Excerpt from Film Review
by Roald Rynning

Alan J. Pakula's political thriller The Devil's Own stars two of Hol]ywood's biggest stars, Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt. You would think the $90 million production would have mega-hit written all over it, but before the film even hit the cinemas, Pitt criticized it in a controversial interview with Newsweek.

"It was the most irresponsible bit of film-making I have ever seen," complained the young heart- throb, who had been attached to the film long before Ford signed on and the problems started. "We had a great script but it got tossed out for various reasons."

One of the reasons was Ford entering the scene. What had been a one-hero thriller suddenly had to cater for two superstars. Extensive script changes were called for, and Pitt ended up very unhappy with the changes. He actually wanted to leave the production, but the studio threatened him with a $63 million penalty - so he stayed. Throughout the filming, there were endless reports of conflicts between the two stars about the sizes of their roles. According to the film's fifth screenwriter, Robert Mark Kamen, Ford and Pitt played tug-of-war with the still unfinished script as late as a month into the filming.

When the film was finally finished, it was - not surprisingly - a month behind schedule and millions over budget.

"I don't blame Brad at all for what he said," admits Ford of the film that stars Pitt as an Irish terrorist who ends up living in America, with Ford as a New York cop. "We simply weren't able to develop a script that satisfied everybody involved in that amount of time. And so we had to start shooting without a complete script - not even a first act. I felt the same way he did, and we all felt it would be a very difficult shoot. But I was determined to work through it."

Ford, who received $20 million for the film, denies that he and Pitt were at loggerheads on the set. Instead, he praises his co-star for his efforts.

"It was tough working under those kind of circumstances," he reflects. "l think he was a trouper about that. He made a difficult job easier. There was no rivalry between the two of us for more screen time. I would be very happy to work with him again. And his Irish accent seems consistent to me. I think he did quite well."

It isn't the first time that the huge box-office star has started a film without a script. It also happened on the hit Clear and Present Danger. During that shoot, director Phillip Noyce would sometimes pen a scene only an hour before it was filmed.

"There are enormous pressures when you start a film without a script," says 54-year-old superstar Ford, who agrees that he is demanding in his efforts to make his films as good as possible. "I'm very involved in the writing process. And I do make demands, but the demands are about the story and the character. That's the way I practise the craft, and that's the way everybody I have worked with has practised the craft for the last twenty years."

Ford isn't afraid of stepping on people's toes because "l think I have respect for their opinions and their skills as well. And I'm not dictatorial, I just think many things are worthy of discussion. I like to do the best job I can. That means that if I think I'm right abou t something, I'll try to influence the situ ation. It's not uncommon for a person in my position to be involved in the production. It's my name above the title, and I don't like to disappoint my consumers."

Ford, of course, has seldom disappointed his adoring public. Since Star Wars made him an international superstar in 1977, he has become the biggest star of them all, headlining in seven of the twenty highest grossing films in the history of film; think Star Wars and the Indiana Jones trilogy, or his stint as Jack Ryan in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Is the carpenter-turned-actor surprised by his success?

"Yes," he answers, "because there are a lot of people as talented and more talented than I am that haven't had my luck. I've been fortunate to work with really good people. I do work hard at what I do, but without luck it would be all for naught.

"To be successful you need to be in good movies that are successful. The reason I've been successful is that I've been lucky to have made movies that have pleased the audience."