Raiders of the Lost Ark

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Call a classic that Williams has scored is not that easy. Call a classic that has Harrison Ford in the leading role is even harder, but call a classic that has Harrison Ford playing an adventurous world traveler is not that difficult. Every one will answer Indiana Jones, but they will undoubtedly mean Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first and definitely the most popular Indiana Jones movie of the three. Williams had already scored Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind with great effect for Steven Spielberg and he did this again with Raiders of the Lost Ark, one of the most intense, interesting, thrilling, sensational and gripping scores I have ever heard of John Williams. Indiana Jones of course offers everything you would expect for such an adventurous movie, a dazzling main theme, a beautiful love theme, a bad villain theme and most interestingly the powerful Ark theme. This all combined with Williams' superb orchestrations and flawless themes makes for 70 minutes of pure exciting film music. The main theme is known all over the world and it shows up in many tracks, every track that has Indy doing something heroic. The best treatments are found in the begin and end. The love theme gets minor appearances and has one outstanding moment, this also in the last track 'End Credits'. The bad villain theme is typically bad, this representing the Nazis.

But the third score of the Indiana Jones saga, The Last Crusade has the Nazi theme in much better order, there Williams develops the theme better and longer. The Ark theme is really sensational, how Williams builds up the raw power with just some notes is incredible, the mood it creates, the awe inspiring power of God it represents is sensational. This with much flair in the track 'The Map Room: Dawn', which is combined by a choir and with sheer force in 'The Miracle of the Ark', one of the most impressive tracks Williams has ever composed. I also said that this music is quite intense, and I was referring to the 8 minute action packed 'Desert Chase'. Once again, how Williams builds the sheer volume through his Raiders theme, the Nazi theme and lots of brass is beyond me. This shows what kind of talent Williams already then possessed. This any many great cues, like the pizzicato and playful music in 'The Basket Game' and the dark and scary underscore in 'The Well of the Souls'. All this combined gives Raiders of the Lost Ark, a most impressive and highly enjoyable collector's item. And besides 70 minutes of music you get an immense booklet full of information and the CD itself offers highly recommendable sound quality, it makes Raiders of the Lost Ark something that just must be found in your collection. Williams dominated those years and I only wish he could do that again.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. The Raiders March (2.52) Excellent Track

2. Main Title: South America, 1936 * (4.10)

3. In The Idol's Temple ** (5.26)

4. Flight From Peru (2.20) Excellent Track

5. Journey To Nepal * (2.11)

6. The Medallion * (2.54)

7. To Cairo (1.29)

8. The Basket Game ** (5.03)

9. The Map Room: Dawn (3.52) Excellent Track

10. Reunion And The Dig Begins * (4.11)

11. The Well Of The Souls ** (5.28)

12. Airplane Fight * (4.36)

13. Desert Chase ** (8.17) Excellent Track

14. Marion's Theme (2.07)

15. The German Sub * / To The Nazi Hideout * (4.31)

16. Ark Trek * (1.32)

17. The Miracle Of The Ark (6.05) Excellent Track

18. The Warehouse * (0.55)

19. End Credits (5.23) Excellent Track

* Previously Unreleased

** Contains Previously Unreleased Material

Total Length: 73.35

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: John Williams ===