Indiana Jones - The Adventure Collection (DVD, 2003, Full Frame; 4-Disc Set)

The best thing about all of the Indiana Jones movies is the way they feel, the humanity that sits at the heart of each adventure. Not to mention the humour. Each of these movies is very, very funny (even though some critics would say that the humour is often at the expense of Nazi stooges [who are people] getting killed, maimed or tossed off of tall things, but hey).

The Indiana Jones Trilogy also boasts one other unique element - the production team above (with the exception of Kasdan) was kept pretty much intact through the whole series, and each movie has the same director. Because of this, I think that I will talk more about the series as a whole, as opposed to breaking it down into the specific component movies. I will make one more very specific mention: the second flick; Temple of Doom, is less children’s oriented than the other flicks, and has far more intense scenes, in particular, the dinner scene which features such gastronomical delights as snake surprise (a big snake filled with small snakes), beetles, and chilled monkey brains for dessert. This is despite the fact that one of the hinges of the story is Indy saving a whole mess of Indian children who have been imprisoned by the evil Thugee cult. This one thing effects the only jarring note of the whole series, so parents be warned.

I watched all three movies back to back, and one thing that struck me was Spielberg’s direction. Even in Pan and Scan format (and all three films were filmed in Panavision, so are horribly chopped up), you can see the fluidity and assuredness of Spielberg behind the camera. I was struck by the mobility of his camera, the moving angles, the utilization of point-of-view shots and some very interesting compositions that have marked Spielberg’s flicks in the past. Some would say that Spielberg simply employs camera tricks to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, and in the hands of a less talented craftsman, or in movies with poorer scripts or acting, these critiques may have validity, but not here. The direction draws you into the movie, and the techniques used only serve to better illustrate the adventures. One I remember vividly is in Last Crusade, where Indy has to make the ‘leap of faith’. After Indy steps on the stone bridge, the camera slides out just a little, showing the audience the cleverness of the trap involved, and letting us in on it.

It is, without a shadow of doubt one of the best cinematographics achievements of the 20th century.