The Day of the Jackal
1973 Directed by Fred Zinnemann
Synopsis
Nameless, faceless... relentlessly moving towards the date with death that would rock the world.
An international assassin is employed by disgruntled French generals to kill Charles de Gaulle while a dedicated gendarme follows the assassin's trail in this political thriller. The film uses the perspectives of the ultra-professional assassin as he prepares his work and that of the harried but humble French detective as he uncovers the plot.
Cast
Popular reviews
More-
Berken's 30 Countries Challenge film # 5-France
Fred Zinnemann's meticulously crafted thriller has an almost documentary feel to it. Set in 1963 this has a group of terrorists from the French OAS hiring an English assassin to kill French president Charles de Gaulle.
Edward Fox plays "the Jackal",a ruthless killer with ice in his veins. Based on Frederick Forsyth's best-seller this is a tension filled and methodical thriller that pits Fox against an entire country's secret service after the plot is uncovered and the net tightens. Fox's portrayal of a professional assassin is quite chilling. Never the greatest of actors,Fox has always been on the periphery of some fine films without ever being the star name. Here although lacking a… -
The 'police procedural' storyline is one that has been used in TV, film and literature, and even theatre, for many decades. But the 'criminal procedural' idea is one that, for me, has infinitely more possibilities. After all, there are many different ways of committing a crime than there are of solving one - and of course, many more crimes!
The Day Of The Jackal is certainly one of the very best examples of both storylines that you will ever see, excelling especially at the latter. Adapted from a Frederick Forsyth novel and following a fictional plot to kill French president Charles de Gaulle, a French terrorist faction decides to secretly hire an outsider to do the job after failing to…
-
This is about a hitman hired to taken out the French president shown through different perspectives such as the detective investigation, government workers and of course the hitman himself.
What I loved is that The Day of the Jackel is firmly grounded in the practicalities of what an assassination attempt actually entails - we see our hitman forging identification, covering tracks when things get remotely dangerous, choosing and practicing with his weapon of choice - you fully believe these are the required steps for this kind of work.
And I don't think I've ever seen a film so adamant in chopping off every second of dead space. A piece of dialogue would say, "we need a warrant to search this…
-
Fred Zinnemann creates immense tension, while at the same time cutting away all the bullshit. It's a very realistic approach, sometimes even to the point it feels like a documentary. Sure, there are scenes when the music is setting the mood, but most of the time it's about the meticulous work of both the assassin and the police, and completely devoid of glamour. A slow burner coming in at just under two and a half hours shouldn't really make you feel like time is flying, but it's like a sprint!
Just to top it off, the ending is the perfect, and sombre, conclusion that is just so fitting. Right now I'm in no doubt as to what is the best movie in this genre. -
Edward Fox; the most dangerous man in a cravat ever.
-
Ārkārtīgi meistarīgi kopā salikta filma, kura izdomātu stāstu (bet daļēji izmantojot vēsturiskas nianses) pastāsta ļoti sausi, faktuāli un teju dokumentāli, neaizraujoties ar klasiskiem dramatiskiem trikiem. Te nav garas pārdomu pauzes, noskaņojumu akcentējošas mūzikas un metaforas. Viss ir ļoti tiešs un precīzs kā Šveices pulkstenis. Tieši tāds kāds varētu būt vērienīgs politisks trileris par pasūtījuma slepkavu (viņa uzdevums nogalināt Francijas prezidentu de Gollu) un profesionāļiem, kuri mēģina viņu notvērt. Iespējams, ka mūsdienu skatītāju garlaikos režisora apsēstība ar niansēm, rādot katru ikdienišķi sīkumu, bet joks ir tāds, ka filmā nav ne viena lieka detaļa - pat zobu tīrīšana te kaut kādā veidā var būt sižetiski svarīga.
Recent reviews
More-
Slow and methodical movie about an assassination attempt on French President de Gaulle in the early 1960s. We follow both the preparations of the assassin, and the government intelligence trying to discover who and where he is. I liked it a lot, but it was a bit long at 2 hours 22 minutes. Anyone attempting the movie should be aware it is slowly paced like many early 1970s films. Fred Zinnemann of High Noon and A Man for All Seasons directs.
-
Ārkārtīgi meistarīgi kopā salikta filma, kura izdomātu stāstu (bet daļēji izmantojot vēsturiskas nianses) pastāsta ļoti sausi, faktuāli un teju dokumentāli, neaizraujoties ar klasiskiem dramatiskiem trikiem. Te nav garas pārdomu pauzes, noskaņojumu akcentējošas mūzikas un metaforas. Viss ir ļoti tiešs un precīzs kā Šveices pulkstenis. Tieši tāds kāds varētu būt vērienīgs politisks trileris par pasūtījuma slepkavu (viņa uzdevums nogalināt Francijas prezidentu de Gollu) un profesionāļiem, kuri mēģina viņu notvērt. Iespējams, ka mūsdienu skatītāju garlaikos režisora apsēstība ar niansēm, rādot katru ikdienišķi sīkumu, bet joks ir tāds, ka filmā nav ne viena lieka detaļa - pat zobu tīrīšana te kaut kādā veidā var būt sižetiski svarīga.
-
Absolutely mesmerising.
-
So boring I almost assassinated myself
-
This is a good film that would have been better if the pacing was wasn't so slow. It's a thriller, but it wasn't exactly thrilling. It might have been had they consolidated a bit. I mean I usually won't mind a 2.5 hour runtime, but when your assassin takes time out to bone some chick and go to a turkish bath, while I don't know he maybe should be focusing on the assassination it isn't exactly thrilling.
-
An intriguing premise and story is all but sabotaged by the snail pace it moves.
-
Berken's 30 Countries Challenge film # 5-France
Fred Zinnemann's meticulously crafted thriller has an almost documentary feel to it. Set in 1963 this has a group of terrorists from the French OAS hiring an English assassin to kill French president Charles de Gaulle.
Edward Fox plays "the Jackal",a ruthless killer with ice in his veins. Based on Frederick Forsyth's best-seller this is a tension filled and methodical thriller that pits Fox against an entire country's secret service after the plot is uncovered and the net tightens. Fox's portrayal of a professional assassin is quite chilling. Never the greatest of actors,Fox has always been on the periphery of some fine films without ever being the star name. Here although lacking a… -
This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
-
One of the best movies i've ever seen, how is this not more well know? Edward Fox was great as 'The Jackal', the whole time I thought he was going to pull it off, right up until the end. This is also one of the most suspensul films i've seen in a long time, almost the whole time I was on the edge of my seat.