The Awesome Power of Raiders of the Lost Ark 

For me Raiders of the Lost Ark is the most engaging, exciting and thoroughly entertaining film that has ever been made and a timeless classic that will never lose it's relevance. Steven Spielberg has made many magnificent films but Raiders is his crowning cinematic achievement, as far as i'm concerned. It's a truly exceptional film that i never tire of watching and i would even go so far as to say that the ever brilliant John Williams did his absolute finest work as a composer for the film. Raiders is undeniably a genuine masterpiece of filmmaking.

This may be the single most underrated channel I’ve ever seen

I've seen Raiders of the Lost Ark over 200 times. I used to belong to many fan pages, I know the extensive history of the series and it's filming , and have every single Hasbro toy ever made and many customs that weren't produced. Raiders of the Lost Ark is a classic film and my all-time favorite

I’ve literally seen this movie well over 120x. I spent one summer vacation as a kid watching it every day. 3 months x 30 days = so at least 90 times before I was 12 years old. One of the top 10 movies of all time. Absolutely as close to perfect as any movie can get.

I was very busy at the time and my wife said we were going to the movies...I saw the title and thought it might be an action movie....what an understatement...it took me on a trip that I hadn't experience since the matinee serials...and then further. One of the best ever. Just when you thought it was over, it picked you up and away you went. Wow.

I never tire of raiders. It's pure brilliance from filmmakers at the peak of their powers. They never matched it. Indy is never as brutal and tough again as he is in this. It has grit, which seemed to vanish from later entries and movies of this type in general. Great video.

This movie is one of my favorite examples of "making more with less". These days, if a studio has any faith whatsoever in a project, they'll give it an astronomical budget with nonstop CG effects that totally take you out of the experience. Movies used to be so much more immersive, and sadly I don't think they'll ever be that way again.

Raiders is my favorite film of all time. The Indiana Jones character changed my life, literally. Because of the movie, I studied anthropology / archeology in college, traveled world-wide for 12 years compiling information & photos for a book on human ecology and have worn khaki and tan clothes since 1981. Sad but true .....

I was born in 74 and literally grew up with Star Wars, it was my life. I didn’t see Raiders until about 83 at my friends house on VHS. I still cannot believe that Lucas was involved in another movie as good as Star Wars, how can you be so good! If you add Jaws and ET into it, that Lucas/Spielberg period from 74 to 83 was golden.

Thinking about these two bros lounging around casually talking about whether or not to make these epic movies equally blows my mind and warms our heart. I can’t think of a world without the Indiana Jones series lol

My favorite movie of all time. I saw it in the theaters 8 times in 1981.

I watched Raiders of The Lost Ark for the first time in June, just before I turned 30. Yeah, I've lost at least half of my life now not seeing it. It has become one of my favorite movies and to me it's the best of the franchise. Since then I've seen it about 6 times. I'm just in the addiction fase. Thanks for your review of this classic film!

I grew up watching Raiders so many times with my dad I don't even know how many times. I still love it so much to this day and never get tired of it.

I saw it in the theater when it was released. I had no idea what it was about. It is my favorite film of all time. I have seen it probably 50 times.

14 times in the theaters back when it first came out. For some reason, my Dad and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was an every weekend thing for us. Since VHS, DVD, Blue Ray and now streaming, I’ve lost count. It’s in my top 5 for sure. 😎👍

My favorite film by miles and miles. I’ve seen it 60+ times. My two favorite scenes: the truck chase and the fight scene in Marion’s bar. My second film seen in the theater at the age of 9 (my first was The Empire Strikes Back).

This is the best documentary about Raiders I’ve ever seen. I thought I had heard everything about this film but you surprised me with so much new trivia! Raiders and Harrison Ford inspired me to become an actor and filmmaker. The first film I made as a kid had fist fights and me dragging behind a moped with a bullwhip. Bravo again on your video!

