Table of Contents
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Plot development
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Transition 1
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Transition 2
Transition 3
What is a dangling cause?
Dangling cause: Snakes
Dangling cause: Creepy
man
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Dangling cause: Ark is
death
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What’s a motif?

Motif 1: The color red
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Motif 2: Indy’s theme
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Motif 3: Ark theme
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Conclusion
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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, actionpacked movie that also includes fundamental elements of
film, including motifs and dangling causes.

For useful information and trivial facts visit
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/plotsummary

To read more reviews of the movie visit
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/indiana_jones_and_th
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. 2012.
<http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/indiana_jones_and_the_r
aiders_of_the_lost_ark_in_imax/>.

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dir. Steven Spielberg.
Perf. Harrison Ford. 1981. DVD.