entertainment
‘When there was wonder in the world’: why Raiders of the Lost Ark is my feelgood movie
The latest in our series of writers paying tribute to their go-to comfort films celebrates Steven Spielberg’s escapist globe-trotting adventure
TL;DR
- The film Raiders of the Lost Ark provides a comforting viewing experience by allowing viewers to vicariously live through dangerous situations.
- A pervasive sense of nostalgia for a romanticized bygone era, where good triumphed over evil, is central to the movie's appeal.
- The film is an homage to 1930s and 1940s serial B-movies, reflecting the childhood influences of creators George Lucas, Philip Kaufman, and Steven Spielberg.
- Raiders of the Lost Ark offered American audiences in the early 1980s an escape from the disillusionment of recent historical events.
- Watching Harrison Ford's character fight Nazis resonates with a sense of moral clarity, recalling the 'Greatest Generation' and times of perceived moral obscurity.
- The author also reflects nostalgically on the past experience of watching the film repeatedly on television during childhood.
- The movie's plot, with its reliance on divine intervention for salvation, offers a sense of peace and comfort.
- The author finds relaxation in channel surfing and the passive experience of being guided by television programming choices.