Table of Contents  Plot development  Transition 1  Transition 2  Transition 3  What is a dangling cause?  Dangling cause: Snakes  Dangling cause: Creepy man  Dangling cause: Ark is death  What’s a motif?  Motif 1: The color red  Motif 2: Indy’s theme  Motif 3: Ark theme  Conclusion  Works cited

Four Stages of Plot Development 1. Set-up The viewer meets the characters, and the “double goal” is established. 2. Complicating Action The action goes in a new direction and there is a new situation that the protagonist must deal with. 3. Development The goals are in place and many incidents occur that create action, suspense, and delay. 4. Climax and resolution The highest point of action, there is straight forward progress towards a resolution. The protagonist either achieves his goal or not.

Set-up to Complicating Action The transition from set-up to complicating action happens when Indy is talking to the professors about the lost ark. After he discusses that he must go find the lost ark before the Nazi’s do, he flies to Nepal to find Marion. After Marion yells to Indy “I’m your goddamn partner” the complicating action begins.

Complicating Action to Development The transition from complicating action to development happens when Indy discovers where the ark is. Once he knows where the ark is he must find a way to get it before the Nazi’s do. He almost must save Marion, the “double goal.”

Development to Climax and Resolution The development to climax and resolution occur when Indy finds the ark, and then has to get the ark back from the Nazis. All the goals are in place and the new incidents occur only to delay the goals.

Dangling cause…?  Hints or clues within the beginning of a movie that warn the viewer of important things to come in the future  Foreshadowing in film

“I hate snakes!” In the beginning of the movie Indy yells “I hate snakes!” Later, when Indy is finding the ark he has to jump into a pit of snakes. The viewer already knows how much Indy hates snakes, making the scene more dramatic.

Creepy Guy Strikes Back In the beginning of the movie when Indy gets on the plane going to Nepal, a very strange man creeping behind a red (motif) LIFE magazine stares at Indy. This man becomes important shortly after when he’s also looking for the ark and is the head Nazi.

“Death has always surrounded the ark”  In the beginning of the movie it is mentioned that “death has always surrounded the ark.” Almost no one listens to this little piece of advice, however, and in the end, the Nazi man’s face completely melts, and all the Nazi men are killed because of the ark’s otherworldly powers.

Motifs  A motif is a reoccurring theme, subject, color, song, etc. that hints at a particular subject within the movie.  Example: Within Raiders of the Lost Ark there is a reoccurring theme of the color red that symbolized something bad.

Motif: RED Throughout the entire movie the color red sticks out against the tan, brown colors of the scenery and clothing. Whenever the color red appears the viewer knows that is represents something bad. The monkey caused a lot of problems, the poison was in a red bottle, and the Nazi flag was outlined in red.

Motif: Indy’s theme Indy’s theme song is a motif within in the movie because it plays whenever Indy is about to do, or doing something heroic or impressive. Indy’s theme plays after he escapes the natives, when he’s on the plane to Nepal, and many other times throughout the movie.

Motif: Ark Theme The ark theme song plays whenever the ark is being talked about, thought about, or when Indy is finding the ark. The ark theme helps the viewer know what Indy is doing when he’s standing on the dirt mound and when he’s in the tomb.

Conclusion  Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark is a fun, action- packed movie that also includes fundamental elements of film, including motifs and dangling causes.  For useful information and trivial facts visit  To read more reviews of the movie visit e_raiders_of_the_lost_ark_in_imax/ e_raiders_of_the_lost_ark_in_imax/

Works Cited  "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in IMAX (1981)." Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in IMAX. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept  Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Harrison Ford DVD.