It’s hard to imagine a performer having a film credit run that rivals the one that Harrison Ford had in the 1980s. He was the leading man of a major franchise, the co-leading man of another, and found some spare time to get an Oscar nomination amidst all of that as well.
Let’s take a look at the incredible '80s run that made Harrison Ford one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
The Empire Strikes Back
Starting the decade out with what many fans consider the crown jewel of the Star Wars franchise, The Empire Strikes Back puts Ford’s character of Han Solo more in the driver’s seat than at any other point in the franchise.
We get to see a far more introspective side to his character as his relationship deepens with Princess Leia, and his softer, more protective side rears its head more. Obviously, the ending to his character in the film isn’t exactly ideal, but he goes out in incredible, quotable, cryogenic glory. For the rest of the year 1980, that is. Audiences didn’t have to wait much longer at all to see Ford be an action hero again.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’Credit: Walt Disney Studios
The first installment of the legendary Indiana Jones franchise landed in theaters in 1981, and cemented Ford as perhaps the most dominant movie star of his entire era.
Cast in the role after seeing his performance as Han Solo in the original Star Wars film, it launched a collaboration between Ford and director Steven Spielberg that has sustained decades of cinematic history.
Known for its groundbreaking practical effects, wondrous scale, iconic score, beautiful locations and production design, and Hollywood magic to boot, the film is somehow still to this day debated amongst fans of the franchise about whether or not it’s the best. The third film, The Last Crusade, has its purists as well, but the magic of the original film cannot be denied.
Blade Runner
While this franchise has had certainly more of a cult following than something like Star Wars or Indiana Jones, the original Blade Runner features some of the most contemplative, intellectually stimulating science fiction storytelling of the modern era.
There still remains a constant debate to this day as to whether or not Ford’s character, Deckard, is in fact a replicant, and after so many years, the film would likely lose a lot of its mystique if we ever got a definitive answer. No matter which way you lean on that debate, there is compelling evidence for both cases.
Ford himself gives one of his greatest performances in the film alongside Rutger Hauer and Sean Young. It’s large, it’s loud, its action is sparse, yet intense, and Rutger Hauer’s tears-in-the-rain monologue never fails to bring a tear to my eye. It’s one of my personal favorites, and it’s only gotten better with time.
The Return of the Jedi
‘Return of the Jedi’Credit: Walt Disney Studios
The original epic trilogy conclusion, Return of the Jedi, may be widely accepted as the “weakest” of the original trilogy, with critics citing more commercial focus and derivative story beats, but in my eyes it’s a classic case of if it ain't broke, don’t fix it.
Han Solo does the unthinkable in Return of the Jedi. He lets someone else captain the Millennium Falcon during the Death Star trench run. It may seem like a casual, inconsequential beat to some, but we actually get to see a tremendous leap forward in his character through this decision. New Hope Han Solo would never even consider doing that.
His love for his friends and general sense of empathy has compounded immensely. He does so reluctantly, and laments to Lando that he better not see a scratch on it…but he still does it! Solo’s comeback of a character arc is the heart and soul of the film, and his eventual love for the Ewoks is enough to melt anyone’s heart.
Witness
Harrison Ford had another go as Indiana Jones in 1984; however, given the amount of Indiana Jones talk I’ve done recently, I want to make sure I give some attention to his Oscar-nominated performance in Witness in 1985.
The Peter Weir-directed romantic thriller follows Ford as a detective who, while protecting an Amish child who witnessed a murder, takes cover in the Amish community as his life comes under threat as well.
It’s kind of a random movie for Ford to have been nominated for because, while his performance in the film is spectacular and deserving of recognition, the film itself hasn’t had the strong legs of many of his other more iconic works. Whenever people talk about the film, it’s often referenced as “somehow the only movie that Harrison Ford got an Oscar nomination for.” But it’s a lot more than that.
The film boasts compelling direction from Peter Weir that elevates Ford’s performance to the highest level; the romantic elements of the film are as effective as the thrills, and the examination of Amish culture is endlessly fascinating. It may not have spawned a multi-decade, iconic film franchise, but substantively, it offers just as much as the other films we discussed today.
