Three Days of the Condor
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Movie Reviews of Three Days of the Condor
Movie Review: Being "out to lunch" can save your life!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
+++++
This movie is based on the novel "Six Days of the Condor" (1974) by James Grady.
This movie is about a man named Joe Turner (Robert Redford) who "just read[s] books" with six others at a place called the "American Literary Historical Society" (ALHS). Turner and his literary colleagues are also non-practicing CIA agents with Turner having the code name "Condor."
On this particular day it was Turner's turn to pick up lunch for the others at the office. He exits through a rear door of the ALHS to do so. On returning with lunch he finds all his colleagues murdered. He now runs for his life.
Turner reports this massacre to his superior (Cliff Robertson), a man he has never met. He suddenly finds himself the target of both his employers and the unknown murderers of his associates. He randomly abducts a lonely photographer (Faye Dunaway) who is forced to hide him and later helps him discover the answer to the following question:
"What's the secret worth murdering everybody at the ALHS house?"
This movie was an unexpected surprise for me. While starting out tame, it turns into an intense thriller with excellent acting. Redford, Robertson, and Dunaway give good performances. However, my biggest kudos must go to someone I never mentioned in the above summary--Max von Sydow who ruthlessly and chillingly plays a maverick hit man.
The background music adds to each scene. I found the cinematography of mid-seventies New York interesting.
Finally, the DVD (the one released Aug. 1999) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has one extra.
In conclusion, after watching this movie, you'll be asking yourself the same question Turner asks:
"Do you believe the Condor is really an endangered species?"
(1975; 1 hr, 55 min; wide screen; 16 scenes; rated `R')
+++++
Movie Review: A cracking good spy story
Summary: 5 Stars
Spy stories have come a long way.
In the 1950s and 1960s, it was all about the Soviets. (Oh, for the days when we knew our enemy so well!) In the 1960s, we also started seeing Bond movies, which were heavily about the Russians, but also about different (if often ridiculous) enemies.
However, I've always felt that the 1970s was a truly great time for spy films. The decade is filled with fantastic spy stories: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Marathon Man, All the President's Men (Two-Disc Special Edition) and this one: Three Days of the Condor.
In "Three Days", a young man (played by Robert Redford) works for the CIA as a book reader. Essentially, he and his co-workers are paid to read books and write reports on possible leaks, tactics and other things. (I would love to have that job!) One day, he goes out for lunch and comes back to find everyone in his office murdered. Thus begins a three-day run, wherein Redford's character tries to keep himself alive to find out who's behind the murders.
Interestingly, in "Three Days", we started to see a different breed of spy story: one in which our own government is a suspect almost immediately.
The film is taut, exciting and has great performances by both Redford and Faye Dunaway.
Movie Review: Terrific suspense and a brilliant screenplay!
Summary: 5 Stars
This review is for the 1999 widescreen release by Paramount.
The story involves a man named Joe Turner (Robert Redford) who works in a New York brownstone building that poses as a private literature society when in fact its an undercover operation for the CIA. His job is decoding possible enemy secrets found in publications printed anywhere in the world. Turner runs an errand by leaving through the back of the building, and minutes later the office is raided by assassins and the 8 or so remaining employees are all killed. Turner returns to his office and finds his fellow employees dead and contacts his superiors at the CIA Headquarters. He begins to realize that things are not adding up and goes into hiding. As the film moves on, he essentially kidnaps a woman (played by Faye Dunaway) and with her help, they devote their time together figuring out what has really happened.
The movie is filled with twists and turns. Since Turner is an avid reader and has vast knowledge of intellegence operations, he does a magnificent job protecting himself as well as uncovering information about his advocaries. There is one unforgettable scene where Turner meets a professional assassin (Max Von Sydow) and the contract killer describes his work and with a straight face he mentions that he finds his job rather peaceful. This is definitely one of the best thrillers from the '70s.
The DVD picture quality is nearly perfect with occasional tiny spots of film wear, but it is nothing to be overly bothered with. The sound is superb.
Movie: A
DVD Quality: A-
Movie Review: The invisible government! Where?
Summary: 5 Stars
Whenever I see this movie I always hear Roger Daltry's voice singing, 'can you see the real me?' Which is what a less loquacious Robert Redford tries to do after what may be one of the top ten movie opening scenes of all time, 70's, 80's, 90's or beyond.Earlier reviews have fairly well constructed and described the plot but what's interesting is the unbelievability of it. Sydney Pollack keeps the heat on and the emotional cul de sacs plentiful as Redford tries to whittle down not so much the who killed all his coworkers but the why.
I believe alongside "Bullit," "French Connection," "Body Heat" and a few others, this is an essential movie both for it's time and our time. In light of Vietnam and Watergate, we just didn't blindly trust Uncle Sam anymore and were frequently reminded of the protest idiom, 'love your country; fear your government.' And for a captivating two hours, Redford is 'everyperson' ever profiled, searched, audited, traffic stopped, drafted and perhaps far worse. We didn't have to read George Orwell to know big brother was and is watching.
Cliff Robertson, a gifted actor denied his peak years because of pseudo-administration influence (do you remember 'Flowers for Algernon/Charley?), ironically plays the government role, as you would expect, brilliantly, and Max Von Sydow, is as always, superlative. I agree with some of the criticism of Faye Dunaway. She did better in other roles than she did here. It could have been Meryl Streep or Glenn Close as well, possibly better.
Essential movie if you want to know what you're talking about. Larry Scantlebury. 5 Stars.
Movie Review: Exceedingly well-crafted film.
Summary: 5 Stars
I had never heard of this film before picking it up, and now I realize I had been missing out. Three Days of the Condor is an amazing piece of work which finds all of its participants -- Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Max von Sydow, director Sydney Pollack -- in top form, in a mesmerizing, briskly paced, and smart thriller that relies on tension rather than violence to do its job.Redford is absolutely brilliant as lead character Turner, or Condor, a researcher who finds himself the unwilling participant of a dangerous spy game. Redford and Pollack smartly infuse the character with both a devilish charm and occasional viciousness that makes a great contrast to the character's outward repression, and complicates his role as reluctant hero. His dynamic with Faye Dunaway is an intriguing mix of sexual chemistry, confrontation and violation, and it makes the relationship far more interesting than most "Stockholm Syndrome" setups of this type. Max von Sydow makes for a formidable, intelligent, and creepy opponent, and Pollack's shooting and editing are just about perfect. Throughout the movie's substantial, sprawling plot, Pollack maintains a stifling sense of tension that engrosses you into continued attention. True, I found myself quite lost in the maze of character relationships and motivations, but Pollack's dramatic sense is so unfailing that I never really care.
Nearly as good as All the President's Men as far as political thrillers go -- and that's saying a lot.