It's been
a while since I talked about a movie, but to be fair it's been a
while since I watched a movie. Today that changes!
Last week
I took the time to sit down and watch the classic
The Day of the Jackal (1973), and I'm really glad I did.
The film
is based on the book with the same name by Frederick Forsyth, and
it's directed by Fred Zinnemann. I can honestly say I don't think I
have ever seen another of his films, so whether they are good or not,
I don't know. The Day of the Jackal is amazing, so maybe his other
works are worth a look. I'll leave that up to you.
The story
is based on real events, namely the attempted assassination of French
President Charles de Gaulle by the Organisation Armée Secréte
(secret armed organization). The OAS were furious when de Gaulle gave
Algeria its independence and accused him of being a traitor to
France. This is all fact, the rest of the movie is fiction.
So in a
nutshell, the OAS hires an assassin to kill de Gaulle, since they are
too inept and riddled with informers to do it properly themselves.
The government puts their best cop on the case and he and his aides
tries to chase down the Jackal before he can kill the president.
What
really stands out here is that there is no mystery involved.
Absolutely none. You know who the Jackal is, you follow him
throughout the film in fact. You know what the police knows since you
follow them as well. You even follow motorcycle couriers as they zoom
around Paris. The tension comes from, well, tension. Will they arrive
in time? Will the Jackals disguise work? Etc.
It sounds
a bit lame, even though it isn't. This is a pretty subtle film and a
lot of the focus is put on minor details. You can't have it on in the
background while you do other things, or you will miss out. It
requires your attention but I do think it rewards you for it.
To be
fair, it's a pretty old film and in many ways it shows – we don't
make movies like this anymore. There is no grandstanding, no dramatic
speeches or chest beating. No fanatical “Viva la France”, instead
a single tear rolling down a woman's cheek shows her utter commitment
to the cause. Some might find this slow and boring, that's up to you.
In case
you haven't picked up on it yet, I really liked it, but that doesn't
mean there are no problems. If you are the sort who cares, you should
know that all the cars are too modern. Being that the film is set in
'62 and that it was filmed 10-11 years later this is understandable.
As someone who knows very little concerning cars, I thought they
looked fine, but there were complaints on the matter over at IMBD.
Personally
I found the ending to be a bit weak. I won't spoil it, it is fine but
there are complications with the story that they could have ironed
out a bit. I'll give you one example. Throughout the film you follow
the Jackal and all his preparations, and I do mean ALL. He steals a
passport, he modifies his car, he even buys hair dye, but he has no
plan to get away after shooting the president in the head! It would
have been nice to see what his plan is. Sure the movie is 143 minutes
long already and that is long enough, but the lack of a plan is kind
of glaring.
I haven't
talked about acting or cinematography, but I don't need to, it is all
great. I can't talk about the score since there really isn't one. All
that said, The Day of the Jackal is a kind of odd movie, but a really
good one. I definitely recommend it without hesitation.
That as
they say is that. Join me again next time, and until then have a
great week! Stay safe and keep washing your hands.
