Day of the Jackal

Rating:

A Good Day To Die

Main Cast: Edward Fox, Alan Badel, Terrence Alexander, Cyril Cusack

Director: Fred Zinnemann

This taut thriller charts the progress of a professional assassin and the detective assigned to stop him. Day of the Jackal is set in France of the early ’60s, when Charles de Galle was in full power.

I must say that the detail of the movie is grand, and it captures perfectly the feel of the time and of the different countries in Europe. Where and how the assassin plots, plans, and executes is completely believable and chilling in its simplicity. We follow his progress across Europe as he creates different disguises, buys his weapon, and finds a place to send the lethal bullet home.

At some point the authorities learn of his existence, and the hunt is on. A mild-mannered police detective is handed the impossible job of not only finding this elusive assassin, but stopping him. I enjoyed the process of his investigation, knowing full well that the assassin could strike at any moment. We also get to see the whole thing from the assassin’s perspective, which only adds to the tension.

Overall I enjoyed this original. I can’t say much for the remake… it lacked the feel, the flavor, and the hard truth of this iteration. If you have a choice, find this version. You won’t be disappointed.

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