Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
In a tense scene at a dig site-turned-airfield, Sallah urgently informs Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood that the Nazis, led by Belloq, have seized the Ark of the Covenant and are loading it onto a truck bound for Cairo. Determined to reclaim the Ark, Indy instructs Sallah to arrange transport to England and prepares to pursue the convoy. Despite having no plan, Indy improvises by procuring a horse and racing across the site, through a crowd of locals, and down sand dunes to catch up with the convoy, positioning himself right behind the truck carrying the Ark, setting the stage for an iconic action sequence.
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INT. TENT – DAY
Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) is talking to Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) in a tent on the edge of the dig site, which has become a makeshift airfield. The Ark Of The Covenant has just been taken from them by the Nazis and their collaborator, Belloq (Paul Freeman).
Sallah: Indy… Indy, we have no time. If you still want the Ark, it is being loaded onto a truck for Cairo.
Indy: Truck? What truck?
EXT. DIG SITE/AIRFIELD – DAY
We now see the truck being driven onto the airfield, accompanied by a jeep. Soldiers bring the Ark, now in a wooden crate, and load it onto the truck, supervised by Belloq. As locals swarm them, Nazi soldiers fire their weapons to ward them off. Belloq walks to his car and climbs in with the officers.
Belloq: Let’s go!
As the convoy holding the Ark begins to pull out, we see that Indy, Marion and Sallah are watching from a nearby ridge.
Indy: Get back to Cairo. Get us some transport to England… boat, plane, anything. Meet me at Omar’s. Be ready for me. I’m going after that truck.
Sallah: How?
Indy: I don’t know. I’m making this up as I go.
CUT TO:
Indy, making it up as he goes. He’s procured a horse from somewhere and rides it across the dig site, past all the construction equipment and through a crowd of locals, who rise to their feet as he races past, the ‘Raiders March’ blaring on the soundtrack. We see the Ark, on the truck, surrounded by watchful German soldiers.
Then the first Nazi staff car, loaded with more soldiers. And finally Belloq’s car, which also carries Toht (Ronald Lacey) and Dietrich (Wolf Kahler). Now we see Indy on the horse, riding across sand dunes, whipping up a cloud of dust as he gallops along. He pulls up at the edge of one and looks down to see the convoy passing beneath. He stops dead, looking down, quickly calculating his next move. And then, geeing up his horse, he… rides it down a steep slope and emerges in the middle of the convoy. Right behind the truck with the Ark in it.
