Out of Competition: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” by Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg, back in Cannes for the first time since the out-of-competition premiere of The Color Purple in 1986, creates a sensation today with the screening of the fourth feature in the series about his daredevil adventurer/archeologist, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Harrison Ford, now 66, has again donned the famed leather jacket and fedora, bound this time for a tangle with the Soviets in the middle of the Cold War. Assisted by a rebellious young biker played by Shia LaBeouf, our hero takes off for Peru to hunt down a mysterious relic, the source of centuries of both fascination and fear: the Crystal Skull of Akator. Alas, a team of Soviet spies, led by the cruel Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), are also greedy for the treasure, for it is said that he who possesses the Skull and deciphers its riddles thereby becomes absolute master of the Universe.

“We created Indiana Jones, but it belongs to the world,, says Steven Spielberg. And now we’re the custodians. Our job really is to serve up a huge helping not only of what Indiana Jones means to audiences who grew up with it, but to introduce the character to those who haven’t. This new film is for the fans. “ Executive producer and co-story writer George Lucas continues, “The style is the same, the humor is the same. Everything feels the same. But we’ve also been able to build on it. The relationships we have on the set and the ones on the screen are stronger and better and more fun than they’ve ever been.”