (and the abysmal “Crystal Skull” only ONCE).  I’ve read the novels by Rob MacGregor, the Marvel and Dark Horse comic book series, and play Lego Indy on a regular basis.  

I write action adventure screenplays using “Raiders” as a model of how to successfully combine action with story, to which we can thank Lawrence Kasdan for his superior screenplay.  A few years back I presented a new version of an adventure screenplay I had been tinkering with on and off for the last 20 years to an old friend, and he chastised me for “beating a dead horse,” citing that I should bury it for good and move on with other projects.

I originally wrote that screenplay as a sort of thank you for “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”  An homage to a film that helped define me in this life.  A film that gave me a father when I really needed one.  A film that told me it was okay to fall down, long as you get back up again and never give up regardless of the odds.

So no, I won’t be letting my action adventure screenplay go anytime soon.  It might not ever see the light of day as a film, but that’s okay.  It’s my link back to my childhood, to a time when a man in a leather jacket and fedora forever changed the fabric of my reality.

So, on this 30th anniversary of this perfect adventure film, I’d like to say thanks, dad.  You were right.  It’s not the years.  It’s the mileage, and what an amazing 30 year journey it’s been.

“Deeds, not words…”