The first time I saw this movie, I was absolutely blown away by the non-stop action... like legitimate edge of your seat action... it was so great, and I never saw it coming

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the entire reason I decided to become an Egyptologist. And I did. I have a Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago and have done 8 digs in Egypt and quite a few others in other locations throughout the world. Due to health issues, I had to reinvent myself, and then low and behold because a video game developer, owning my own video game studio. :)

2:33 You’re teasing me! Even that tiny snippet of the Ark theme that’s fully audible gives me chills.

I’ve seen this movie a lot as well. The last Crusade is my favorite Indiana Jones movie, but this is a very close second! I love this movie!

To this day, still the best 2 hours I've ever spent in a theater. ❤️

Why does quality well made content get overshadowed on RU-vid. :(

Raiders brings me into a different world. It excersizes all my fantasies and makes me feel like a kid again. My 75 year old grandpa feels like a kid again watching it, too.

Quite honestly, my favourite film of all time. As someone into filmmaking, I can just telepathically sense the craftsmanship and dedication set into this film. I find it wonderfully crazy how a film inspired by old action serials has now inspired me and many others into making their own films. I honestly believe every scene is insanely iconic, memorable and simply amazing.

You are criminally underrated. Every last one of your videos is produced with the level on-par with multi-million subscriber channels. I am so glad I stumbled upon your channel, can't wait for you to blow up, which you will.

The editing was awesome and I found myself laughing and smiling a lot. Awesome job.

Including vhs, DVD, streaming, blu ray, I have no exaggeration probably seen this movie a hundred times since childhood and I still get chills from the truck chase scene and score. It's my favorite movie of all time

It's now officially the 40th anniversary of this film and I just watched it for the first time, in theaters! It was brilliant and honestly happy I hadn't watched it until now because I got to experience it on a big screen. This was a great video to learn a lot about its inception, BTS details, and on-screen mishaps that made it into the film. It really is a masterpiece of a film and thanks for making proper breakdown of it all.

Raiders and the Last Crusade are some of my favorite movies of all time.

Got here from just random nostalgia from my dad... This is a love letter, quite beautiful actually, well made. He would have loved your analysis on this, a masterpiece of film, thank you!

Oh to be old enough and fortunate enough to be a cinema goer in 1981 when movies like this were hitting the big screen for the first time.

My dad introduced me these movies at very young age and I will forever be grateful for it

It wasn't Toht on the plane - just a separate German agent played by another actor.

Dude, you’re a 500K sub-worthy channel that almost nobody knows about. Your content is more or less the Lost Ark

Really enjoy how you talk about the movie. Obviously a true love for you. Great movie and indeed it embraces older cinema. I was born in '74 and seen it many times. These movies were such a huge part of our childhood because it has tons of fantasy, action, other cultures, humor, plot...and a lot of screen trickery without cgi. It was truly an art to make movies like that, even a child knew. Feel blessed to have been a kid back in those days. Very well done !

This is one of the most underrated channel i have ever seen, so detailed, so dense with information, i will watch your career with great interest.

In my top 5 favorite films of all time! I've seen Raiders probably 100 times in my life and I never tire of it.

Thank you for making this. There are so few videos about Raiders out there and this one is definitely at the top of the list in terms of both quality and content. Indiana Jones aside, I'm loving your video essays because you go into more detail and find deeper meaning than most other videos that I've seen. I really hope you continue this journey and keep up the great work.

When I was a child I thought Raiders was the best movie ever made. I was a smart child, it seems. It is still perfect.

I think almost everybody in the Netherlands has seen this trilogy at least 10 times. It was a classic staple on tv in the 90's around Christmas, you could bet that during the Christmas holiday you'd see the Princess Sissi musical, Home alone, Indiana Jones and multiple versions of a Christmas Carrol and the iconic 'Always Coca Cola' commercial they ran every year with that truck. Those were the days....

it is so rude that i found out the beginning was filmed in kauai AFTER I HAD BEEN THERE

Countless times I’ve seen it! The way it is shot…. Not just the action, but most every scene! I never noticed it until I was older, but most movies are so basic. This felt epic in almost every shot. Simple head turns and close ups are so memorable. These were producers and directors at the height of their powers.

