Raiders of the Lost Ark

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)

The moment: Scruffy globe-trotting archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) flees a runaway boulder nipping at his heels.

Why it's great: With the film's famous intro, Spielberg doesn't merely set us up for the thrills and ... morecliffhanger action to come; he tosses the hoariest B-movie cliché right at us and pulls it off with a combination of droll humor, cinematic precision and pure delight at the sheer absurdity of it all.

Why it has lasted: There are more accomplished, exciting and inventive scenes in "Raiders." But the nonstop action, skin-of-the-teeth escapes, and a contemporary tongue-in-cheek sense of humor about the nostalgic trip to yesteryear are perfectly encapsulated in this definitive moment. It's only a movie, Spielberg says to us ... but what a movie you're about to see.

(Everett Collection)