3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Along with Jaws, E.T. and Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark completes the quadrilogy of Spielberg's masterpieces of entertainment. This film is simply without faults. Every frame, every image, every dramatic push-in, musical cue, composition and cut is flawlessly constructed in order to create what is simple the most enjoyable and entertaining experience possible. Raiders is not burdened by emotional depth or social relevance. It is a Saturday Morning serial, action/adventure in its purest form. And it is also cinema at its finest. There is a reason Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic and memorable film characters in history, and not any of the countless other lead characters in the dozens of action-adventure films that preceded and that followed this one. Fact of the matter is, Indy ISN'T pure good, and that's what makes him so great. He fights dirty and without honor. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. He lacks faith. He sleeps around. He is a scoundrel... and we love him for it. The effort that went into crafting his character in such a compelling way is what makes this film stand out from the rest of its knock-offs and follow-ups. Add to that the brilliantly structured set pieces, beautiful settings, evil villains, hilarious comic relief, and iconic score, and the film is elevated to true greatness.