Harrison Ford, with tears in his eyes, said goodbye to the character who catapulted him to stardom and gave him worldwide recognition: Indiana Jones. That was last week, at a ceremony held during the premiere of “El dial del destinio”, the fifth film in this saga, which began in 1981 with “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” and which for more than 40 years has brought millions of viewers to movie theaters around the world.
A few days before, within the framework of the Cannes Film Festival, this legendary organization presented him with an honorary Palme d’Or, which was quite a surprise for this actor, who is now 80 years old. “Harrison, we have a surprise for you,” declared the Festival’s general delegate, Thierry Frémaux, after calling the actor on stage.
It was one of the highlights of the 76th Cannes Film Festival. “I feel very moved. They say that when you are going to die you see your life flash by before your eyes, and I just saw that. A large part of my life, but not my whole life,” the actor declared at the time, who It has remained for the history of cinema.
From Chicago
This American film actor, born in Chicago in 1942 and one of the most charismatic faces in Hollywood in the 80s and 90s, had already known fame before Indiana thanks to the “Star Wars” saga, which showed an actor of profound technique and vast registers.
Ford made his first performances while studying at the College in Wisconsin; After a brief stint in the theater, he moved to Hollywood, where he was hired first by the Columbia film company and then by Universal. His disappointment at the turn his career was taking made him walk away from Hollywood and for a time he made a living as a carpenter.
In those years he worked in television series such as “The Virginian” or “Ironside”, but his first appearance in the cinema was in “Thief and lover” (1966), by Bernard Girard. This was followed by other small roles, including the one in the film “American graffiti” (1973), with which he laid the foundations for his future fame by working with George Lucas, who years later gave him the great opportunity to he.
The ‘war’ has arrived
Indeed, Lucas offered him one of the leading roles in “Star Wars” (1977), one of those films that, due to various circumstances, marked an entire generation. In it he played Han Solo, the pilot of the Millennium Falcon, an interplanetary ship that faced the evil defenders of the empire. Ford did not miss that opportunity: he participated in the two sequels of the production (“The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi)” and from that moment on he began his progressive ascent until he reached the top.
Francis Ford Coppola, with whom he had already worked on “The Conversation” (1974), gave him a role (although not the lead) in one of the most discussed films of the second half of the 20th century: “Apocalypsis Now” (1979). . However, and even taking into account his leading role in Lucas’s trilogy about the struggles in the galaxy, his true accolade came from Steven Spielberg, who offered him the role of professor and archaeologist Indiana Jones in another series that was has made it unforgettable and it began with “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981).
immortal indiana
The adventurous professor, with his hat and whip, inspired by characters from classic movies, brought him absolute popularity and, apart from the sympathy with which he was received by public opinion, Ford also proved to be an excellent actor, with ability to interpret very diverse characters.
Perhaps for all this, Ridley Scott gave him another memorable role in “Blade runner” (1982), where he was Deckar, a kind of policeman in a future world that the English director was able to recreate with a master hand. The film was also destined to become a reference title in modern cinema. His creation, in “Only Witness” (1984), of a city cop lost in a rural Amish community, earned him an Oscar nomination.
Likewise, his appearances in the role of a CIA analyst, agent Ryan, are popular, a character who began playing Alec Baldwin (“The Hunt for Red October”) and who later passed to Ford, who seemed to start a new saga (“Patriot Games”, 1992, or “Imminent Danger”, 1994; both by Philip Noyce). The two works achieved the favor of the public and success at the box office.
Harrison’s Soundtrack
Clearly the Indiana Jones saga would not be the same without its soundtrack. This memorable and recognized piece of music composed by John Williams marks not only the future of the saga, but also puts it in the ears of the whole world.
As Williams himself told a medium in 2015, “My first task in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ was to create a recognizable theme for the Indiana Jones character every time Harrison gets on the horse or does something heroic,” following the scheme from the old westerns made in Hollywood last century.
The soundtrack for the first feature film in the saga was recorded in February 1981 at Abbey Road Studios, possibly in Room 1, where symphonic ensembles used to be recorded, due to their size and structure. On the occasion, Williams himself conducted the London Symphony Orchestra.
For the final film in the saga, Williams says, “What I tried to do was bring a nostalgic aspect to this piece. Indiana Jones is wonderful because Harrison Ford has the ability to make the most dramatic scenes with a certain irony and a twinkle in his eye. He does action comedy dialogue as well as anyone,” observes the composer.
Among Williams’ favorite pieces is the theme for Helena, the character played by actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, which features contributions from renowned German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. “Jim Mangold told me, ‘She writes a song for Helena that’s like a woman from the ’30s or ’40s.’ She is adventurous. She has lovers here and there, while she does all these things looking stunningly beautiful,” says Ella Williams.