THE DAY OF THE JACKAL
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
Written by Kenneth Ross
Starring Edward Fox
Released in 1973
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
Written by Kenneth Ross
Starring Edward Fox
Released in 1973
This is true. On August 22, 1962, a group called the OAS (Secret Army Organization) made an assassination attempt on French President Charles De Gaulle, whom they believed had betrayed France by giving up Algeria to Algerian nationalists. Near dusk De Gaulle and his wife were riding from the Elysee Palace to Orly Airport. As his black Citroen DS sped along the Avenue de la Liberation in Paris at 70 miles per hour, twelve OAS gunmen opened fire on the car. A hail of 140 bullets, most of them coming from behind, killed two of the president's motorcycle bodyguards, shattered the car's rear window and punctured all four of its tires. Though the Citroen went into a front-wheel skid, De Gaulle's chauffeur was able to accelerate out of the skid and drive to safety, presumably thanks to the car's superior suspension system. De Gaulle and his wife kept their heads down and came out unharmed.
We see the recreation of this in the first few minutes of the 1971 Fred Zinnemann movie The Day of the Jackal.
This is one hell of a movie.
Edward Fox gives a chiller performance in the title role of the man hired by the OAS to assassinate De Gaulle. You won't recognize anyone else in this film because all the actors here are consciously understated, a facet of their character's personalities which oddly adds to the mounting suspense. Indeed, this may be the most understated thriller ever made. There's no imposed commentary about the propriety of the actions committed by the French authorities or by their enemies--this is not a class in comparative politics. This is a an historical film. And that's a chancy approach to take because, while it does add to our horror at the building of the conspiracy itself, we are given no sense as to whether the conspirators were or were not "justified" in their plans, just as we get no indication (outside whatever knowledge we may bring to the party) as to De Gaulle's liberation of Algeria. The French President was a very complex individual and, short of an eight-hour documentary, there was really no way the filmmaker here could have told the viewers everything they needed to know.
On the other hand, that would have been a different film altogether andThe Day of the Jackal is really about the brilliance of treachery. The Jackal is an Englishman who goes about his work of putting into place an admittedly smart operation with a lack of surface passion which, again, adds to the horror of what may result. Likewise, the Inspector (Tony Britton), who must prevent the killing, works with equal dutiful thrust to apprehend the bastard. Both of these men are actually simply employees in a grand design of global politics and they know it. To combat that self-awareness, both men develop a certain disdain for their employers, one which we in the audience latch onto at every opportunity. As despicable as the Jackal may be, he is genuinely morally superior to his backers, just as Inspector Thomas makes fools of the pomposity of the French Parliament and indeed of De Gaulle himself.
This is an innervating film that ranks among the greatest spy thrillers of the 1970s.
We see the recreation of this in the first few minutes of the 1971 Fred Zinnemann movie The Day of the Jackal.
This is one hell of a movie.
Edward Fox gives a chiller performance in the title role of the man hired by the OAS to assassinate De Gaulle. You won't recognize anyone else in this film because all the actors here are consciously understated, a facet of their character's personalities which oddly adds to the mounting suspense. Indeed, this may be the most understated thriller ever made. There's no imposed commentary about the propriety of the actions committed by the French authorities or by their enemies--this is not a class in comparative politics. This is a an historical film. And that's a chancy approach to take because, while it does add to our horror at the building of the conspiracy itself, we are given no sense as to whether the conspirators were or were not "justified" in their plans, just as we get no indication (outside whatever knowledge we may bring to the party) as to De Gaulle's liberation of Algeria. The French President was a very complex individual and, short of an eight-hour documentary, there was really no way the filmmaker here could have told the viewers everything they needed to know.
On the other hand, that would have been a different film altogether andThe Day of the Jackal is really about the brilliance of treachery. The Jackal is an Englishman who goes about his work of putting into place an admittedly smart operation with a lack of surface passion which, again, adds to the horror of what may result. Likewise, the Inspector (Tony Britton), who must prevent the killing, works with equal dutiful thrust to apprehend the bastard. Both of these men are actually simply employees in a grand design of global politics and they know it. To combat that self-awareness, both men develop a certain disdain for their employers, one which we in the audience latch onto at every opportunity. As despicable as the Jackal may be, he is genuinely morally superior to his backers, just as Inspector Thomas makes fools of the pomposity of the French Parliament and indeed of De Gaulle himself.
This is an innervating film that ranks among the greatest spy thrillers of the 1970s.
