Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Raiders of the Lost Arkhas always been loved by fans of theIndiana Jonesfranchise — partly since it is the perfect entry in the Nazi-whipping adventure saga filled with mazes, booby traps, and Biblical treasures. However, to some others, the 1981 film is a stand-alone film that promised to deliver a successful franchise but failed to live up to the first film’s reputation.
![Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) [Credit: Paramount Pictures]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/19162959/Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark-Credit-Paramount-Pictures-1024x576.jpg)
As the first collaboration between Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg, the most commercially successful actor and director in Hollywood,Raiders of the Lost Arkwas not entirely without its faults.
However, while the film still holds up to this day and resonates with a sense of fearless adventure among the audience, one aspect of the story also makes the fans uncomfortable being associated with the franchise.
![Marion and Indy in Raiders of the Lost Ark [Credit: Paramount Pictures]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/19163006/Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark-%E2%80%93-Marion-and-Indy-Credit-Paramount-Pictures-1024x579.jpg)
Indiana JonesGets Off to a Nice Start
WhenIndiana Jonesbegan to thread its tales,Raiders of the Lost Arkwas the first of five to fall under its banner. Helmed by the evergreenHarrison Ford,Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster billion-dollar franchise was a remarkable first entry in cinematic lore, filled with a grand sense of adventure and a daring hero who is the epitome of “cool.”
AfterGeorge Lucasconceived the film’s idea in the early 70s, his involvement in theStar Warsuniverse left Steven Spielberg as the next legal guardian of theIndiana JonesIP. As a brainchild of two of the biggest visionaries of the ’70s and ’80s, it was no surprise thatRaiders of the Lost Arkwould become the most commercially and critically successful film of the year, defeating even the much-anticipatedSuperman IIto take home 5 Academy Awards.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Would Have Looked a Lot Different If One ‘Batman Returns’ Actor Starred as Harrison Ford’s Side-kick
Made on a budget of $20 million,Raiders of the Lost Arkended up grossing a worldwide total of $390 million, along with a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While not a perfect score, the first film of theIndiana Jones franchise holds up as astellar example and mouthpiece for what the franchise symbolized, even 43 years after its release.
Raiders of the Lost ArkFaces a Troubling Dilemma
While crafted as an otherwise perfect film in the entire Indiana Jones saga spanning 42 years,Raiders of the Lost Arkwas tone-deaf on one subject concerning the ages of its leading male and female stars. WhileKaren Allenwould have been 30 years old at the time of the film’s release, the script indicated a past illicit relationship between her character, Marion Ravenwood, and Indiana Jones, who was 10 years her senior.
While there is no way to determine the timeline of their past affair, fans have collected clues spread across the board to patch together a timeline. As expected, the answer to that puzzle is an unsavory one, enough to make even Spielberg and Ford cringe 43 years later.
![Harrison Ford and Karen Allen on the sets of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) [Credit: Paramount Pictures]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/19163023/Harrison-Ford-and-Karen-Allen-on-the-sets-of-Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark-1981-Credit-Paramount-Pictures-1.jpg)
A Reddit thread that tacklesRaiders of the Lost Ark(and one aspect of the film that the fans would like to change in hindsight) is filled with complaints about the inappropriate age gap between Indy and Marion. As one user namedGamingTatertotmentions:
I think Karen Allen is great personally. I would’ve kept her for more movies really. [Although] maybe clarify Indy and Marion’s relationship and make it more appropriate. It’s the stain on an otherwise perfect film to me.
Apparently, other material says she was 15 and he was 10 years older. Really the age difference hurts because of Marion’s line saying she was a child, and what Indiana was doing was wrong and he knew it.
I’m sure that line reads much differently in 1981 than it does now in 2023, but it still just stings a bit every time I hear it, even if I can acknowledge 15 and 25 isn’t the most insane relationship gap in the 1920s, although still wildly inappropriate.
“Thanks for the last adventure”: Harrison Ford Tears Up As ‘Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny’ Gets Standing Ovation
In the end, though,Indiana Jonesis a product that is as timeless as its creator and actor. Apart from the unspecified age gap, there is hardly an aspect of the film that does not live up to its reputation as a Spielbergian masterpiece. With its fifth film,Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Harrison Ford hung up his fedora and whip for the final time as the Hollywood legend bid adieu to his legendary fictional alter-ego.
Indiana Jonesfranchise films are all available to stream on Disney+
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2410
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
