Harrison Ford was already 39 years old when he first put himself in the shoes of Indiana Jones, the character created by George Lucas, in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). The adventures of the intrepid archaeologist conquered the public and the critics in a story that was pure entertainment under the orders of Steven Spielberg behind the camera. King Midas returned to direct it in three other installments, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) -with the ill-fated River Phoenix playing the lead in his youth and Sean Connery acting as a father-, which achieved the same success, and 21 years later Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) would arrive, which, despite having Cate Blanchett in the role of the villain, was the weakest in the franchise.
They have had to spend another 15 years to recover on the big screen one of Ford's most iconic characters along with his Han Solo from Star Wars and Rick Deckard from Blade Runner. A role in which he takes his emblematic hat, leather jacket and whip for the last time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate, whose world premiere at the Cannes festival has caused great excitement and divided critics. specialized.
The 80-year-old actor received a warm six-minute ovation after the official screening on Thursday and was surprised by an honorary Palme d'Or with which he was overwhelmed with emotion and was on the verge of tears. A seemingly tough guy like him also has a little heart for him. Yesterday, at a crowded press conference, he was almost speechless again when he remembered it. “It was indescribable. Extraordinary. The welcome is unimaginable and it makes me feel good,” said the actor, very elegant in a suit and tie, before immediately admitting what it has meant to embody Indy for so long. "I adore this character, what he has given me in life." When asked why it is time to abandon his famous role, he answered with amusement: "Isn't it obvious?" Pointing to himself to the laughter of the attendees. The film, packed with action, humor and emotion, takes place in two different periods: the first part is set in Germany in 1945, in which he appears digitally rejuvenated and tries to recover some of the antiquities that the Nazis devastated on a train, and then in 1969, in which he comes out living alone in a New York apartment without a shirt and underpants, awakened by loud music from some hippie neighbors. He is about to retire and is going through a delicate family situation. A journalist praised his good physical shape and told him that he was very sexy. “I am lucky to have been blessed with this body. Thank you for noticing", snapped the actor, who also admitted that he knows how to ride a horse, as seen in some hectic sequences through the streets of New York and under the city's subway, full of people celebrating the day of the Moon, to honor the feat of the astronauts.
For this fifth installment, James Mangold (Logan) has taken over, giving the story an air of nostalgia in tune with the good work of Spielberg, who this time has preferred to remain as co-producer. “I wanted to work with Jim and see a good movie that summed up the four previous ones, that would allow anyone to remember that vigor of youth, but he wanted the character to experience all phases of his life.” Although Ford says goodbye to Indiana Jones, he confesses that he wants to "continue working in the cinema and tell good stories." Like the one he performs in the television series Terapia sin filtro, alongside Jason Segel.
The actor, who began doing just small roles on television without much success and could not support his family, ended up working as a carpenter. While working on a project for Goldwyn Studios, he met a young George Lucas, who signed him up for American Graffiti and, later, his galactic saga. The rest is history. “I have been very lucky because there are many talented people who never achieve success. In my case I had to wait for luck and the opportunity, but in that period I had the opportunity to learn, like a craftsman”.
The protagonist of titles like Armas de mujer or Air Force One thanked the great cast of the film, which includes an evil Mads Mikkelsen as a Nazi physicist obsessed with obtaining an artifact capable of changing the course of history, an Antonio Banderas in the skin of a faithful friend who lives in Greece and a Phoebe Waller-Bridge who plays his goddaughter, a strong-willed and money-loving archaeologist whom he has not seen in 18 years and pushes him to search for a relic of the past. Ford feels comfortable in her shoes and brags about it. “I'm really happy with the age I am, I don't look back. Now I might not be here and I'm still working. Everything is going well". And let him say it. Because he is incredible in the action scenes, and the outcome is one of those that touches the fiber. The Spanish public will be able to discover it from next June 30.
