``Raiders of the Lost Ark'' Spielberg's ``momentum'' made possible the renaissance of American cinema

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2018.05.02Tetsuya Inagaki

Spielberg's rapid shooting = the heat of the "action drama" created by "momentum"

Spielberg is known for his quick shots. After all, he completed `` Ready Player One '' and `` The Post '' around the same time, making both masterpieces. That early shooting started with "Raiders." This is because Lucas, who was in charge of producing the film, had made it a condition that he would not exceed the scheduled number of shooting days. And that bond had a positive effect. Spielberg said something like this in the making of ``Raiders.''

"It's a problem with fast-paced action scenes, where you tend to think you've taken shots you haven't taken yet and move on to the next one."

This early shot gave the Raiders an unexpected boost of momentum. A notable example of this is the fighting scene in a flying wing.

It's a complex action scene in which various elements intertwine, such as a fight between Indy and a giant soldier, a flying wing plane starting to move, the heroine trapped in the cockpit, and gasoline overflowing, but it is beautifully finished with flowing cuts. Complex scenes like this are usually filmed with careful planning, but Spielberg rarely checked the storyboards, improvised on set, and shot the film at his own pace. That's what it means. This scene consists of over 70 shots, and the way they were improvised was a miracle. But perhaps Spielberg knew that momentum and passion were the keys to the success of ``Raiders''.

In fact, he didn't mind lying to the on-set staff because he didn't want the momentum of filming to be slowed down. When asked if the current cut was a failure, he answered, "Not at all! It was amazing!" "People lie when they make a mistake on a shoot, like me. They say it's a good shot. Many directors do that and move on. The more you lie, the cheaper it is because you're less likely to have to reshoot. ”

``Raiders'' was driven not only by its story, but also by the filming location, which was a ``continuous action drama.'' As a result, Spielberg was able to significantly shorten the shooting schedule and complete a film with stunning quality that would have been impossible with a budget of $20 million.

Even now, more than 35 years after its production, ``Raiders'' still has an undiminished energy. This is the result of the ``momentum'' of Spielberg's direction being included as ``action drama.''

Reference materials:

“The Spielberg Secret Written for the First Time” Written by Frank Sanello / Translated by Machiko Nakamata

From “ Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures ” Blu-ray bonus footage

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"Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark"

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