I haven't watched this, a movie I watch once a month (at least), in over a year and what a lovely evening I just had with it. Greeting an old friend warmly after a trying time apart. Just about as good as when we went to see it on the big screen almost two years ago (which was a revelation - so cool to see that way after growing up with it on VHS then DVD).
I don't remember the first time I saw an Indiana Jones movie. I know I saw Last Crusade first. I know that from the time I was about 5, I wanted to be (specifically) an Egyptologist. When kids on the playground wanted to play Indiana Jones, I refused to be anyone but Indy. I argued that my gallop was the "most correct" (whatever that meant, baby Shannon). It's funny that I wanted to be Indy because now I just want to be Marion. (Raiders Marion, not the other tragic Marion.) When we saw the Stunt Show at MGM Studios (as it was then known) in '93, I begged my parents for an Official Indiana Jones(TM) Fedora and it was my most prized possession, even though it never fit me, for many many years. I wish I had the picture of me, beaming at 9 years old, standing with the Indy and Marion performers after the stunt show. I have silhouettes of Indy and Marion hanging in the house with the dialogue, "Boy you're something/I'm your goddamn partner!" I don't know that there's anything I Strongly Suggest more urgently to people than Stephen Soderbergh's BRILLIANT "film school" lesson on cinematography that highlights an edit of Raiders in which the sound/dialogue and color are removed from the film to illustrate how it is still a complete and perfectly told story, simply through framing and lighting. When I tell you, dear reader, how I gasped the first time I saw Indy's shadow on Marion's wall when watching that edit... I *gasped*. Just beautiful. (Please please please watch it here: https://extension765.com/blogs/soderblog/raiders please it's so beautiful)
Things I noticed tonight: Indiana's breathless enthusiasm for what he does. I don't know that I've ever really appreciated his first scene with the G-Men. So excited to talk about the history of the Ark and where it's been, so uninterested in how it might be used for war. Enthusiasm like that, geekery as we know it, is one of my favorite things to see in people. It breaks my heart to see how it's been trained out of anyone, through the disdain or, worse, disinterest of others. Moments like this, that unbridled passion, make me think that Dr. Jones' classes are popular for more than just the curbside appeal, shall we say.
I want a prequel about Brody's time in the field. When he said "five years ago, I would have gone" my brain was alight with possibility. God bless Denholm Elliott.
May we all be a little more like Sallah. Such joy and loyalty. And a solid appreciation for Gilbert & Sullivan.
Marion. Marion Ravenwood. Where to begin? Karen Allen is, was, and forever will be my platonic ideal of beauty. I have always wanted to be Karen Allen. Those freckles! That sass! That sincerity! (I really want to visit her yarn store.) I have also always wanted to be Marion Ravenwood. Smart, brave, bold. She punches her ex square in the face like we all wish we could. And tries again a few times. She's so fully realized in her various defenses and walls that she uses to keep people (read: men) exactly where she needs them to be to keep the upper hand and, presumably, to feel safe. Can you imagine how terrifying it would be to be a woman in Marion's position? But she doesn't play that at all. Instead, Allen gives us how she's emotionally metabolized that fear. The way she handles herself, her business, her liquor. Her clear eyed view of how things are and what she wants. Her care and vulnerability without being weighed down by sentimentality. I love her. I love what loving her says about me and who I've always wanted to be. I want to continue to work to be more like Marion.
Moments that will stay with me for all my life:
-Toht assembling the coat hanger
-Indy pacing in front of the diggers (beautiful shot)
-the way all the artefacts glow
-the fan slowly turning above the dead monkey
Raiders, in particular, is my absolute favorite of John Williams' BIG scores. (My overall favorites are Far & Away, Sabrina, and Angela's Ashes but people never think of those when they think of Williams.) Obviously the Raiders March is iconic. But the Ark motif, Marion's theme, "The Basket Game", all pieces of music that instantly turn a mood around for me. I used to earnestly think I would walk down the aisle to Marion's Theme.
"The Basket Game"
Thread, fabric, string, wire, coffee.
7" embroidery hoop
Takeaways:
-I was kicking myself for this one taking so long but look at it. Of course I finished it late Saturday night.
-This is my first time doing stumpwork embroidery (simple as my take on it is here) and second time doing thread painting. I really like both a lot. But golly, what a heap of work.
-Ben asked why I picked this moment. Who knows? I love Marion, whatever I did was always going to include her. I didn't want her just hiding in the basket though so that's why she's got her trusty frying pan. She's connected inside the basket and the lid so you can lift the lid to reveal her. Now that I'm done taking pictures, the monkey is connected to the lid too.
-The frying pan gave me the most trouble out of anything. I did her face first to rip off the bandaid and that went really well so I thought (silly), "the frying pan will be easy!" Wrong. Multiple light sources and really fine texture were just beastly to capture. I'm hoping people just look at Marion.
Tonight we'll be watching Practical Magic which is not, contrary to Ben's remembrance of it, about jumping off the roof.
I hope you have a fabulous week and are enjoying the start to your spooky season!!