'The Day of the Jackal' (1973)

[calvin]

A good movie that I probably saw when it was current 38 years
ago, but not sure. If so, I liked it a lot better this time around.
One glaring problem, though, was that everyone spoke English,
in Paris and the other European cities. That just doesn't work
anymore. Back then it was expected, but now the use of
subtitles would be far less jarring. And this was an English/French
production no less. The French would have been justified to be
highly insulted, it seems to me.

But aside from that, the various European locations added great
visual interest to this well written and directed movie.

For most of the movie I didn't know whether to be on the side
of the hired assassin or not, since the French/Algerian conflict
had never grabbed my attention; but before the end it did start
to matter.

[Mack A. Damia]

One of my favorite films. The language thing (or the historical
setting) never bothered me as many folks speak English in Europe; it
is the language of business and diplomacy. I never gave it a second
thought.

It's better, of course, the first time you see it, but I still watch
it occasionally.

It puts the remake with Bruce Willis to shame.

I know you must have recognized Derek Jacobi playing the inspector's
assiatant who went onto star as Claudius in the Masterpiece TV series.
He also recently played the Archbishop of Canterbury in "The King's
Speech".

[Howard Brazee]

On 11/4/11 10:29 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote:
> It puts the remake with Bruce Willis to shame.

It shared a few plot elements - but was it really a remake? Especially
since the book was a best seller?

[Mack A. Damia]

On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:51:32 -0600, Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net>
wrote:

I wondered about that myself, but I think it was "modeled" after the
original - which really couldn't be remade as Forsythe intended the
story to be told.

No, it wasn't a remake. A film with similarities to the original.

[William]

On Nov 5, 7:27 pm, Mack A. Damia <mybaconbu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> No, it wasn't a remake.  A film with similarities to the original.

Actually, it was a remake. From wiki:

"The Jackal is a 1997 suspense film directed by Michael Caton-Jones
and starring Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, and Sidney Poitier. It is a
loose remake of the 1973 film The Day of the Jackal, although the
director of that film, Fred Zinnemann, fought with the studio to
ensure that this remake did not share the first film's title, and
Frederick Forsyth, the author of the novel that the first film was
based on, asked for his name to be removed from the credits of this
film."

William

[Blue]

Pulled over to the side of the road and gave the car a makeover.

[calvin]

On Nov 5, 11:03 pm, Blue <bluescr...@windstream.net> wrote:
> On Nov 4, 11:54 pm, calvin <cri...@windstream.net> wrote:

> ...

> > For most of the movie I didn't know whether to be on the side
> > of the hired assassin or not, since the French/Algerian conflict
> > had never grabbed my attention; but before the end it did start
> > to matter.
>
> Pulled over to the side of the road and gave the car a makeover.

Lots of improbabilities, but still a very good thriller,
even though we knew the final outcome in advance
and would naturally guess that it would all come down
to a final split second of suspense.

[Mack A. Damia]

Did the Jackal shoot the gunsmith (Cyril Cusack)? The screenplay
leaves us guessing as the Jackal asks for a speical bullet (I think)
and loads it. End of scene.

[Halmyre]

I think he shoots him in the novel, but the film is more ambiguous.

I've read that Michael Caine, Jack Nicholson and Roger Moore were
considered for the part of the assassin. Nicholson - noooo, don't
think so; Caine - maybe, but not sure; Moore - now there's an
interesting concept...

--
Halmyre

[ralph]

On Nov 6, 3:08 pm, Mack A. Damia <mybaconbu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 6 Nov 2011 12:58:17 -0800 (PST), calvin
>

> Did the Jackal shoot the gunsmith (Cyril Cusack)?  The screenplay
> leaves us guessing as the Jackal asks for a speical bullet (I think)
> and loads it.  End of scene.

It was the one unanswered question I had as well. Thought maybe I
missed clues, so when I had the chance to see it again I zeroed in
hoping to catch them, but Zinnemann, obviously, keeps tight. Would
later learn that it was part of a strategy to get people to pick up
the book. I did. Sorry, no can tell.

[calvin]

On Nov 6, 4:23 pm, Halmyre <flashgordonreced...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Nov 6, 9:08 pm, Mack A. Damia  <mybaconbu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Did the Jackal shoot the gunsmith (Cyril Cusack)?  The screenplay
> > leaves us guessing as the Jackal asks for a speical bullet (I think)
> > and loads it.  End of scene.
>
> I think he shoots him in the novel, but the film is more ambiguous.

In the movie, after the gunsmith is told that it is a
beautiful piece of work, he brings out six shells,
saying that he coverted them to explosive tips. The
Jackal says "let me have one of them", and when
he is handed one the scene ends. He doesn't load it.
Since his last practice shot is with an explosive tip,
I assume that was the one. I don't see any ambiguity
there. The scene just ends with no further information
given. In an earlier scene he had killed the one who
made fake ID cards for him, but that was because the
maker was trying to extort more money from him
before returning the original card and photo negatives
as he had promised. I'm not saying he didn't kill the
gunsmith in the movie, but only that we were given
no hint of it.

