The Indiana Jones franchise started with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. The films have carved a place among cinema lovers’ hearts with their inventive adventure elements and cleverly crafted and enthralling action sequences. Moreover, the original three films in the franchise, which were produced in the 1980s, have mostly stood the test of time and have very few flaws.
However, a group of VFX artists recently broke down the Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s VFX and shared several interesting tidbits about the film’s production. The group also highlighted how one flaw in the film’s VFX could have spoiled one of its most important scenes. Nonetheless, the group remained positive towards the overall VFX of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Here is the glaring error in Raiders of the Lost Ark that could have ruined the film.
VFX Artists Spot One Detail That Could’ve Spoiled Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s Biggest Twist
Directed by Steven Spielberg, 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark serves as the introduction to Harrison Ford‘s Indiana Jones, a character who has cemented his legacy in modern pop culture. Corridor Crew, a group of VFX artists who dissect visual effects of films on YouTube, recently did a breakdown of the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise.
During the breakdown, the group discussed the film’s climax, which reveals the true nature of the titular Ark, a powerful MacGuffin that drives the narrative forward. The climax sees villain Major Arnold Toht get his hands on the Ark, only for him to disintegrate because of its power. However, the group noted that the scene was fast-forwarded to hide some of the inconsistencies in the VFX.
“It’s the perfect tell that this is fast-forwarded, cause they don’t fall at the regular speed like if they are filming it, they, it falls fast forwarded… But here’s the thing, no one’s looking at the glasses. Everyone’s looking at his face turning red.”
Wren, one of the artists, made the above statement, referencing how Toht’s glasses do not fall off at a regular speed, thus breaking the illusion of the melting effect.
The scene in question unveils the true power of the Ark, and the melting effect adds to the shock value of what is arguably the film’s biggest revelation. Thus, if the VFX had been handled poorly, the scene could have lost all its impact. Nonetheless, the Corridor Crew opined that the scene’s visual effects were handled well despite the one small flaw.
VFX Artists Discuss the Creation of Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Special Effects
During the video discussion, the Corridor Crew talked about other aspects of Raiders of the Lost Ark and its special effects. The group complimented the VFX team for their efforts in combining practical effects with visual effects to deliver an impressive experience to the viewers.
“Those guys are magicians. Those practical effects guys man they they just know tricks for everything that they’re trying to do.”
The group made the above statement, praising the film’s practical effects that elevated the movie’s visuals. The group also talked about how the artists used wax models to pull off the climatic face-melting sequence with the help of substances like gelatin.
The group’s insights highlight the effort and hard work behind the creation of Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s scenes, with the help of practical effects that remain a very strong example of such filmmaking techniques to this day. Moreover, the effects have stood the test of time, giving the Indiana Jones films a timeless attribute to them.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is streaming on Disney+.
