Chacal

From start to finish, this is one stylish espionage thriller that qualifies among the best of its genre. Handsomely photographed in some colorful European locations and impressively acted by the entire cast, it showcases EDWARD FOX as "The Jackal" in a performance of smooth villainy that is convincing all the way.

The film's final thirty minutes are worth waiting for--as is The Jackal's final disguise that convinces the French authorities to let him pass. Fred Zinnemann keeps it all moving at a steady pace and there's never any letdown in suspense since the film has the power to draw you in from the start.

Based on Frederick Forsyth's best-seller about the painful preparations an assassin makes in an attempt to take the life of Charles DeGaulle, it belongs in the same class with a film like THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, almost documentary in approach.

The British cast is excellent with Michael Lonsdale doing an outstanding job as the relentless detective. Highly recommended.

This is just a masterpiece. It is probably the prime example of how the film industry did such a better job with movies of this genre 30 and 40 years ago. I was comparing and contrasting this with the original "The Manchurian Candidate," both films dealing with assassination, but taking totally different paths -- one with a brainwashed assassin, the other with a coolly professional one. But in comparing this film with more-modern films -- including the remake of this one -- it's amazing how everyone involved 30 or 40 years ago used dialog, character development, fantastic cinematography and other such tools to craft an incredibly complex and tense work. You might have trouble remembering one actor from this film, but you can't forget their characterizations. Nowadays, it's nothing but special effects. Everyone got a lot more for their money in the era when this film was made.

This is a good rendition of Frederick Forsyth's best seller based on real events, it deals about an intelligent English assassin (Edward Fox) who is assigned by OAS to assassinate General De Gaulle. OAS was a terrorist group formed by French vets of the War of Argelia and committing terrorist acts preferentially after its independence (Evian,1962). The Minister (Alan Badel) assigns the mission to locate Jackal , being appointed his best investigator named Lebel( Michael Lonsdale) and assisted by his helper (Derek Jacobi). The film develops the preparation of the assassination including identity forge, weapons purchase, among others.

This is an interesting thriller lavishly produced by John Woolf who after that he made ¨Odessa file¨ also by Frederick Forsyth. It's full of action, tense, high intrigue and is very entertaining. From the beginning to the end the tension and suspense is continued . In spite of the fact that the runtime is overlong, is neither tiring , nor dull , but thrilling . Cool performance by Edward Fox as elegant and cunning murderer. All star cast formed by prestigious secondary actors as French : Michael Lonsdale, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, and British : Cryil Cusack, Maurice Denham, Eric Porter, Timothy West,Ronald Pickup, Donald Sinden and others uncredited, almost extras: Edward Hardwicke , Andrea Ferreol, Feodor Atkine and Howard Vernon. And marvelous secondary actresses as Olga Georges-Picot and Delphyne Seyrig and including some of nudism. Beautifully photographed by expert cameraman Jean Tourneir. Suspenseful and atmospheric musical score by George Delerue.

The motion picture is stunningly directed by Fred Zinnemann who had a lot of experience from his formers classic films as ¨High Noon, From here to eternity, Man for all seasons ¨, among them. Rating : Very Good , better than average. It was such fine movie that had a great success at the box office. It's remade in 1997 by Michael Caton-Jones with Richard Gere and Bruce Willis as Jackal but is inferior version and bears only slight resemblance to the original movie.

You watch the Bruce Willis version of the Jackal and you think that is so cool, but you don't know cool until you see Edward Fox do it.

Fox is the epitome of cool. The guy even wears an ascot, for god's sake! Most people today don't even know what an ascot is. He carefully plots his moves and is methodical in his precision. He kills with cool detachment. If he had Willis' assignment, he would have gotten it done.

But, he had to deal with the European versions of the CIA/FBI and they were not restrained in how they handled investigations. With just a thread, the French police inspector carefully puts together a case with as much precision as his prey. It was a game of cat and mouse that kept you on the edge of your seat for two and a half hours without noticing the time.

That is because of director Fred Zinnemann and the fact that he kept things moving along beautifully.

If you want to see how a thriller is done with craft and cunning and without special effects, then this is the film for you.

If there were an award for sheer single-mindedness, this film would win a lifetime- achievement. I don't think I've seen a movie more dedicated to following through on its premise. With near excruciating detail, the two and a-half hour narrative follows out a plot to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle by disgruntled Algerian colonialists who hire a professional hit man known as the Jackal.

Now you might think 140-minutes would provide plenty of critical material to write about. But, in my little book, the sum-total doesn't. Instead, the screenplay consists entirely of following out the tactics of police pursuit and criminal evasion, producing results that are, nevertheless, riveting as heck. That's mainly because the screenplay shows the Jackal's painstaking preparation, though much is done in silence such that we don't know why he's doing what he's doing. We find out, however, as the chase unfolds and he puts those preparations into practice, allowing him to stay one-step ahead of the police pursuers. It amounts to an exquisite game of cat and mouse, and is about as well played as any thriller I've seen. But you have to stay alert since the Jackal operates mainly in silence.

If there's a downside, it's probably some seemingly pointless interludes where police functionaries walk along corridors to somewhere. I'm guessing these were included to give us a taste of the richly ornate interiors of high government offices since the walking itself doesn't advance the single-minded plot. Still, these scenes, along with the many sunny outdoor shots, do lend an eye-catching background to all the maneuvering.

Anyway, between the expert screenplay, fine acting, and colorful European locales, the movie is richly deserving of its first-rate reputation.