MJB SCRIPT REVIEW | RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁!”

This week’s review is the kind of movie you always find somewhere on TV on Boxing Day…RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

Plot in a nutshell; Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant. The only thing standing in his way is its location and the Nazis racing to find it too…

Just a legend. Indiana Jones. From the mind of George Lucas and the words of epic writer Lawrence Kasdan. Magic. Historic cinema. A character EVERYONE has heard of, if not at least seen. So this script carries a huge expectation on its shoulders. Luckily, this is the third draft and so we can see work in progress.

First off, this is a very imaginative and creative piece of writing. I’ve seen the films so many times, that I’d forgotten just how creative the script is. All the different sequences, descriptions, scenarios and scenes that we take for granted every time we sit and watch this beauty. But it really is very impressive. The script really works at its best, even at this draft, with each individual little scene fully formed with its own start, middle and end. Leading to a conclusion that keeps you rooting for the next scene. So you never want to stop reading. Just be absorbed by the current scene and then jump straight into the next intriguing sequence. Addictive.

Now for some of the surprises. The first is the additional scene in Shanghai with the raid at Hoks museum in search of the base piece to the staff. It carries the same energy as the scene in Marion’s bar where Indy and the third reich rock up, but proceeds it. So you get two scenes of equal energy one after the other. Which just doesn’t sit right. So glad that didn’t stay.

Secondly, the ending (if we’re being completely honest, from the moment Indy climbs from Katangas ship to the Nazi sub, until credits roll) is almost completely different. Sharks, silk tents, a mine cart ride and an exploding island are just some of the elements. It’s certainly fun, but you can see the dollar signs on the page and the money flying out the bank with every paragraph. But it’s still very exciting and certainly rammed full of great ideas.

And then there are the moments of just complete and utter joy. The entire Tanis dig sequence, from the moment Indy rocks up, to the moment the Ark leaves on the truck for Cairo is just riveting, breathtaking writing. Exciting, exhilarating and impossible to put down. Those moments right there are an honour to witness in an early draft.

So, what did I learn from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK?

Well, from this third draft, certainly a couple of things signpost early on.

1) the ADs are EXTENSIVE. I mean they really go on. Every action, every thought, every moment is catalogued here. It’s great, because you can break down all the scenes, every fight and action sequence, the decor of each room and what the characters are thinking/doing at every moment. But it’s a tough read and just like PSYCHO, definite room for editing or at least lessening the ADs. If you want a lovely producer or financier to enjoy a swift read on their lunch break, that is.

2) Almost the opposite note to my last point and more for the filmmakers out there; it’s better to get EVERYTHING down on the first draft and then edit later, than write less on the first draft and try and bulk up later. Bit like sculpting a statue. So there is the argument for more is more on that first draft.

(I know my last two points contradict, but hey, whatever works for you budding writers out there)

3) This is another example of that popular writers conundrum; do I write what I want and let the chips fall where they may? Or do I write to a budget and up my chances of it getting made? Couldn’t answer you myself. That’s why it’s a conundrum. But I will say this; if this was my first feature, I’d be writing in a lot less locations, characters and action sequences. And waaaaay less explosions (boy, is fire expensive!). But if this was my forth or fifth script? Hell, there’d be aliens, a mountain of gold and stormtroopers too. So I think it depends on where you are in your career, I suppose.

But it was still a great read and really found its pace and feel by the time I got to the Tanis build. I was constantly surprised at the wonderful images and experiences that this script offered to me as a storyteller and filmmaker.

But this, at the end of the day, is what this medium is about. Imagination. And this script…this story, is so rich with it, that you can see why the creators got so excited.

Link to the script;

https://thescriptsavant.com/.../Raiders_Of_The_Lost_Ark.pdf