The Day of the Jackal

Rating:
Summary: Hard, cold and perfect
Review: A great film adaptation of a great novel by Frederick Forsyth. The film, by Director Fred Zimmermann, is a cold, calculating look at the maneuverings of a professional shooter hired to assassinate Charles De Gaulle.

The mercurial Edward Fox plays the professional killer, codenamed Jackal. It is a great performance - a thinking reptile imitating a human being. His gaze is always flat and even, always regarding things in terms of strength and weakness, risk and reward.

This film is the thinking man's thriller, and the flat documentary style of the film only seems to add to the tension and believability. The great thing about this film is that it assumes a high level of intelligence and sophistication of the viewer. No splatter bags necessary here. The tension is watching a great performance by Fox, cutting like a thin, bright blade through a soft world.

Rating:
Summary: time is ticking
Review: This is a great thriller which keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. The way in which the assassin's route towards his intended victim is portrayed is riveting. Two things are especially noteworthy in the buildup of tension : one, the way the preparations (forging birth certificate, testing of hair dye, assembly of gun, etc.) are done without any background music, but only with very crisp noises; and two, the way clocks are being shown throughout, to indicate that time is ticking, for the killer, for the president, and also for the police inspector who is trying to catch the killer before he strikes. A classic !

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Suspense Thriller
Review: "The Day of the Jackal" is a story about an assassin hired by dissident French patriots to kill Charles DeGaulle. Of course, we know he fails, but the buildup to the climax is extremely well-done. I echo those who say that you should see this film.

Rating:
Summary: Jackal On Target!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Still one of the best
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: cousinpaco's top action: #10
Review: The coolest single scene in motion picture history: the Jackal target-practicing with his ultra-light sniper rifle.

The Jackal is a world-class assassin, hired to kill French president Charles de Gaulle. We watch him gather his tools, prepare for the assignment, and carry it out--all while being pursued by a dogged French detective who gets wind of the plot.

Chock full of intrigue, nail-biting suspense, and humor, "the Day of the Jackal" is no mere thriller or action movie.

This DVD doesn't contain many bonus features. It doesn't need to.

Rating:
Summary: Don't overlook this excellent film.
Review: Based on Frederic Forsyth's bestselling novel, this is one of those rare films that does justice to the book.

A dissident group within the French Army hire a professional killer to assasinate Charles DeGaulle. The French police and French intelligence are mobilised, but there's one problem, they have no idea who the hitman is or what he looks like.

The film is nicely paced and, while it's not laden with special effects, it has no trouble holding your attention. It's a tribute to Forsyth, the screenplay, and the director that, even though you know that DeGaulle was never assasinated, the suspense continues to build throughout the film right up to the end.

The picture and sound are only average at best, but the film rates highly enough that any flaws in this 30 year movie can be easily forgiven.

Highly recommended!! Just the right combination of suspense and action combined with an intelligent screenplay. Too rarely seen these days.

Rating:
Summary: PERFECT TIME KILLER
Review: The only problem of this film is that we all know how it will end.It's hard to think of a better time killer;i say this in a positive way.My favorite scene is near the end, when CHACAL acts like an old man who lost one leg which in fact hides his arsenal.Fans of director FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT will recognize MICHEL LONSDALE as the commissaire and in a supporting part PHILLIPE LEOTARD as a cop who informs the commissaire.DELPHINE SEYRIG ,who with LONSDALE played husband and wife in STOLEN KISSES, has a little role.We can support good movies like this anytime.

Rating:
Summary: There Is No Comparison
Review: This fine, riveting film is a thousand times better than that disjointed pile of schlock starring Demi Moore's ex-husband.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Finest Suspense Films Ever Made
Review: Fred Zinneman's adaptation of Fredrick Foresyth's classic "The Day of the Jackal" is in my mind one of the top 100 films ever made. The dialogue is crisp and clean, the characters unique and well acted and the plotline flawless. Set in the early 1960's, this crime thriller follows the exploits of "The Jackal" (Edward Fox), the most highly acclaimed assassin in the world. He has been hired by the OAS (an underground French freedom movement) to kill President Charles de Gaulle. Discovering the plot almost by accident, the French government enlists the services of Claude le Belle (Michael Londsdale), perhaps their finest police detective, to hunt down the Jackal before he can strike. The attention to detail, the planning and the ingenious detective work by the police are aweinspiring. The chase winds through France, Italy and England and the tension builds with every passing moment. A tense and startling climax puts an exclaimation point on this production that is sure to stand as the yard stick by which all subsequent thrillers are measrued. A must-see!