The Day of the Jackal
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Movie Reviews of The Day of the Jackal
Movie Review: Superb
Summary: 5 Stars
This excellent film from 1973 features Edward Fox as The Jackal. A man who is paid 1/2 a million dollars to kill Charles De Gaulle, the then President of France. This has a top notch cast including Maurice Denham, Cyril Cusack, Derek Jacobi, Donald Sinden and Michael Lonsdale. Perhaps the best of the cast is the impassive Lonsdale (who was the Samurai maker in Ronin 24 years later) as Lebel, the man who is tasked with stopping The Jackal.
This is very well directed by Zimmerman, who shot the film on location in Paris and London. The film never lets up and is a slow burning explosive ride from beginning to end. Be warned this is not a modern day action thriller, you won't find whole buildings exploding or unrealistic car chase carnage. This is shot in an almost documentary style, which should not put you off because like a number of other films from the early 70's (The French Connection/Godfather films spring to mind), this is a really entertaining film that you will want to see again and again.
Movie Review: About The Jackal and Claude the detective
Summary: 5 Stars
Both parts played by top line actors and thier performance proves it.The Jackal,smart,cool,sauve a top gun,Claude,a plodder,tired looking,dull dresser but a sharp mind and a network of friends around the world,as any good policeman has.The viewer must realize this is a time before DNA,computers or profilers,it is very labor intensive,watch Scotland Yard going through montains of records by hand to track down one of the Jackals aliasis.It also shows the distain some of committee members have because Claude is not of thier social class,but they can't operate without him.This is a top line detective story with suspense,and a look how a assassin thinks,he is not like a gangster hit man,he is more deadly,he only takes on real hard jobs any place in the world that pay lot of money,politics have nothing to do about it.So sit back and enjoy a old fashion detective at work before all the forensic sciences got into the picture like we see on TV almost every night.Remember there are guys like the Jackel still out there.Movie Review: One of my top 5
Summary: 5 Stars
This film never drags. While complex, if you pay attention, the details in this story render its excellence. Great casting, incredible cinematography, historic! This film has it all. If film can ever be art, this one is likely a prototype. French rebel-patriots desire to assasinate de Gaulle after he liberates Algeria. After failed attempts to kill him, they hire The Jackal to finish the job. The Jackal is effective, ruthless and nobody's fool -- he also manages a quick and hot affair with a French Nobleman's lonely wife. A shrewd, high-ranking French detective is brought in on the case as are the full crime-detection resources of the British and U.S. Governments once 10 Downing Street is alerted to the fact that The Jackal may be an Englishman! Of course, as we near the end, it is a race for time since de Gaulle refuses to hide behind closed doors. Perfect levels of suspense at every moment. A "must view." I have to re-watch this DVD at least once monthly.Movie Review: Forget 1997's The Jackal. This is the one to see!
Summary: 5 Stars
Thoroughly compelling thriller. Shot on location across Europe. Further evidence that movies can (or at least, could) be entertaining without CGI, blatant cursing, and explicit sex.
Edward Fox is suave as The Jackal. In my opinion, the best proof of his total dedication to the job is his willingness to sleep with both men and women to attain entry or elude authorities. Michael Lonsdale as the detective is just as good as the overworked and underappreciated detective. It's frustrating that these two excellent actors did relatively few mainstream American films. Eagle-eye viewers might notice a young(er) Edward Hardwicke at the end. Doesn't quite look like Dr. Watson without the mustache!
This is not a critique of the film, but this DVD is over 10 years old. That's an eternity in media nowadays. Both main actors are still alive (and indeed, active) so perhaps one or both could be enticed to provide commentary for a new release?
Movie Review: great story with exceptional (and little known) actors
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an action film based on exceptional character actors. You have Edward Fox as the Jackal, a clever yet sociopathic assassin, who is pursuing his craft with the perfection of a machine (or an economist); he seduces men and women to further his for-hire scheme, and uses an underground network of nationalist fanatics (wanting to keep Algeria as part of France) to coldly pursue his goal of killing de Gaulle. Then there is the cop, Alan Badel, a wonderful French actor whom many might recognize in the states; he is homely, yet just as focused and professional as the assassin. They play a cat and mouse game, where some luck is involved but mostly technique and inspired intuition. Throughout, the tension is maintained at a consistent clip, and every single detail is quirky, believable, and realistic - that is storytelling as its best.
It adds up to a great film, with plenty of humor, often dark, thrown in. A true masterpiece.