The Day of the Jackal (1973)

The Day of the Jackal
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
Written by Kenneth Ross from the book by Frederick Forsyth
1973/UK/France
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Prime rental

Col. Rodin: We are not terrorists, you understand. We are patriots. Our duty is to the soldiers who died fighting in Algeria, and to the three million French citizens who have always lived there.

In his penultimate film, Fred Zinnemann delivers a tense political thriller.

It is 1962.  Disgruntled French military officers have formed an underground militant organization in anger over Algerian independence.  They have already made one unsuccessful attempt on the life of President Charles DeGaulle.  They decide that what they need for success is a professional hitman who is an outsider.  They settle on an Englishman who uses the code name “Jackal” (Edward Fox).

The Jackal is the consumate assassin with careful attention to detail and complete willingness to dispose of witnesses.  He is also a master of disguises.  The OAS has a mole inside the French secret service.

We follow the build up to assassination day both from the perspective of the Jackal and from the viewpoint of the French and British secret services who pursue him independently.

This is a slow burn but builds to a very dramatic climax.  It’s a well-made, entertaining thriller.

The Day of the Jackal was nominated for the Best Film Editing Oscar.

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