Directed by:
Fred ZinnemannScreenplay:
Kenneth RossCinematography:
Jean TournierComposer:
Georges DelerueCast:
Edward Fox, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, Cyril Cusack, Maurice Denham, Olga Georges-Picot, Jacques François, Derek Jacobi, Michael Lonsdale, Jean Martin (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
In this involving political thriller, a secret French paramilitary organization plans to assassinate French President Charles De Gaulle because of their disagreement with his policies during the Algerian War. They hire a professional killer, known only as "The Jackal". The police learn of the plot from an informer, and police investigator Lebel cleverly pieces together the clues to the Jackal's identity. The complicated plot uses parallel editing to cross-cut between the details of the Jackal's preparations for the assassination and Lebel's efforts to find him before it is too late. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (6)
Yeah, I can’t hold a candle to the book, but it’s still a very good adaptation that relies on a minimalist Edward Fox and, above all, on the atmosphere of a professional preparation for an assassination.
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Perfect conversion of Forsyth's book into a film. A thriller that can do without explicit and blatant brutality and relies on the demonic Fox in the lead role and a precise plot that was clearly not pulled out of the ass of a desperate screenwriter after consuming a bottle of whisky (as in the case of the Jackal "remake"). I was completely blown away by it!
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A film from the times when the quality of the screenplay and director were decisive, not the budget and the amount of digital special effects. Coldly and with distance, almost in a documentary style, a crime drama of the preparations and execution of an assassination, based on real events was made. The assassination of French President de Gaulle is mentioned at the beginning of Fred Zinnemann's film. The secret army organization indeed hired another killer back then, but the assassination did not take place due to police raids. Frederick Forsyth plays interestingly with these motifs and his book is among the best that has been written in the genre. The film does not disgrace the book, although it is naturally a different medium, so the story is somewhat simplified. A hired killer only needs a rifle with a good scope and the anonymity of the metropolis to commit the crime. He does not need a complicated conspiracy, destructive weapons, and crazy plot twists like the film's pathetic remake. A very good performance by Edward Fox in the lead role and professional direction. Overall impression: 85%.
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Probably one of the best political thrillers ever made. The 70s produced great crime films with an unforgettable atmosphere that today’s representatives are somewhat lacking. The Day of the Jackal may not have any big stars, but it’s so well crafted, original and brisk despite its length, that I can't fault it in principle. Compared to the more recent Jackal by Willis, Zinnemann’s is the clear winner.
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That was a beauty. Both the police work and the Jackal's point-by-point preparation with appealing perfectionism. Not a single thing was left unexplained and the whole thing clicked. One of the best films along these lines.
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This is one of the peaks of crime films with a spy theme, or rather with a theme of assassinations. A completely cold film that presses on you with its gloomy atmosphere, which is almost without a soundtrack. This remoteness from the characters and the focus on the killer is an example of how strong this genre can be. Recently, the film "One Must Leave the Ring" managed to achieve this. Similar atmosphere, similar coldness that penetrates to the marrow of your bones.
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