[Mack A. Damia]

He tells the committee that whoever does the job can never work again.
But the gunsmith is a specialist who seemed to cater to assassins and
the like, and who knew about the need for secrecy. It's really a
toss-up.

[Mack A. Damia]

We aren't the only ones who have wondered.....

Did the Jackal kill the gunsmith?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069947/faq

[calvin]

I left out the fact that the gunsmith wrapped the explosive
tipped bullet in tissue paper as he handed it to the Jackal.
And I had forgotten that the movie showed it being unwrapped
for the final practice shot. It wasn't a handkerchief, not that
that matters. I had assumed that the gunsmith wrapped it
as he picked it up simply to avoid getting his own fingerprints
on it.

[calvin]

Not to me, but not having read the book I'll defer
to those who have. I mentioned not knowing whose
side to be on for most of the movie, and if I had thought
he killed the gunsmith, that would have turned me against
the Jackal at once. I wonder if maybe the movie makers
wanted the audience to possibly have sympathy for him
for a while. We were shown that tender moment when he
was asleep in bed with the woman, which wouldn't have
seemed so charming had we known the worst about him
at that time.

[Mack A. Damia]

On Sun, 6 Nov 2011 16:39:08 -0800 (PST), calvin

I'm sure you're right, but there is just something in the action and
dialogue that make one wonder. It's kind of left up in the air unless
you really analyze it. What did he do with the other exploding
bullets? He must have had them with him, but I see that according to
the novel, he visits the gunsmith yet a third time, so that's that.

[Mack A. Damia]

In the novel, he visits the gunsmith a third time, so he didn't kill
him when he picked up the weapon and bullets.

The film is just slightly ambiguous on this point, but I guess if you
analyze it as calvin has done, there's no question.

[calvin]

I think it's quite possible either way. Moving on to another
point, I thought it was clever of the Jackal to disappear by
going to a gay bathhouse and being picked up by a man.
That covered his trail all right, but then it was dumb for him
to let the man go out shopping when he might well have
found that his pickup was wanted for murder, and brought
the police back home with him, which very nearly happened.

Another thing that bothered me was when the policeman
compared the wanted man picture with the 'crippled' Jackal's
picture, and we saw that the faces obviously were the same,
he didn't try to detain him, but sent him on his way, only
telling the inspector about him quite a bit of time later.
Surely the policeman wasn't afraid to try and hold a one-
legged man for questioning.

I suppose in any complicated plot there are going to be
weak points, so the filmmakers try to deflect attention
from the weaknesses by means of the further action.

[Mack A. Damia]

On Sun, 6 Nov 2011 17:45:48 -0800 (PST), calvin

As careful and as intricate as the plot was, he was advised by his
contact not to go through with it as his cover was blown; yet, he
paused at the crossroads in his sports car and then made the turn
towards Paris.

Not at all professional as he was portrayed. He was a hired assassin.
He didn't have a personal emotional stake in the outcome.

[mikeos]

On 07/11/2011 00:13, Mack A. Damia wrote:
>
> We aren't the only ones who have wondered.....
>
> Did the Jackal kill the gunsmith?
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069947/faq

It says "Some viewers claim to have seen an apparently deleted sequence
involving the Jackal killing the gunsmith while testing his rifle".

I'm one of those people. I am convinced that I remember the scene but
have never been able to confirm it, and I have not seen the Bruce Willis
version.

[calvin]

On Nov 7, 9:26 am, mikeos <mike...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 07/11/2011 00:13, Mack A. Damia wrote:
> > We aren't the only ones who have wondered.....
>
> > Did the Jackal kill the gunsmith?
> >http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069947/faq
>
> It says "Some viewers claim to have seen an apparently deleted sequence
> involving the Jackal killing the gunsmith while testing his rifle".

> ...

That's odd because he tests the rifle many miles away
and outdoors. I believe he was told that the place he
went to do it was a day's drive, round trip, and he didn't
take the gunsmith with him.

[mikeos]

I assumed they mean while he was still in the gunsmith's armoury.

[Mack A. Damia]

That's true. He hangs a mellon from a tree and shoots several regular
rounds to sight his rifle's scope. Then he uses an explosive bullet
to smash it to smithereens.

[Mack A. Damia]

Interesting coincidence: Carlos, the Jackal, is currently on trial in
Paris for murder and terrorism involving four bomb attacks in the
early 1980s.

[tomcervo]

On Nov 6, 4:23 pm, Halmyre <flashgordonreced...@yahoo.com> wrote:

One of the points at the time was that Edward Fox was identified
mainly as James' older brother. He had no screen persona to speak of,
which made him perfect in the role.

[mikeos]

On 08/11/2011 15:26, tomcervo wrote:
>
> One of the points at the time was that Edward Fox was identified
> mainly as James' older brother.

and now as the father of Emilia Fox

[SSS DDD]

furriners speakin de English does not bother me, actually allows the
viewer to experience good or bad acting. I'm so accustomed to
EnglishmenAmericans playing other nationalities that suspension of
disbelief comes easily.