The Day of the Jackal-1973
Director Fred Zinnemann
Starring Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale
Scott’s Review #1,155
Reviewed June 22, 2021
Grade: A
Political thrillers can run the gamut from taut plots involving espionage, assassinations, and car chases to the political landscape.
They often risk being overly complicated and losing their audience through too much wordiness and not enough meat and potatoes.
The Day of the Jackal (1973), which tells the story of an assassination attempt on a world leader, is perfectly paced and intriguing, offering titillating elements and nothing run-of-the-mill. It’s not lazy and can be classified as a thinking man’s film.
I loved it.
The complexities and trysts the deadly title character experiences add extra pizazz and spice to the already compelling plot.
And the sequences in Paris and its lovely streets can elevate any film.
A cagey and intelligent underground French paramilitary group is determined to execute President Charles de Gaulle (Adrien Cayla-Legrand). Still, when numerous attempts on his life fail, they resort to hiring the infamous hitman known as “The Jackal” (Edward Fox).
As he plots to assassinate de Gaulle, he takes out others who stand in his way. Meanwhile, Lebel (Michel Lonsdale), a Parisian police detective, begins to solve the mystery of the killer’s identity.
The film is in English, not French.
Fox is the major draw. Charismatic, handsome, and athletic, he hardly looks like a fiend. But that’s just the point. A lesser film would have cast an actor who looks like a killer. With Fox, we get many more intricacies.
He beds women… and men. Think: a bisexual James Bond.
This is enchanting to see in 1973, though the film is British, and sometimes the Brits were well ahead of American filmmakers in this regard.
The director, Fred Zinnemann, is Austrian, and boy, can he direct.
I wasn’t sure how engaged I would be. After all, the history books can tell us how the assassination attempt ended. It failed. What was the motivation for watching a film, especially one destined to be complicated?
I quickly realized that The Day of the Jackal had that special sauce. It’s more than engaging; it’s enthralling.
The audience is meant to root for Lebel to beat Fox, but so much more is bubbling under the surface. The villain is mysterious, and we know almost nothing about him. The ambiguity continues after the film ends.
This is a positive for the character and, by extension, for the film.
Meanwhile, the hero of the film, the guy after the “Jackal”, is your average, everyday Joe. He is unexciting but very smart and determined to capture Fox.
Lebel is likable for his savviness alone, but I still argue many will root for Fox to escape Lebel’s clutches. I know I did.
Great scenes occur in a swanky hotel when Fox becomes intrigued by Madame de Montpellier, played by Delphine Seyrig.
He picks up the rich and mysterious woman as they chat in the dining room. He later sneaks into her room and gets the girl.
Whoever cast this woman must have seen the Hitchcock classic Frenzy (1972) because she’s a dead ringer for Brenda Blaney (Barbara Leigh-Hunt).
Is it an accident that both meet grisly ends?
Not satisfied with merely bedding rich women, he goes to a Turkish bath to avoid the police and picks up a French gentleman.
It is implied they have a romantic date before the gentleman catches on to Fox’s identity (he is now on the run from the police) and meets his maker in his kitchen.
The Day of the Jackal (1973) is a meticulously crafted film that should be the blueprint for anyone intent on creating a political thriller. It avoids hokey stereotypes or predictability, instead offering an edge-of-your-seat experience with nuances for miles.
It’s exceptional on all levels.
Oscar Nominations: Best Film Editing
Golden Globe Nominations: Best Picture- Drama, Best Director-Fred Zinnemann, Best Screenplay