The Day of the Jackal

The Day of the Jackal

classified 15

States of Danger and Deceit: European Political Thrillers in the 1970s

Film

Please note: This was screened in Nov 2017

Director
Fred Zinneman
Cast
Edward Fox, Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair
Details
143 mins, 1973, UK | France

One of the very best political thrillers of the 1970s, Fred Zinneman’s serious spy drama explores the attempts of a cold, suave, British-hired hitman to assassinate French President General De Gaulle, and a Paris detective’s desperate race to stop him.

August 1962. The latest attempt on the life of President Charles de Gaulle by the French far right paramilitary organisation, the OAS, ends in chaos, with its architect-in-chief dead at the hands of a firing squad. Demoralised and on the verge of bankruptcy, the OAS leaders meet in secret to plan their next move. In a last desperate attempt to eliminate de Gaulle, they opt to employ the services of a hired assassin from outside the fold. Enter the Jackal (Edward Fox) - charismatic, calculating, cold as ice. As the Jackal closes in on his target, the authorities face a race against the clock to foil the plot and put a stop to a killer whose identity, whereabouts and modus operandi are completely unknown.

Based on Frederick Forsyth's best-selling novel of political intrigue, Zinnemann's matchless direction is what makes this such compelling viewing and an object lesson in suspense. Taut, vivid and with every detail minutely observed, this outstanding piece of filmmaking marked the apotheosis of one of the thriller genres key tropes — the mind game.


× Close

Help us make our website work better for you

We use Google Analytics to gather information on how our website is used. This information helps us to make changes to our website that improve the usefulness and overall experience for our visitors. If you would like to help us to make continuous improvements to our website, please allow us to set "first-party" cookies (only readable by us) so that we can distinguish visitors and gain greater insights.

Allow cookies for analytics Deny cookies for analytics