Re: Is Raiders the best film? I think so.

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Posted by Anejo Joe from 59.greenville-03-04rs.sc.dial-access.att.net on January 14, 1999 at 16:13:40:

In Reply to: Is Raiders the best film? I think so. posted by Satipo on January 14, 1999 at 06:31:54:

: I have noticed that there has been some discussion recently regarding the superiority of Raiders over the other two Indy films. The arguments concentrate on how the Raiders Indiana Jones personality is betrayed by Indy's portrayal in both Temple and Crusade. I too prefer Raiders over the other two films. Here are a couple of my reasons why.
:
: Although I enjoy watching all three Indy films, I feel that I am watching a different version of the Indy character in each of them. It is almost as though they are Indys in separate parallel universes. Each Indy is familiar, but each also feels different from the others in some way (and I'm not just talking about the Westeds!). Raiders is my favourite of the three films because I prefer this particular portrayal of Indiana Jones. I'm not sure exactly why, but the Raiders Indy seems like the coolest of the three.

: Perhaps it is partly due to the more subtle treatment of his character in Raiders. Raiders introduces the character to us and so there is an air of mystery about the man and his motives as his personality slowly unfolds. The other two films have a more commercial feel. They treat Indy as though he is an old friend and play on our familiarity of his more obvious personality quirks. I think that Temple and Crusade centre too much on Indy's personality and end up parodying the Indy we met in Raiders. Raiders, on the other hand, revealed some of his personality, but focused more equally on the situation he was in, his allies and the opponents he was up against.

: There is another reason I prefer Raiders to the other two films. Is it just me, or do others feel that the music in both Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade are lacking something? The music in Raiders is powerful, dramatic, exciting and surges with an energy reflected in Indy's relentless pursuit of the ark. The music in Temple, however, seems weakened by the frequent renditions of Short Round's theme. I find this particular music irritating. It is what I would expect to hear in a Tom and Jerry cartoon should Tom resemble a stereotypical chinaman after suffering an injury caused by Jerry (such as a trash can lid being jammed on his head). The music in Crusade is also let down by the overly sentimental theme which accompanies scenes reflecting on the father/son relationship of Henry senior and Indy (pretty much the entire film I feel).

: Perhaps a further reason for the weakness of the music in these two films is that Indy's theme is rather scarce in them. The frequent renditions of this theme in Raiders are fundamental to the driving force that its soundtrack provides. Every time it plays, it is as though the music is cheering Indy on as he overcomes his latest obstacle. The music in the other two films doesn't seem to
: support the character as it does here. Don't get me wrong, I am an admirer of John William's music. I just feel it provides a less exciting atmosphere in Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade.

: What do others think?

: Satipo

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I can't disagree that Raiders was the probably the best, but Connery was at his best in L.C. The combination of Ford and Connery are hard to beat!

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