Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | Keeping the Score Series

Be it a gentle piano interlude or a glorious orchestral fanfare, no element of filmcraft sets a movie’s tone and identity quite like the musical score. Film music has the power to underline a filmmaker’s narrative ideas, forge our bond to a heroic character, and move us to the point of tears. Join us all year long as we showcase cinema’s iconic composers whose musical talents enrich the images we see on screen and have us humming their unforgettable melodies as we exit the auditorium. The series continues with a film the whole family will love RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK! See it on July 2nd at 7pm or on Sunday July 6th at 1pm! 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀: princetongardentheatre.org/specials

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲: In 1936, quick-witted and intrepid archaeologist Indiana Jones (portrayed with wry humor and charm by Harrison Ford) is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers. Resurrecting the action serials of the ‘40s, this legendary collaboration between filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas helped redefine the possibilities of big-budget adventure cinema.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲: Every action hero deserves an anthem to match their greatness, and the “Raiders March” is as essential to defining Indiana Jones as his trademark whip and fedora. Whether Indy is trotting the globe, uncovering long-lost treasures, or cutting Nazis down to size, composer John Williams underscores his hero’s glorious feats of derring-do with pep and fanfare. He reached back to Max Steiner and other classic Hollywood composers for inspiration as he wrote the romantic melody for Indy’s scrappy paramour, Marion. Williams is also strategic when deploying his mysterious leitmotif representing the Ark of the Covenant, teasing an incomplete musical idea throughout and not allowing it to reach its full crescendo until the film’s fiery, gory climax. More than just memorable melodies, Williams’ rich score makes the adventure and the danger in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK feel exciting and real.

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 $𝟭𝟬!Become a member of our nonprofit theater for as little as $40 a year. Learn more at princetongardentheatre.org/membership

You may also like the following events from Princeton Garden Theatre:

• This Saturday, 21st June, 10:00 am, $ 5 Family Matinee | Toy Story (1995) in Princeton
• This Sunday, 22nd June, 01:00 pm, Casablanca (1942) | Keeping the Score Series in Princeton
• Next Tuesday, 24th June, 07:00 pm, Sabbath Queen (2024) w/ Director Sandi Simcha Dubowski in-person in Princeton

Also check out other Entertainment events in Princeton, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Princeton.