The Day of the Jackal
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Short description
Set in France in the early 1960s, The Day of the Jackal follows a professional killer hired by a dissident French military group that holds President Charles de Gaulle responsible for the loss of Algeria. The organization pays the English assassin, known only by the codename Jackal, a large sum to carry out the killing. As he plans the attempt methodically, French police learn of the plot and begin a race to identify and stop him.
Fred Zinnemann directed the film, which came after A Man for All Seasons in his filmography and before Julia. Kenneth Ross wrote the screenplay, and John Woolf produced. Edward Fox plays the Jackal, with Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, Tony Britton and Denis Carey among the cast, part of a production that credited 65 performers and 57 crew members.
The film was released in 1973 and runs 143 minutes. It took about 16 million dollars worldwide, a solid return for a thriller of its scale. On IMDb it holds 7.8 out of 10 from around 53,000 votes, while TMDB shows 7.5 from roughly 711. A critics' rating of 8.1 from 35 reviews sits above the audience scores, indicating strong critical approval relative to general viewer response.
What's left behind the scenes
- Michael Caine was suggested for the role of the Jackal, but Cinneman did not want to cast a star in the film; he preferred the lesser-known Edward Fox.
- During the filming of the final scene, in which Charles de Gaulle presents medals to war veterans, many supporting actors had no idea that the performer of this role, Adrien Caillaud-Leгран, bore a striking resemblance to the President of France. During the filming of the first take of the scene where the President exits the limousine, the crowd gasped in unison, and one of the elderly extras fainted.
- The French government provided all possible assistance to the filmmakers, in particular, providing military personnel and permits to film in places where cinematographers were usually not allowed, especially when filming scenes of the celebration of Liberation Day on August 25th.
- Following the film's release, British government structures responsible for managing archives and issuing passports tightened regulations to prevent the theft and use of the identities of deceased people, as done by the hitman known as the Jackal. According to Forsyth, this happened quite frequently in the 1960s. He tried to raise the alarm, but all his warning letters were ignored by the government until the release of this film.
- The scenes of the parade celebrating Liberation Day were filmed during a real Liberation Day parade with real spectators who had no idea that filming was taking place. Because of this, many in the crowd mistook the arrests taking place nearby for genuine events and tried to offer assistance.
- Disguised as a war veteran, Edward Fox portrays a one-legged invalid. The actor could remain in that position for no more than 5 minutes.
- After the first 5 minutes, the film has no soundtrack – only music whose source is within the frame – marching bands, street musicians, radios. Director Fred Zinnemann specifically avoided using music so as not to distract the audience.
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