On June 12, 1981, Steven Spielberg's film Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark premiered.
Star Wars creator George Lucas, among other authors, had a hand in the script for the tape.
The prerequisites for the creation of a film project appeared in the first half of the 1970s.
Then Lucas, who had already released the successful dramedy "American Graffiti" and several other works, was in search of ideas for a new film.
His attention was drawn to a poster of an old tape, in which the hero jumped from a horse into a truck.
The image reminded the director of the films of the 1930s and 1940s, which he watched as a child.
Lucas wondered about a film about an archaeologist in a leather jacket, felt hat and three-day stubble, who travels the world in search of ancient relics and lost civilizations.
However, soon the filmmaker took on another large-scale project - "Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope" - and left a new idea.
In subsequent years, George Lucas recalled his archaeologist more than once, and in 1977, shortly after the premiere of Star Wars, he shared his thoughts with Steven Spielberg.
He wished to join the project.
At first, the production was expected to be directed by Philip Kaufman (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), who helped Lucas come up with the plot.
However, later Kaufman refused to work, and Spielberg got the director's chair.
Lawrence Kasdan (Dreamcatcher, Star Wars films) joined the team as a screenwriter.
© Still from the movie "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark"
The filmmakers had to implement the idea in the years when technologies were not developed as they are today, and they had to rely not on the visual component of the project, but on the abilities of the protagonist.
When developing the famous image of Indiana Jones, in addition to characters from old adventure TV series, filmmakers were inspired by real archaeologists.
Among them are Hiram Bingham, Roy Chapman Andrews and Charles Leonard Woolley.
They also searched for treasures and lost cities, and their discoveries amazed the public.
The so-called McGuffin became the starting point of the plot of the films about Indiana Jones. This term, which became widespread thanks to Alfred Hitchcock, implies the presence in the script of a certain subject around which the narrative is built. According to Hitchcock, the less specific the McGuffin is, the better (for example, in his film North by Northwest, practically nothing is known about this subject). Lucas, on the other hand, believed that McGuffin should be very visible - so that the audience worried about his fate almost as much as about the heroes.
McGuffin in the first film about Indiana Jones could have become a haunted castle, but Spielberg at that time was working on the horror film "Poltergeist" and it turned out to shoot another project on a similar theme.
As a result, the plot of the picture was developed around the sacred Ark of the Covenant, in which, according to legend, the plates with the ten commandments were kept.
In addition, the artifact contained power that could make the owner invincible.
The fate of the Ark became the most important intrigue of the film - the course of history depended on it.
© Still from the movie "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark"
In the next two paintings, interesting artifacts were also involved - the sacred stones of Shankara, with the help of which it was possible to save children from the Indian cult of death, and the Holy Grail.
In order for the Grail to harmoniously fit into the plot, it was turned into a magic chalice.
Supernatural elements have been added to the project.
George Lucas did not always like such decisions, but the scriptwriter emphasized that they turned out to be working: the audience believed in these artifacts.
“We need to find such a supernatural object in which people truly believe.
They believe in the existence of the Ark of the Covenant, endowed with special properties.
It is the same with the Shankara stones and the Holy Grail.
We may have exaggerated their powers, but the point is that some people believe in the existence of the Holy Grail brought by the Knights Templar, ”explained the Entertainment Weekly cinematographer.
Another indisputable advantage of the project is the protagonist.
Unlike typical characters in adventure films, Indiana Jones turned out to be very lively, like an ordinary person.
He was not afraid to express emotions - resentment, pain, anger - and self-irony was not alien to him.
All this allowed viewers to sympathize with Jones and identify with him.
“Indiana Jones is not a perfect hero, I think, thanks to his shortcomings, the audience feels that with a little more effort and courage, they could become like him.
He is not a Terminator.
It is not so far from the audience of cinemas that people cannot connect their dreams and aspirations with it.
He's not even James Bond.
Bond is also not a superhero, but his image is more impenetrable, "- said Steven Spielberg in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Harrison Ford was chosen for the lead role.
Subsequently, he appeared in all the sequels of Indiana Jones, and today it is difficult to imagine another actor in his place.
However, the role might not have gone to Ford - Lucas, who had already worked with him on projects in the Star Wars series, did not want to involve the artist in yet another franchise.
The team announced the casting.
Filmmakers looked at many famous comedians of those years, including Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin.
However, there were also candidates who became famous in a fundamentally different role.
