Chacal

The structure and pacing of this movie are exceptional and make the movie worth watching every few years. The coldness of the assassin, the unremitting persistence of the detective and the suspense of what will happen next all combine to make this a classic.

... How am I supposed to review a thriller I liked a lot ? It's much easier to write comments on a thriller I disliked , a good example being that really crap movie with Bruce Willis hired by the Russian mafia and IRA man Richard Gere trying to stop him . I think you know the movie I'm talking about

Frederick Forsyth writes thrillers that not only entertain you but educate you too and Kenneth Ross has written a screenplay that reflects this type of writing . The characters aren't cyphers created just to push the plot along , you can really believe these policemen have been solving cases for years ( notice how the policemen are either dowdy or gruff or both . Very realistic ) while you just know " The Jackal " is the world's most effective hit-man . Director Fred Zimmerman films the movie the best way possible - As a docudrama . Okay it might be a little slow and European to some tastes thirty years after it was filmed but compare it to the aforementioned remake and tell me what ones more nailbiting and compelling ? No contest is it

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.

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.