In the film Indiana Jones and the Raiders the Lost Ark , the director Steven Spielberg creates patterns through the use of lighting, framing, and music. The use of lighting throughout the film helps to reflect the main character’s dual nature. Framing helps show the power relation between characters. Spielberg also uses music as a pattern to exemplify the themes of important people and objects.

Introduction

Slide 1 – Title ScreenSlide 2 -- IntroductionSlide 3 -- Table of ContentsSlide 4 -- LightingSlide 5 -- Lighting (cont.)Slide 6 -- Lighting (cont.)Slide 7 -- FramingSlide 8 -- Framing (cont.)Slide 9 --Framing (cont.)

Slide 10 -- MusicSlide 11 -- Music (cont.)Slide 12 -- Music (cont.)Slide 12 -- ConclusionSlide 13 -- Works Cited

Table of Contents

Spielberg uses several different lighting techniques throughout the movie. The best example of lighting is the use of lighting on the main character, Indiana Jones. At the beginning of the movie Indie is backlit; this creates a feeling of suspense and mystery. When you finally do get a glimpse of Indie he happens to be harshly lit from the side, making it appear as though he is two-faced. This helps to create the sense of his dual-nature; Indie is both a reputable professor of archaeology and a thief of rare artifacts.

Lighting

Once again the sense of mystery through lighting is created prior to the bar fight. Indie’s silhouette is once again shown. He is strongly black lit and it casts a large and almost menacing shadow on the wall behind Marion. After Marion acknowledges Indiana Jones there is a shot of his face, which for yet another time is lit from the side. During this moment Spielberg is playing at his dual sided character– not because he is a thief and a professor but because he cares for Marion but has hurt her before.

Lighting (continued)

Lighting (continued)

In order to help show the power relations between characters, Spielberg uses differing camera angles such as low angles and high angles to frame characters. When Spielberg wants to express that a character is weak he frames them from a high angle, when he wants to show a character is powerful he frames them from a low angle. One example of this is at the beginning of the film, after Indie has stolen the idol he comes tumbling out of the entrance and falls right at the feet of a man. In the scene the high angle down on Indie helps to establish that in this moment he is weak and powerless. The man who eventually takes the idol from Indiana is shot from a low angle, this angle shows his dominance over the main character.

Framing

Another moment in the film in which power is implied through angles is when Indiana comes across Marion who was presumed dead. In this scene Marion is shot from a high angle to depict her as even more vulnerable; Indie is shot from a low angle to depict his strength and power. In the scene Indie has just stumbled upon Marion. She is tied up to a pole, fragile and helpless, her mouth gagged by a towel. During this time only Indie is capable of saving Marion, he holds the power to her escape, therefore he is a powerful person, which is translated through the low angle framing.

Framing (continued)

Framing (continued)

Music is a key component to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and it is due to the use of non-diegetic, iconic themes. Each of the most important characters have their own personal themes. Indiana has a very heroic theme song. This is shown through the progression of the song, it rises and falls giving it a powerful and exciting feeling. Overall the theme music for Indie is light-hearted but also has a hint of herocism, which also adds to the effect of his double natured persona.

Music

Indiana Jones Theme Song

Marion has a theme song as well, it is first introduced when Indie realizes he will need to ask her about the medallion her father gave her. This is also the time that the Ark’s theme song first appears. The music for Marion is feminine, raw, and has a little bit of longing. Indie’s relationship to her is confusing, he longs for her and she longs for him but there is a sense of sexual tension between the two, and hesitance for he has hurt her before. And even though Marion is tough, she still has a feminine side to her.

Music (continued)

The Ark of the Covenant’s theme is separate from the others as it defines an object rather than a human. It is much more mysterious and has an element of impending doom in it. Indie is drawn to this object but also realizes that it is a source of great power that is incomprehensible. The pace of the music is also rather slow and daunting, which towards the end of the film viewers understand when all its energy and power is released, music in this sense also acts as a foreshadow.

Music (continued)

Spielberg does a wonderful job at relating his filming techniques back to the underlying ideas of the film. In the film Indie is living two vastly different lives, and the way he is lighted helps to conceal part of his identity. Also, by using different angles to frame characters, viewers can see the switches in power and how characters relate to each other. Non-diegetic music is a way to show a monumental part in the movie involving a main character or important object.

Conclusion

Lucas, George, Prod. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dir. Steven Spielberg." Perf. Ford, Harrison, Karen Allen, and paul Freeman. Paramount Pictures: 1981, DVD.

"Steven Spielberg." Internet Movie Database. IMDB.com, Inc., 2010. Web. 28 Oct 2010. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/>.

Works Cited