Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

One night I was playing with my TV's color settings before watching Raiders Of The Lost Ark and happened to stumble across the black and white option. Somehow it seemed fitting so I decided to watch one of the most beloved adventure films; a film known for its vibrant and colorful action and locations, all completely desaturated. It was a wonderful experience to say the least.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas's first installment in the Indiana Jones series was meant to be a deliberate throwback to the adventure films of the late 30's and 40's. So it's no wonder why Douglas Slocombe, a veteran cinematographer of the era, was hired. And his touch is immediately apparent in the desaturated version. With only black and white present on screen I was immediately drawn to how immaculate Slocombe's control and use of lighting was. Raiders is by no means a completely serious film but Slocombe's cinematography is playing it straight. There are stretches of the film that are shrouded in dark, foggy ambience with sharp shadows piercing the actors from what little light sources there are. The shadows heighten character dynamics; exaggerating power imbalances or shrouding a face in deep thought. It's surprisingly reminiscent of film noir and it adds an extra emotion to scenes that might otherwise fall flat from exposition. One of my other favorite shots is when Harrison Ford's eye is framed through a hole in a window that then opens to a bigger frame once the window is revealed to be a door.

This shot also highlights something in Raiders: The subtle creativity in Steven Spielberg's visual language. There can be a lot going on in shots, like for example in the boat hanger with the Nazis talking while we watch the Ark of the Covenant, the subject of their conversation, unceremoniously drift by on a crane as if it's literally on their minds. Or another inconspicuous scene where the heroes are about to depart on a boat when Karen Allen's character gives John Rhys-Davies a goodbye kiss. The camera effortlessly glides from a closeup to a different close up and then fluidly follows Davies as he belts out a Gilbert and Sullivan tune as the other characters naturally fit into the rest of the shot with their movement. It's a hard thing to describe without visually showing it but let's just say Spielberg's blocking techniques feel very natural yet very meticulous. Like watching a puzzle solve itself.

I know I ranted about the visual aspect of Raiders in this review and touched on little else, but do know that this creativity is abundant in the film. From its action setpieces, to its tropey yet rootable characters, to the fantastic John Williams score that once again elevates the film to a cultural touchstone. There's a lot to love in this passion project, a lot of effort. And to think that taking away a key element of the film only heightened my appreciation. The next time you watch Raiders give it a spin in black and white, you might be surprised by how much you like it.