I saw this today for the first time in ten years, and it really impressed me all over again. This really has to be one of my favorites. Great performances by all, especially Fox and Lonsdale. Wonderful European locations.
The pacing is right on; the beginning is deliberately paced, as a plan is meticulously put together. As the French authorities gradually piece it together (always one or two steps behind the Jackal), the tempo increases as it always seems either that Lebel is about to get his man, or that the Jackal is so far ahead of his pursuers that all is lost. When it's time for the assassination, you WILL be on the edge of your seat.
I loved the way little seeds are planted early in the film that blossom later, like the medals that the Jackal buys at the bazaar. You might think he's just out antiquing while waiting for his gun and forged papers, but the medals turn out to be crucial to his plan. And the early scene where he surveys the vicinity of the upcoming Liberation Day proceedings is key - every detail that's established in that sequence comes into play later on. And then there's the wonderful subplot wherein the British focus on one Englishman, Charles Calthrop, who just >has< to be the Jackal. Accordingly, they center their entire investigation on him, and somehow it eventually leads Lebel to the Jackal. Then in a postscript, we find out that the English were wrong, and Calthrop was just some random guy who didn't have anything to do with anything.
It's obvious that a lot of research and attention went into making this movie (and, I assume, the Frederick Forsythe novel it's based on). All the details seem right. The Jackal plans everything to a T, and it's all very credible; you never once ask, "How in the world did he do that?" Similarly, Lebel and his task force (and their English counterparts) break the case through endless grunt work and intelligent guessing, not ridiculous leaps of logic or absurd coincidences. Again, you never have to suspend disbelief to accept that they figured this or that out, because the dirty work they have to trudge through is right there on the screen.
I should also add that Olga Georges-Picot has one of the most perfect bodies you'll ever see, and in one scene, you get to see a whole lot of it.
In summary, "The Day of the Jackal" is a precision-crafted film that assumes that the viewer can think, can retain information that's more than 15 seconds old, and doesn't need to see a massive explosion or kung-fu battle every five minutes. Sadly, they don't make 'em like this very often anymore.
The pacing is right on; the beginning is deliberately paced, as a plan is meticulously put together. As the French authorities gradually piece it together (always one or two steps behind the Jackal), the tempo increases as it always seems either that Lebel is about to get his man, or that the Jackal is so far ahead of his pursuers that all is lost. When it's time for the assassination, you WILL be on the edge of your seat.
I loved the way little seeds are planted early in the film that blossom later, like the medals that the Jackal buys at the bazaar. You might think he's just out antiquing while waiting for his gun and forged papers, but the medals turn out to be crucial to his plan. And the early scene where he surveys the vicinity of the upcoming Liberation Day proceedings is key - every detail that's established in that sequence comes into play later on. And then there's the wonderful subplot wherein the British focus on one Englishman, Charles Calthrop, who just >has< to be the Jackal. Accordingly, they center their entire investigation on him, and somehow it eventually leads Lebel to the Jackal. Then in a postscript, we find out that the English were wrong, and Calthrop was just some random guy who didn't have anything to do with anything.
It's obvious that a lot of research and attention went into making this movie (and, I assume, the Frederick Forsythe novel it's based on). All the details seem right. The Jackal plans everything to a T, and it's all very credible; you never once ask, "How in the world did he do that?" Similarly, Lebel and his task force (and their English counterparts) break the case through endless grunt work and intelligent guessing, not ridiculous leaps of logic or absurd coincidences. Again, you never have to suspend disbelief to accept that they figured this or that out, because the dirty work they have to trudge through is right there on the screen.
I should also add that Olga Georges-Picot has one of the most perfect bodies you'll ever see, and in one scene, you get to see a whole lot of it.
In summary, "The Day of the Jackal" is a precision-crafted film that assumes that the viewer can think, can retain information that's more than 15 seconds old, and doesn't need to see a massive explosion or kung-fu battle every five minutes. Sadly, they don't make 'em like this very often anymore.
