STORY: The Day of The Jackal is set against the struggles of the paramilitary organisation the OAS in France and their attempts to kill President Charles De Gaulle. With the exact same story as the book, it focuses around one fictional attempt in 1963 when the leaders hire a mysterious foreign professional assassin. It follows this man (The Jackal) as he plans and prepares the assassination whilst the secret service and police detectives launch a secret manhunt for this unknown killer. The film is all about suspense so very little action actually occurs in this film. It may be a little slow for some tastes but I honestly think that's what makes the film so unique. It had me on the edge of my seat almost throughout, and there was no need for recent Hollywood style guns blazing action. It's a film for the intellectual. Also as one reviewer mentioned, it is completely free from clichés. Our killer is never made out to be inherently evil, just a professional doing a job. Similarly, the leading detective on this case is as far from the 'maverick who never plays by the rules but always gets his man' cliché as he could possibly be. This is a definite plus in my books and is what really let the re-make down (the one with Bruce Willis), it was just too American with too much action and too many character clichés. DOTJ has a flawless plot for those with the patience and attention span to go last more than five minutes without a fight or chase scene. The fact that it is based around factual history allowed me to become fully immersed in the film 5/5
EXECUTION: Aside from having a brilliant story, the film is also executed remarkably. I'm told Edward Fox (The Jackal) made his name off of this film and that does not surprise me at all, he plays the part exactly as I would have imagined having read the book. He definitely steals the whole show. The other acting is great for the time it was made but is not in the same league as Fox. The film is directed almost as if it were a documentary which suits the style. Again action fans will be disappointed and probably bored by this but I felt it added to the realism. Similarly the fact that there is no soundtrack caused me to become more involved with the characters. I should point out that the film does sometimes show its age especially with the use of the infamous 1960s 'judo chop of death' but I can honestly say it didn't bother me or effect my immersion at all possibly because it's not an action film and the small number of deaths throughout were not a major part of it. The directing style topped with some near perfect acting mean DOTJ is almost perfectly executed, any minor nitpicks can be attributed to its age. 5/5
VERDICT: In this day of films basically being poorly done remakes of the Bourne films with ridiculous stunts and strong character clichés, an intellectual film is greatly appreciated. I can see why this film became a classic in the 1970s and I believe it is a timeless masterpiece and a fine example of how films don't need action, swearing or unrealistic characters who 'let their gun do the talking'. Clever dialogue and a very suspenseful story at the expense of fast paced action mean this film won't be for everybody. But those who appreciate a more realistic film which makes them think cannot go wrong with the Day of the Jackal. 5/5 + 5/5 = 10/10
EXECUTION: Aside from having a brilliant story, the film is also executed remarkably. I'm told Edward Fox (The Jackal) made his name off of this film and that does not surprise me at all, he plays the part exactly as I would have imagined having read the book. He definitely steals the whole show. The other acting is great for the time it was made but is not in the same league as Fox. The film is directed almost as if it were a documentary which suits the style. Again action fans will be disappointed and probably bored by this but I felt it added to the realism. Similarly the fact that there is no soundtrack caused me to become more involved with the characters. I should point out that the film does sometimes show its age especially with the use of the infamous 1960s 'judo chop of death' but I can honestly say it didn't bother me or effect my immersion at all possibly because it's not an action film and the small number of deaths throughout were not a major part of it. The directing style topped with some near perfect acting mean DOTJ is almost perfectly executed, any minor nitpicks can be attributed to its age. 5/5
VERDICT: In this day of films basically being poorly done remakes of the Bourne films with ridiculous stunts and strong character clichés, an intellectual film is greatly appreciated. I can see why this film became a classic in the 1970s and I believe it is a timeless masterpiece and a fine example of how films don't need action, swearing or unrealistic characters who 'let their gun do the talking'. Clever dialogue and a very suspenseful story at the expense of fast paced action mean this film won't be for everybody. But those who appreciate a more realistic film which makes them think cannot go wrong with the Day of the Jackal. 5/5 + 5/5 = 10/10