Rent The Day of the Jackal (1973)
4.0 of 5 from 222 ratings
2h 17min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- August 1962: the latest attempt on the life of French President Charles de Gaulle by the far right paramilitary organisation, the OAS, ends in chaos, with its architect-in-chief dead at the hands of a firing squad. Demoralised and on the verge of bankruptcy, the OAS leaders meet in secret to plan their next move. In a last desperate attempt to eliminate de Gaulle, they opt to employ the services of a hired assassin from outside the fold. Enter the Jackal (Edward Fox): charismatic, calculating, cold as ice. As the Jackal closes in on his target, a race against the clock ensues to identify and put a stop to a killer whose identity, whereabouts and modus operandi are completely unknown.
- Actors:
- Edward Fox, Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, Tony Britton, Denis Carey, Adrien Cayla-Legrand, Cyril Cusack, Maurice Denham, Vernon Dobtcheff, Jacques François, Olga Georges-Picot, Raymond Gérôme, Barrie Ingham, Derek Jacobi, Michael Lonsdale, Jean Martin, Ronald Pickup, Eric Porter, Anton Rodgers
- Directors:
- Fred Zinnemann
- Producers:
- John Woolf
- Writers:
- Frederick Forsyth, Kenneth Ross
- Others:
- Michael Lonsdale, Delphine Seyrig, Robert Allen, Ralph Kemplen, Nicholas Stevenson
- Aka:
- Chacal
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- A Brief History of Galleries and Museums in Film: Part 1, BAFTA Nominations Competition 2024, Cinema Paradiso's 2022 Centenary Club, Cinema Paradiso's 2024 Centenary Club: Part 2, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Sidney Poitier, inema Paradiso's 2023 Centenary Club: Part 2, Introducing a British Film Family, People of the Pictures, Remembering Leslie Phillips, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 Best Picture Follow-Ups, Top 100 BFI Films, Top Films
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 04/09/2017
- Run Time:
- 143 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 1.0
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- New interview with Neil Sinyard, author of Fred Zirtnemann: Films of Character and Conscience Two rare archival clips from the film set, including an interview with Fred Zinnemann
- Original screenplay by Kenneth Ross (BD-ROM content)
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Reviews (4) of The Day of the Jackal
Long, meticulous, superb - The Day of the Jackal review by RP
Superb political "action thriller" from 1973 about events way back in 1962. I've used quotation marks because by today's tastes it's long and slow moving – there's no crash bang wallop here – and for a thriller there's not many thrills. But I can highly recommend it – the tension build slowly as a hired assassin (codename Jackal) carefully plans the assassination of General de Gaulle. The film is based on true events as the OAS, a far right French nationalist group, attempted to prevent independence of the French colony of Algeria. Edward Fox is perfect in the role of the ruthless assassin who meticulously plans every detail and even carries his anonymity to the grave. 4/5 stars – highly recommended.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Political Crime Thriller - Excellent - The Day of the Jackal review by GI
A riveting political crime thriller based on the best selling novel by Frederick Forsyth. Filmed with a documentary style realism this is a tense, almost nail biting drama that has now, rightly, been hailed as one of the best British films of the 1970s. Casting the then unknown Edward Fox as the lead was a risk which affected the initial box office but over the years this has become recognised as a first rate thriller and definitely one of those films everyone should try and see at least once. Set in the early 1960s and just after the French president, Charles DeGaulle, gave the African country Algeria its independence. This led to the formation of a terrorist organisation, the OAS, formed by disaffected members of the French army who felt betrayed after so many French soldiers died in fighting in Algeria. All this is based on facts. The film begins with the OAS attempting to assassinate DeGaulle and having failed they recruit an enigmatic and very clever English hitman to kill him. Codenamed The Jackal (Fox) he plans the assassination in complete secrecy but a leak reveals his existence which starts a manhunt led by top detective Lebel (Michael Lonsdale). The hunt for this man forms the centre of the story and The Jackal seems always to be one step ahead. It's a gripping and interesting story and omits the clichés often found in films of this genre. There's no heroics or big set piece action scenes and Fox as the outwardly pleasant gentlemen is revealed as a very cold blooded killer. A superb film, brilliantly directed and beautifully paced to keep you watching right to the very last, key moment.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Foxy - The Day of the Jackal review by JD
This 1973 classic has some of the failings of its time (telescopic / music hall acting from some of the supporting actors) but Edward Fox's acting is sublime. Tony Britton's Brummie accent is so bad that it is either pathetic or a poor attempt at humour. He really should not have tried. The Jackal is able to kill people with a single blow or 3 second pressure to the neck (only convincing to those who have never played a contact sport). The Frederick Forsyth plot is closely followed and is extremely gripping. The drama intense. Its failings are soon forgotten. Highly recommended.
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.