Raiders of the Lost Ark


Dcc Compact Classics (0010963009026)
Movie | Released: 1995 | Format: CD
 

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# Track   Duration
1.The Raiders March2:50
2.Main Title : South America, 19364:10
3.In the Idol's temple5:26
4.Flight from Peru2:20
5.Journey to Nepal2:11
6.The Medaillon2:55
7.To Cairo1:29
8.The basket game5:04
9.The map room : Dawn3:52
10.Reunion and the dig begins4:10
11.The Well of the souls5:28
12.Airplane Fight4:37
13.Desert Chase8:15
14.Marion's Theme2:08
15.The German Sub / To the Nazi hideout4:32
16.Ark Trek1:33
17.The Miracle of the Ark6:05
18.The Warehouse0:56
19.End Credits5:20
 73:21
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Raiders of the Lost Ark - 10/10 - Review of Tom Daish, submitted at
How many indelible themes can one man write? One would think that after Superman, Star Wars, Jaws and even lesser known efforts such as The Cowboys a composer would be running short on original thematic material. Of course, when it's John Williams, great expectations are usually met and so when Steven Spielberg and George Lucas joined forces to create a globe trotting archeologist (not the most obvious source of potential for a great action film, it has to be said) they both brought along John Williams to bring Indiana Jones musically to life. The Raiders March is now an almost obligatory entry at any Williams concert and more often than not the encore, even if it hasn't been featured in the listed program. The first 30 seconds are usually drowned out by cheering and the time between those final five notes and the return of cheering, is infinitesimal. The Raiders March is just one of those themes that you can remember after the first listen and yet its appeal doesn't diminish with repeats.

While the Raiders March is used quite frequently throughout Raiders of the Lost Ark it would be wrong to suggest that it's a one theme score. There's the old fashioned passion of Marion's Theme which slips nicely into sub-genre of Williams romance and along the same lines as Han and Leia's indelible theme from The Empire Strikes Back. Then there's the portentous Ark Theme, the officious but mildly comical march for the Nazis and equally memorable secondary melodies, notably the mysterious oboe melody for The Medallion which, give every key element of the film a readily identifiable motif. Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of those scores where every track has something going for it, but there are of course many stand out highlights.

After a nice arrangement of the Raiders March that acts as a prelude to the album presentation of the score (if not in the film), there is suspenseful and creepy music as we find Jones raiding a Temple in South America. Barely a whisper of the march is heard, instead there's much tension and skittish musical responses to the dangers lurking around every corner. Only with Flight From Peru does Williams let the cat out of the bag and the march takes its place as an emotional trigger for when Indy is doing something heroic. The ability of the melody to appear as a brief hint as well as a full length theme is a testament to its inspired construction.

While most of the action is played seriously, The Basket Game makes for a more light hearted scherzo, notably scored for pizzicato strings, even if the ending is somewhat more subdued when Indy believes Marion to have been killed in an explosion. Airplane Flight and the lengthy Desert Chase both give much air time to the Raiders March, perhaps a little too much for some people, but Williams' ingenious counterpoint gives it different dramatic meaning as Indy either appears to be winning or losing the battle. The music associated with the Ark isn't as biblical as one might expect, the final sequence of The Miracle of the Ark demonstrating its power as too much for mere mortals. Some disturbing trumpet fanfares and other genuinely frightening musical effects add greatly to the potency of the scene.

One could also mention the choral grandeur of The Map Room: Dawn and the gentle use of Marion's Theme after the Desert Chase, but as a top Williams score, is one that should be owned and listened to. The performance of the London Symphony Orchestra is outstanding in every respect and this expanded edition from Silva Screen is a model of great presentation both in terms of musical production and excellent liner notes. The Indiana Jones set offers only slightly more music than the original album, notably Washington Men/Indy's Home and Bad Dates, yet oddly has an edit in the Truck Chase that appeared in the original album release. It's only around 40 seconds, but it seems odd. The other slightly unusual editing choice is to put the delightful coda that originally appeared at the end of the opening 3 minute version of the Raider's March on the end of the End Credits. For fans, both versions are required for the most complete view (I'm not sure if there's much else unreleased), although more casual fans would be happy with either version. The sound quality is fairly comparable, although the Silva release contains perhaps the more interesting liner notes. Either way, an essential film music classic that should be in anyone's collection.
Raiders of the Lost Ark - 10/10 - Review of Andreas Lindahl, submitted at
This is one of those scores that everyone can hum something from and it's one of John Williams' classic masterpieces. In 1995 Silva Screen released an expanded version of the original soundtrack with more, previously unreleased, music. The release also includes a thick booklet with pictures, comments by Williams and an analysis by Film Score Monthly's Lukas Kendall, making it a must have in any filmmusic fans collection.

When I said that this is one of those scores anyone can hum something from I was refering to the heroic theme for Indy, of course. This theme, which has to be one of the most famous, and best, ever written for a film, opens the soundtrack in "The Raiders' March", and is then used throughout the score when Indy does something heroic.

There are two more themes that dominate the score, along with Indy's rousing piece of music; Marion's romantic theme, and the Ark's theme, or motif, which is a very mystical, ancient and dark theme. Together these themes, and a few more, not mentioned here, creates a splendid listening experience, filled with action, romance, terror, and action again, as this is primarily a score for an adventure film.
Oscars: Best Original Score (Nominee)
The music of this soundtrack was used in:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Trailer)

Soundtracks from the collection: Indiana Jones

Young Indiana Jones Chronicles - Volume 3, The (1993)
Story of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones: The Soundtracks Collection (2008)
Film Music by Ennio Morricone (1993)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1985)
Young Indiana Jones Chronicles - Volume 1, The (1992)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1995)
Indy Jones Story, The (2008)


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