For example, Jack Nicholson, who had recently appeared in a terrifying character in Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining, turned down the role.
© Still from the movie "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark"
Filming for Indiana Jones: In Search of the Lost Ark began on June 23, 1980 in the French resort of La Rochelle, and later took place on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, Tunisia, a number of locations in the United States and Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire (UK).
The team faced a multitude of challenges, from the inappropriate weather conditions and the search for a 1930s steamboat, to the difficulty of interacting with snakes.
Once, because of the reptiles, the filming stopped altogether - Stanley Kubrick's daughter Vivian was unhappy with the conditions of keeping snakes on the site and complained about the filmmakers to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
On June 12, 1981, Indiana Jones: In Search of the Lost Ark was released in the United States and Canada, and later in other countries.
At the box office, the tape earned $ 389.9 million with a budget of $ 18 million and became a worldwide sensation and one of the highest-grossing films in the United States at the end of the year.
Now the rating of the picture on the Rotten Tomatoes portal is 96% according to viewers and 95% according to reviews of film critics.
Journalists call it one of the most addicting adventure projects of all time: they celebrate quality sets, humor and intense action.
The film received eight Oscar nominations and was honored with five awards, including statuettes for the work of a production designer and various technical achievements.
© Still from the film "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"
The second film in the series, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, was filmed primarily in the Elstree studios, but for some episodes the filmmakers traveled to China, the United States and Sri Lanka.
The tape turned out to be much darker than the original.
This was partly due to the fact that George Lucas was going through a divorce.
Steven Spielberg also had personal problems and both were in a corresponding mood.
In addition, filming was overshadowed by an injury to the back of Harrison Ford, which he received while riding an elephant.
The actor left for treatment in the United States, after which he was replaced for some time by a stunt double.
In some places, the face of the stunt double got into the frame.
To fully realize their vision, filmmakers had to be creative.
For one episode, for example, an entire cave riddled with spears was built.
“It was my idea.
We managed to bring it to life, adding bugs there and a small moment at the end, where Willie accidentally activates the mechanism with his fifth point, and everything starts all over again.
And in the last shot, Indy snatches his hat right from under the falling piece of stone, ”the director said in an interview with Empire.
Released in 1984, the film managed to repeat the success of the first part.
With a budget of $ 28 million, he earned $ 333 million, was awarded an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and received many accolades from both critics and general audiences.
“Continuous streams of humor, spectacular visuals and a breakneck pace make (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom -
RT
) a film that is impossible to tear yourself away from.
Perhaps Spielberg's most underrated tape, ”writes Empire writer Ian Nathan.
© Still from the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"
The third film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was released in 1989.
Sean Connery played one of the central roles in the film.
He played the father of the protagonist.
The project was created at the time of the introduction of digital technologies into filmmaking, which made it possible to make the tape more spectacular.
It featured sophisticated visuals, and Indiana Jones now rode speedboats, motorcycles, airplanes, an airship, and even a tank.
The film was also warmly received by the audience, and even surpassed the first two parts in gross, earning more than $ 474 million with a budget of $ 48 million. Critics noted that this part turned out to be easier and more comedic, and at the same time no less exciting compared to the second.
Including - thanks to the introduction of the character of Connery.
The new "Indiana Jones" has not done without an Oscar for special effects.
The adventure continues
Since the premiere of the third film, there have been rumors about the continuation of the popular franchise, but it was not until 2000 that Steven Spielberg promised to release the next film in the near future. Filming was expected to begin in 2002 with M. Night Shyamalan writing the script. However, later the author dropped out of the project due to a tight schedule, and production stopped. Since 2002, Frank Darabont has been working on the script ("The Shawshank Redemption", "The Green Mile"), but George Lucas did not like his version. Then David Kepp ("Spider-Man", "War of the Worlds") and Jeff Nathanson ("Catch Me If You Can", "Terminal") joined the work. Their story was transferred to the screen.
In the fourth film, the filmmakers tried to preserve the style of the projects of the 1980s.
This decision was reflected both in the elaboration of the characters and in the production.
For example, Spielberg tried not to shorten the sequence of actions of the characters, so that what was happening on the screen looked natural.
“Every time the camera changes its dynamic angle, there is a feeling of some kind of incorrectness, as if you are being deceived,” explained Steven Spielberg.
He emphasized that he had nothing against such a technique, but in this case a different approach was required.
“In order to bring a sufficient, in my opinion, share of humor to the films about Indiana Jones, you have to shoot the old fashioned way.