That's Denis Murin on the plane reading LIFE mag

I saw Raiders 6 times at the Cinema in 1981. I was 11 years old having to beg my mom each time to take me to the theatre in our 1977 green Ford Ltd. Probably seen it over a hundred times and yes it is the greatest action adventure ever made........great video........

It was this movie that jump-started my passion for history... and why I want to get into Archeology later...

Seen it many times. Never got bored. Brilliant timeless gem for me.

This is video made me emotional. You described this legendary piece of cinema so well.

I watched it every single time it came on HBO in the 80s. Just like Star Wars, ET and jaws. It was TV shows at the time that were one and done”s”

I have to point out that Spielberg chose the camera setups, directing them in the storyboard process, whereas Slocombe was photographically and technically responsible for executing the visual aesthetic.

I ssw Raiders of the Lost Ark in the thester when I was 11 years old. For dome reason it was playing in the old theater of little downtown Hopkinsville Ky instead of the two screen theater at the mall. That was perfect though. It helped draw me in more. The theater was smaller. Built in the 1920's for stage production. It had balconies for special guest of the play house. Ornate wood work moldings everyplace. Heavy, giant red velvet curtains from roof to floor. It had been built for the love of theater and remodeled for the love of film instead of the clinical desire for money like the multiplex. The taste of the small batch popcorn, real butter was better. I rode my BMX bike from my house, locked it to the stare handrail of the Sheriff station next door. I heard a deep rough southern voice assure me it would still be there when I came out. I looked up to see a deputy standing tall with a cowboy hat, in his stiff starched tan uniform, badge glowing in the sun, outside on his smoke break. I walked away looking back at my bike again. He promised once more it wasn't going anyplace without me as he patted the gun on his waist. That environment by myself, no parents, drew me into the film. It was easy to imagine myself within the film. Afterward I rode home and took a cut through the old woods, around the abandoned saw mill, through the partially demolished hospital. The whole way I was imagining my bike was an airplane taking me on an adventure for some long lost artifact. All this helped that movie make a bigger impact than it could have in any other way.

Great video man. You got me with the clone wars vids and now im looking foward to the next ones.

My 2nd favorite movie of all time. Thank you for the video and revisiting it and pointing out so well all it's small details of brilliance.

I grew up watching and loving the Indiana Jones films in the 1980s. The amount of research and passion you have shown here for Raiders was wonderful to see. Thank you for bringing some joy to an Indiana Jones fan with your video.

Excellent commentary to a classic that never gets old and will continually inspire.

You captured the whole meaning of the movie in this beautiful and well made video . Fortune and glory kid , fortune and glory !

Two thumbs up bud. Terrific analysis about one of the all time greats.

Beautifully thought through, already loving this content man.

I knew bits and pieces of the story, and you filled in a lot 9f the gaps. Thank you for posting.

Glorious! Thank you, sir!

How many times have I seen this classic movie? TOO MANY TO COUNT and it still never gets old!

Brilliant documentary for a brilliant film that I consider one of the best movies I’ve ever seen and can watch over and over without ever tiring of it.

This is a really well done video - it's both personal and technical which makes it that much more interesting for me. Nice that you're able to include audio and video from the production. (One note - when you say that Spielberg would go on to make Jurassic Park and Schindler's List 20 years later - it was just ten years. Raiders came out in 1981 and Jurassic and Schindler came out in 1993).

Seriously how is the channel so underrated , can’t wait to see you cover the other Indiana Jones movies these movies were a huge part of my childhood and you do an amazing job covering these topics. Keep up the great work brother

Great video. Thanks for doing it and sharing.

Well done! A delightful perspective.

I know I will enjoy your future content. You have a very through and interesting way of going behind the scenes and exploring the art of storytelling.

Top knotch video! I saw 'Raiders' in 1981 at the age of 12. Any young man, or woman for that matter at the time and just as relevant, today, can relate to this timeless and ever inspired masterpiece of fun, romance, and ADVENTURE. The themes here will last forever and will always drive us to explore the boundless imagination of Cinema.

