Indiana bows out on a wave of emotion

Harrison Ford gets all emotional at Cannes red carpet première plus an honorary Palme

by Richard Mowe

Face in the crowd: Harrison Ford submerged by well wishers at the Cannes Film Festival
Face in the crowd: Harrison Ford submerged by well wishers at the Cannes Film Festival Photo: Richard Mowe

It’s been one of the hottest tickets of this year’s Cannes Film Festival - and the red carpet long-awaited première of Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny proceeded with a tinge of nostalgia from star Harrison Ford who got over emotional as he absorbed the cheers and adulation of the sell-out crowd.

For the fifth chapter in one of cinema’s most enduring franchises (directed by James Mangold rather than Steven Spielberg) there was only a muted ovation, according to reports, but when Ford (accompanied at the Festival by his wife Calista Flockhart) was summoned to the stage by festival director Thierry Frémaux to receive a surprise Palme d”or, the vast Grande Salle Lumière went wild with approval. Ford could be seen to be choking back the tears.

Ford (80) was quoted as saying: “I’m very moved … they say that when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes, and I just saw my life flash before my eyes.” He had just witnessed a showreel of some his greatest performances.

The new film, the fifth in the series and presented Out of Competition, marks the end of Ford’s run of playing Indiana Jones. “This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I'll play the character,” he reportedly said.

Ford and Mangold will meet the world’s media today (Friday) at a press conference.

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