I studied a lot of old films that made me laugh: you need to shoot scenes in general shots, and the role of editor is assigned to the audience.
To make each scene something like a circus performance, ”the Slashfilm portal quotes the director.
The action of the film "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was carried over from the 1930s to the 1950s, and the mysterious crystal skulls became McGuffin.
These artifacts do exist, and their origin is associated with the Mayan civilization.
In the picture, they have supernatural properties.
© Still from the movie "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
The film showed a good result at the worldwide box office, grossing more than $ 790 million with a budget of $ 185 million. Reviews from viewers and critics were mixed: according to Rotten Tomatoes, the tape scored 53% of the audience rating and 78% of the "freshness" from the experts.
Journalists noted that the balance of humor and action inherent in the previous parts disappeared from the tape.
Some found the story outdated, some found the new part superfluous.
Some experts suggest that the film "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" could deceive the expectations of nostalgic fans.
George Lucas believes fans would be unhappy anyway.
“Fans will always be unhappy.
"Why did he do everything this way and not otherwise?"
They come up with their own movie, and then get upset if your picture is different from it.
Therefore, it remains only to be prepared for the fact that bricks and cakes with cream will inevitably fly in your direction, ”- said Lucas in an interview with Vanity Fair.
The plans for the production of the fifth film became known in 2016.
It was originally reported that Steven Spielberg would once again be the director of the project, with Harrison Ford returning to the title role.
The premiere was scheduled for July 2019, then postponed to the summer of 2020, and later for another year, since the scriptwriter David Kepp dropped out of the project and was replaced by John Kasdan, the son of the author of the first film, Lawrence Kasdan.
In February 2020, it became known that Steven Spielberg left the director's chair for the first time in 39 years of the franchise's existence.
His place was taken by James Mangold ("Girl, Interrupted", "Wolverine: The Immortal").
Spielberg continues to work on the project as a producer.
Plot details have not been disclosed at the moment.
According to media reports, filmmakers can touch on the theme of the 1960s space race.
Some publications report that part of the filming will take place at Bamburgh Castle in the north of England.
In addition to Harrison Ford, the fifth part of the series will star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thomas Kretschman, Boyd Holbrook, Shawnette Rene Wilson.
In April 2021, Mads Mikkelsen joined the cast.
Filming for the fifth Indiana Jones movie kicked off in Britain this week.
The premiere is scheduled for July 29, 2022.
Rich heritage
Indiana Jones' story was not limited to feature films.
In 1992, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones premiered.
The main character was played by Corey Carrier and Sean Patrick Flanery.
George Lucas, among others, worked as a screenwriter and producer on the project.
It was assumed that the plot will cover about three decades - from 1905 to the events shown in the full-length films.
However, production of the series ceased after two seasons.
© Shot from the series "The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones"
The adventures of Indiana Jones formed the basis for a number of computer games.
Some of them have been worked on by Lucasfilm.
Also, the legacy of the popular film franchise includes comics and at least 20 books.
The largest amusement parks have themed rides dedicated to the adventures of an archaeologist.
The plot and visual solutions of the films, especially the first one, inspired famous filmmakers: Joe Johnston ("The First Avenger"), Chris Carter ("The X-Files"), Brian Singer ("X-Men").
Johnston admitted that in many ways he was guided by the cult tape.
“When developing the plot, we took the line from“ In Search of the Lost Ark ”as a model, but over time we moved further and further away from it ... Sometimes, when we had questions and we did not know which direction to move on, we asked:“ What would Indiana Jones do?
How would this question be answered in the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark"? "- said the director in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
The franchise's influence has extended beyond the cinematic environment.
So, the image of Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series of games and their subsequent adaptations is considered the female version of Indiana Jones.
Uncharted character Nathan Drake is also compared to the archaeologist.
Indiana Jones paintings also helped popularize archeology.
The audience got the impression that this science can be interesting and exciting.
It is statistically confirmed that after the release of the tape, the number of students-archeologists in universities increased.
Scientists are also pleased with Indiana Jones' sane position: treasures should be kept in a museum.
According to George Lucas, the Indiana Jones franchise owes its success to a solid plot.
In his opinion, the neglect of history has served many other films in disrepair.
“Making history is not the same as leaving a puppy in the middle of the road and watching what happens. You can't just put your main character in danger and make it fun ... The Indiana Jones movies are much more complicated. They look like a small clock with a lot of gears, ”says Lucas.