Superb work. Just caught this and due to your insightful commentary, I now know how incredible ROTLA is. I knew quite a bit before,but you added so many layers...just loved it (especially Spielberg behind the scenes shots). Keep up the excellent work and Happy New Year!

You did an AWESOME JOB on this!!!! I can't believe it's the 40th anniversary this month and production has begun on Indy V. I'm going to see RAIDERS this afternoon at a Century theater here in Las Vegas. Can't wait for your video on TOD, LC, and KOTCS!!! Thank you so much for making this!

I know this film backwards and forwards so well i can honestly say I could recite every single line with the characters. I can play the entire movie in my head by just listening to the soundtrack.

Awesome video man, I love this movie and I love your channel, thanks for talking about this incredible movie

Easily one of if not the Greatest film ever made every time I watch it it baffles me how good it actually is and the score WOW

What an awesome video! “Raiders” is inimitable because everything the movie needs to do, it does. There’s nothing left on the table when it ends-a complete cinematic experience. I hope they never reboot the series. No contemporary actor has Ford’s charisma. His unique ability to strike the fine balance of badass and nerdy/comedic makes the character work. Please, Disney, let Indy belong to the ages after Indy 5.

it is in my top ten, thanks for posting this

This was amazing. Brings me back to my childhood! Bravo!

Fantastic video and love letter to the movie that changed my life and the lives of many. Well done.

Absolutely excellent take! Thank you.

Beautiful video man!

Being born in 1972, I was the perfect age for this film to take over my life... I got a whip (yes, a lil kid with a real whip, bought by my parents no less... hey, it was the 70s!), brim hat, jacket, briefcase... and imagined adventure after adventure. I will never forget going Over and Over to the small theater that I was lucky enough to be able to bike to, and that had Raiders on screen for like 2 years.... Seriously, THE most favorite time of my 50 year existence.... Love to Indy!!! Great video my man. I consider myself an expert on this film, but you pointed out a number of things I didnt know (The stump with the hat! omg)

Great job! I think you captured Raiders wonderfully.

Brilliant video. I first experienced the magic of 'Raiders' as a VHS rental at a friend's 10th birthday party. I was excited to then get the Read Along book and tape. I was then VERY excited to learn a follow-up film was coming out in 1984.

Awesome vid!!! My favorite movie!!!

Imagined an 11 year old boy first time at the movie theater with his mom watching Raiders of the Lost Ark. Opening scene with Indie trekking thru the jungle. He has no idea what's coming in the next 2 hours. It was pure magic. Nonstop action and pure fun. I will be forever grateful to Lucas and Spielberg for this movie.

Great video thanks for making this!

Greatest film ever! Been a fan since day 1 in 1981. It inspired me to become a screenwriter and I’ve sold several adventure screenplays. Spot on analysis, thanks for sharing.

Thank god u exist dude your channel is amazing

Excellent, excellent analysis!

Great film! Great video! Thanks so much.

i enjoyed this documentary so much. thank you.

Absolutely a master piece of a video essay great job on this

Clap, clap, clap. Well done. Good work.

Well done man…….Raiders will always be my favorite…….i saw it as a kid in a mezzien in the Northgate cinema in Seattle…….one of my favorite memories…..

Terrific analysis of Raiders.

New subscriber here! I love going down these YT rabbit holes where I discover great new essayists making incredible content that, somehow, makes me fall even more in love with a movie I've been watching at least once a month since 1991. (That's when I bought my copy of Raiders from McDonalds when they were doing the promo VHS copies.)

Great video and analysis.

I saw it 6 times when I was 11 years old.... Had to beg Mom everytime for a ride.....Well worth it......The greatest adventure movie ever made.......... Probably seen it 100 times in my life.........The best ever.......

Brilliant work Man!!! This is what I needed today!!! Also Karen Allen cuz She is Awesome!!!

don’t forget back to the future shit is as fire

Last Crusade will always be my favorite Indy movie, but Raiders is a very close second.