Harrison Ford Says Goodbye to ‘Indiana Jones’ in Cannes | Wagon Radio 720

CANNES, France (AP) – As the crowd at the Cannes Film Festival erupted in enthusiastic applause, a visibly moved Harrison Ford took to the stage and tried to contain his emotions.

The warmth of the audience and the clip reel that had just been played made Ford shiver.

“People say that when death approaches, they see their lives flash before their eyes,” he says. “And I saw my life flash before my eyes. It was a big part of my life, but not all of my life.”

If last year’s Cannes was defined in part by its tribute to Top Gun Maverick star Tom Cruise, this year’s was Ford’s. This time it was even more exciting. More than 40 years after his first appearance, 80-year-old Ford bids farewell to the iconic adventurer-archaeologist with his fedora, whip, and moderate phobia of snakes, and retires from ‘Indiana Jones’. .

It was the most moving farewell tour for Ford, who often shed tears along the way. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ford was asked, “Why are you giving up Indy now?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” he replied with a characteristically shy smile. “I need to sit down and get some rest. I love working. And I love this character. And I love what it brings to my life. is.”

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate, the fifth Indiana Jones film, premieres in Cannes Thursday night, marking an emotional conclusion to the series that began with 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Brought. While this and his next three were all based on George Lucas books and directed by Steven Spielberg, Ford’s final chapter was directed by James Mangold, the filmmaker of “Ford v Ferrari.” and co-wrote the script.

One of the most popular gala tickets at Cannes this year included the honorary Palme d’Or awarded to Ford. The next day, Ford was still struggling to articulate his experience as he delivered his final turn as Indiana Jones.

“It was indescribable. I can’t even tell you,” Ford said. “It’s really special to see something like a relic of your life pass away.”

After the underwhelming disappointment of 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, the possibility of a fifth film lingered for years and iterations. Ford said he wanted to see another, less youthful version of Jones. “Dial of Destiny” is set in his 1960s, portraying Indiana as a retired professor whose old exploits are no longer all that special in the age of space exploration.

“I wanted to see the weight of life on him. I wanted to see him in need of reinvention and support. I wanted them to have a relationship that they didn’t have,” said Ford, who co-stars with Phoebe Waller-Bridge. “I wanted an equal relationship.”

It’s clear that Ford is genuinely happy with the film. He particularly praised his castmates and Mangold, saying they went above and beyond “filling in the work that Steven left us.”

“Everything has been done to support me in my old age,” said Ford with a wry smile.

The film begins with a lengthy sequence dating back to the end of World War II. In these scenes, Ford is demoted to look younger. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is quick to say that the company won’t use an AI-powered Ford in the future. Mr. Ford called his rejuvenated employment “competent and hardworking” and did nothing to make him jealous.

“I never look back and wish I was that person. I’m really happy with my age,” Ford said. He added that it could get worse with swear words. “I could die.”

Ford isn’t retiring from acting. He said he has two TV series currently in the works (“Shrinking” and “1923”) and plans to continue working on them.

“I’ve been lucky to work with incredibly talented people and find my way in this collective of geniuses, and not have had a hard time,” Ford said. said. “And it seems like I still have a chance to work, and I want it. I need that in my life, that challenge.”

Like Indiana, Ford doesn’t leave without a hat. According to Ford, he has made films, but he values ​​his filmmaking experience more. “Things are great, but they aren’t what matters.”

And Ford can still grab attention. One female reporter asked the 80-year-old Ford, who claims she’s “still hot” and briefly appears shirtless in the film, how she keeps her fit. After a few laughs and a few mentions of his avid cycling, Ford quipped back.

“I am blessed with this body,” he replied. “Thank you for noticing.”

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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For more information on this year’s Cannes Film Festival, please visit https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival.