The Day of the Jackal
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Movie Reviews of The Day of the Jackal
Movie Review: Edward Fox: the Original Terminator...
Summary: 5 Stars
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Edward Fox: the Original Terminator...
It's an old adage in fiction: there are no new stories, only well re-told ones. One can see this in 1973's The Day of the Jackal wherein the suave Edward Fox is the original Terminator rising from each setback to ruthlessly continue his terminator mission.
I don't usually review films because so many other people do and there may or may not be little left to say. However, sometimes a truly quality work of cinematographic art moves me to emphatically share with others its excellence: this is the case with The Day of the Jackal.
Now, probably most viewers will have seen this old chestnut on commercial TV interspersed with infinite advertisements, sliced and diced to atomic particles. That is NOT the way to see this film, for this is an extremely well-made film the fine editing of which is lost on commercial TV.
This was one of the first films to portray simultaneous multiple story lines. As mentioned, the editing is excellent. The set designs and especially the cityscapes of Paris, London, and Genoa are superb.
It's also very interesting to see the re-creation of the early-1960s time-frame.
Nominally a "political thriller," actually the plot has two main facets: (1) a detective story, and (2) the portrayal of the "Terminator." And while the former is interesting, the latter of these is most fascinating with Edward Fox as the star of the show. Not a big man--but well built--the "belle laide" Fox is totally ripped with low body fat.
It's fascinating to see him move through the motions of obtaining multiple identities, obtain and prepare the weapon, and plan the attack.
Once in motion, his goal is inexorable. Unto the very end, when it looks like his own escape will be certainly impossible, he continues simply because he single-mindedly wants to achieve his goal.
In the meantime, he shows himself to be utterly amoral and bisexual; along the way he murders four people with his bare hands; and he eludes an international dragnet of law-enforcement.
The heterosexual scenes with the French aristocrat are not graphic but quite erotic; and the following scenes in the bath house and the Frenchman's flat are subtle but unmistakably gay. (The campy décor of the Frenchman's flat is hilarious!)
Fox's changes of disguise parallel the Terminator's morphing abilities.
This is a very quiet film with little music, giving it a documentary ambiance and an high seriousness.
Of course there are some glaring plot failures, but with quality fiction one must suspend disbelief and simply enjoy the story itself.
This is really quite a quality film worthy of multiple viewings.
Vive la France!
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Wilde (Special Edition)
Tom & Viv
The Bourne Ultimatum (Widescreen Edition)
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Saint Jack
Last Tango in Paris
Syriana (Widescreen Edition)
Vincent & Theo
Cabaret
Traffik - Miniseries
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Movie Review: Jackal On Target!
Summary: 5 Stars
This superlative movie has all the classic ingredients of a real thriller, without all the non-stop action, sex and explosions which typifies today's examples of this genre. The Jackal provides a classy alternative. The OAS were a group of rogue French Foreign Legioniers and other dissident military elements who were resentful of De Gaulle's pull-out from Algeria. We must recall that Algeria was the spiritual home of the Legion since its formation in 1831. Algeria was considered a part of metropolitan France, and held a status much higher than any other French colony. Coming on the heels of France's recent defeats in Indo-china the thought of losing Algeria as well to Moslem-Communist infleuences was unacceptable to many in the French military. The OAS conducted many assassinations both inside Algeria and France itself. There were certainly many attempts to assassinate De Gaulle and it must be said that he had something of a charmed life. It is known that the OAS contracted a British assassin from within the Legion most likely who was code named "Jackal". He was given the paltry sum of 40,000 to make an assassination attempt on the French President. It is not known for sure whether he made any attempts or not. The book, upon which the movie is based takes the plot a step further and portrays a British assassin who is probably a lot more determined and competent than his historical counterpart was. While fact is often mixed with fiction here, the way this movie does it is not as irksome as many films do it today. The Jackal is believeable, and because we don't know for sure how far such attempts were made to get De Gaulle the plot tries to fill in the historical gaps.
France had recently gone through many turbulent years with recent humiliations from Nazi defeat in 1940, to Vichy colloboration, and to the loss of her colonies after the war which saw France reduced from premier status in the world. Such violent changes are bound to leave their conflicting marks on the politics of any nation. It is not surprising then that many in the French military wanted to reverse a series of steady defeats since 1940. Holding on to Algeria at all costs seemed the only way to do this. While the film does not go into the background politics which sets up the Jackal's scenario too much, we learn enough from the beginning of the movie to know why he has been hired to assassinate De Gaulle. Would the world have been a worse place had the OAS and Jackal succeeded? It's hard to say. Despite what some French might say, De Gaulle was really not a major player in the developing Cold War, nor was France a pivital nation in Euroepan politics anymore either. His death would certainly have hurt France's image even more, but its not likely it would have changed world politics that much. So in the end what we have with The Jackal is some classic suspence, good acting by all the players, and a story that does not dumb itself down like so many action thrillers today do. Jackal can be enjoyed without having to wince from excessive gore or violence. It also depicts a period in recent history which was quite unstable for France. Enjoy this movie, as they don't make them like this much anymore. The DVD version seems to have a clear print and has some interesting production notes as well.
Movie Review: Still one of the best
Summary: 5 Stars
The Day of the Jackal is a prime example of an increasingly rare breed -- a subtle, low-key action film that is actually willing to respect the intelligence of its audience. (For evidence of how times have changed for the worse, just compare this film to its recent, star-driven remake.) Edward Fox plays the Jackal, a coolly efficient English assassin who is hired by Algerian terrorists to assassinate French President Charles DeGaulle. Using an almost documetary style, the film follows the Jackal as he prepares to kill DeGaulle while a French detective (Michael Lonsdale) fights against time to discover just who the Jackal actually is and stop him. It is a sign of the story's effectiveness that, even though the majority of the audience will (hopefully) be aware that DeGaulle ended his service as France's President without being killed, the film still manages to hold the viewer's attention in a mixture of heart-pounding suspense and fascination with watching such a realistic presentation of how a political assassination might very well had been pulled off. This isn't a short film but, clocking in at 2 and a half hours, it is never less than enthralling.Director Fred Zinnemann wisely chose to eschew the trendy flashiness that was almost required of films made in the early '70s (and which has recently come back to marr so many contemporary action films) and instead emphasizes realism in both his action and his characters. As a result, the Jackal and his pursuer never engage in the type of unbelievable acts that have become the trademarks of other action stars. They are never more or less than recognizable human beings and that makes the film's story all the more enthralling. Instead of filling the film with audience-pleasing pyrotechnics, Zinnemann instead uses violence so carefully and so rarely that when the action does explode on screen, it has an immediate impact.
Zinnemann was always known as a brilliant director of actors and the performances in The Day of the Jackal (from a collection of reliable English and French character actors) are flawless. Though his character is usually overshadowed by the more charismatic Jackal, Lonsdale does a good job as the film's nominal "hero," making this anonymous detective into a sort of everyman. However, the film belongs to its title character and the actor who plays him, Edward Fox. Fox has been typecast as stuffy, aristocratic types so it is a bit of a revelation to see his performance here. He manages to perfectly convey the coldness of a man without a soul while, at the same time, providing glimpes of a neurotic intensity that would come from living a life that is centered totally and completely on death. Fox creates a sympathetic screen villian without ever allowing the Jackal to become Lecterized -- the viewer never forget that this is a killer and not a warm and cuddly guy with a few eccentricities.
The Day of the Jackal is a film that seems to be perenially underrated. Certainly, it runs counter to every instinct currently being displayed by the actions films coming out of Hollywood. Which is unfortunate because the current crop of Michael Bays and Simon Wests could stand to learn quite a few lessons from Fred Zinnemann and the Day of the Jackal.
Movie Review: A Fantastic Ride Filled with Suspense and Intrigue
Summary: 5 Stars
The true success of this film rests in the realistic and unassuming characters of the "Jackal" and the French police commissioner, Lebel, who is charged with catching him.
Edward Fox plays the Jackal, and he is a perfect choice. Standing at only about 5'9" tall with an average build, he doesn't fit today's Hollywood profile of an assassin...and that is why he fits the bill so well. When he first appears in the film, the first reaction of the audience is, "is that him?!?" At first, we aren't impressed. When we start to see the intelligence behind the man, we become even more convinced, not only of the believability of him being an assassin, but also of how cold, calculating, and dangerous he is. Fox makes the Jackal appear like anyone we'd run into on the street, and not give him a second glance which obviously makes him a perfect assassin.
Michael Lonsdale plays the role of Commissioner Lebel whose sole job is to track down and catch the Jackal. He is also, largely, unimpressive from a physical stand-point. He looks like most of the policemen and detectives that you'd find in your local town. And yet, he is also as formidable in deductive reasoning and intelligence as his adversary.
One of the beauties of this film is that it never gets too caught up in the drama. Rather, it allows the viewer to appreciate and even admire the simple game of cat and mouse; of watching to see if Lebel will succeed in catching the Jackal. The two never even meet each other until the end. There is no hatred, anger, or any other motivation except for the jobs of the two men: the Jackal's attempt to kill French President Charles De Gaulle and Lebel's job in catching him. It also allows us to appreciate the intelligence of the characters. This remains true even through the inevitable climax. There isn't twenty minute duel or elaborate shootout. It ends simply, the way it should. More and more storywriters are understanding that the intrigue is in the journey and not the climax.
Lebel states early on in the film about the Jackal, "don't count on this man making too many errors. He's not the type." This line is aimed not only toward his assistant in the story, but to the audience as well. That line rings true as you watch and realize that the Jackal, indeed, makes very few mistakes. In the end, it's almost sheer bad luck that does him in.
There are several times when Lebel seems close to catching the Jackal, but he's always just a step behind him.
This is, quite simply, one of the best films ever made about the "cat and mouse chase;" of a policeman trying to catch an assassin. Every detail is there for a reason. There are several scenes that may initially have you scratching your head and wondering why it's there at all, but later on, it pays off.
I didn't even waste my time with "The Jackal," the supposed remake. I knew that there was no way it could come close to topping the original. Some works of art are so grand, and yet, usually so simple, that they can't be duplicated. The Day of the Jackal is one of those films.
Movie Review: 5 Stars for the FILM, 1 Star for the DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
Of course the movie deserves 4 stars, however I wish I could say the same for the DVD. What does it take for DVD company to release each DVD enhanced for 16x9 TVs? Nothing!
Recently I bought a SONY BRAVIA 32 INCH display and I have a collection of over 600 Dvds. I learned now about "Enhanced for 16x9 TVs" and how important it is, I did not care about it or even know about it since I own a standard TV, however all my Dvds are Region 1 and in widescreen, I never buy fullscreen Dvds. So I did an inventory on my collection and realized the following:
Out of 600+ Dvds, 42 are NOT enhanced for 16x9 TVs and they really look horrible when I played them on my PC. Anyway, according to my inventory.
THE FOLLOWING MOVIES / COMPANY HAVE FAILED TO PRODUCE ANAMORPHIC OR 16X9 WIDESCREEN and I hope that these company will release them in the near future so that we can enjoy them on our TVs.
MGM:
Runaway Train
Graduate
No Way Out
Prizzi's Honor
FX
Shallow Grave
Thief
House Of Games
Dead Man Walking
Misery
The Eye Of The Needle
Overboard
PARAMOUNT:
Private Parts
48 Hrs
Coming To America
Primal Fear
The Ghost And The Darkness
Breakdown
UNIVERSAL:
Day Of The Jackal
Psycho (AVAILABLE IN THE RECENT HITCHCOCK'S BOXSET AS ANAMORPHIC)
Vertigo (AVAILABLE IN THE RECENT HITCHCOCK'S BOXSET AS ANAMORPHIC)
The Game
FOX:
Abyss (I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT MY 2-DISC IS NOT ANAMORPHIC, NOR IS THE LATEST DIGIPACK EDITION)
Raising Arizona
The Edge
Great Expectations
Rising Sun
The Ref
Romancing The Stone
The Jewel Of The Nile
ARTISAN:
House Of The Spirits
The Last Seduction
The Last Emperor
The Eagle Has Landed
Bound
PS: PLEASE ARTISAN, INSTEAD OF RELEASING 'BASIC INSTINCT' FOR THE 4TH TIME, WHICH MOST HAVE ALMOST THE SAME SPECIFICATIONS, CONSIDER RELEASING SOME MORE INTERESTING MOVIES WITH PROPER ATTENTION SUCH AS THOSE MENTIONED ABOVE.
TOUCHSTONE / WALT DISNEY:
Ransom
What About Bob?
PS: IT IS A GREAT NEWS THAT TOUCHSTONE ARE RELEASING 'ENEMY OF THE STATE', CRIMSON TIDE' AND 'CON AIR' IN EXTENDED UNRATED EDITIONS ON MAY 16. I WISH THOUGH THEY DID THE SAME WITH 'RANSOM'
WARNER:
91/2 Weeks
Presumed Innocent
NOTE THAT WARNER STUDIO IS RELEASING ONE OF THE BEST 2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION SUCH AS 'SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION', 'HEAT', 'MALCOLM X', 'DOG DAY AFTERNOON', 'ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN' AND MANY MANY MORE.
The reason why they don't release every DVD in widescreen enhanced for 16x9 is beyond me since soon Widescreen Tvs will replace standard ones.
IT IS A RELIEF THAT AMAZON IS NOW STATING WHETHER THE DVD IS ANAMORPHIC OR LETTERBOXED.