Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

It is Spring 1936.
Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. (Harrison Ford) is a renowned Archeology professor. One day while Dr. Jones is teaching an archeology class in the university, two agents from U.S. Army Intelligence are waiting for him at his office. They tell him that the U.S. Army has intercepted a German cable concerning about Nazi German archaeological activities in Egypt, including a large excavation site near Cairo.

When they read the cable, Dr. Jones and his friend, a museum curator, Dr. Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) realize that the Nazi German might have discovered Tanis, an ancient city buried in a sandstorm in 980 B.C. and the possible burial site of The Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was built by ancient Hebrews to hold the stone tablets on which Moses inscribed the Ten Commandments. The Ark is believed to carry an incredibly powerful energy that must not fall into Nazi’s hands.

Indy is immediately sent overseas. But he doesn’t realize that he is followed by a Nazi agent, Major Arnold Toht (Ronald Lacey). Indy flies to Nepal to meet Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), his former professor's daughter. Indy needs the headpiece of The Staff of Ra, which is owned by Marion. The crystal will help him to determine the exact location of the Ark.

After escape from Major Toht and the Nazis, Indy and Marion fly to Egypt to meet Indy's friend, Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), who is working on the Nazi’s excavation site near Cairo. Sallah reveals that the Nazis are helped by Dr. Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman), a French archeologist who is a longtime rival of Indy's. Sallah takes Indy to see a shaman who can reads the Ra headpiece. Using the Ra headpiece, the shaman identifies the precise location of the Ark's actual burial site, which is known as the Well of Souls.

Waiting until night, Indy and Sallah sneak into the Nazi excavation site and digging to the location of the Well of Souls. They find a secret chamber that is full of dangerous snakes. Indy burns the snakes with flaming gasoline and clears the area with burning torches. They eventually find the Ark. But it is dawn now. The Nazis are surrounding the site and closed off the area. Indy and Sallah are left trapped inside the chamber. They find an opening on the wall and climb up to the surface.

Colonel Dietrich and the Nazis transport the Ark to Cairo. Indy chases the convoy and seizing the Ark. Indy takes the Ark by ship back to the America, but the Nazi submarines intercept the ship. The Ark is –once again – taken by the Nazi. Dr. Bellog opens the Ark, but the Ark contains nothing but sand, the remains of the stone tablets. Suddenly from inside the Ark appear the spirits of the Ark and attack the Nazis. The energy of the Ark surges forth killing the entire soldiers and destroying Dr. Bellog’s body into pieces. The unleashed energy mass now surges high into the sky.

Director : Steven Spielberg
Awards : Won 4 Oscars
Rating : 10/10