The Day of the Jackal

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.