I would have cut an overlong section at the end around the parades but otherwise a top class film. Suspense maintained brilliantly and a hard hitting ending
Even Fox's gestures and slight movements, like slinging the securing rope around the tree, are so balletic, intentional and well executed that this masterpiece becomes a visual treat that feasts each of the senses. "Day of the Jackal" is pure cinema.
I watch this more than two decades ago, at the time I was to immature of taste to appreciated its pacing but I did like the movie quite a bit. Many years later I watched the remake of this film, and found it to be quite garish.
Yes. There are no big chases or wild shootouts along the way. This assassin is more cunning and subtle than that - hide the gun inside the car so nothing to find in the bags, car IDed, no carjacking just a some stolen plates and paint job (What planning this guy shows), need a safe place, chat up a duchess (I think), need another, find a male friend this time right in the enemy's camp. And finally, switch again to completely unknown persona of an old crippled soldier. But always, the police detective is on your tail....such tension between the two unseen foes.
From an age where movies were made to feel like a good book: an evening before the tele with a cup of strong tea and a nice sponge cake, sitting on the couch wrapped in warm blankets long after the kids have gone to bed.
I didn't know Wilson had played in anything other than Castaway. His work in this is brilliant. It appears he did his own stunt work at the start of his career.
@@TheBrakpan It's a vintage .25 Long Stevens R.F. (movie prop), using the basic components of a single-shot bolt action (without the bolt handle), either an Eatonia or a Cooey Model Canuck was used. The .25 Long Stevens Rim Fire is an obsolete chambering and practically untraceable since 1945, when the last batch of this ammo was manufactured and sold to the public, never to be seen again in quantity or quality.
It was truly meticulously researched. The British passport loophole was in fact a real loophole which Forsyth learned about when researching credible ways in which the Jackal might obtain a false identity that would be good enough for international travel. He even tried to warn the authorities before publishing but they would not listen. It became a subject of controversy after the book became a best seller and the loophole was finally closed... in 2007.
Not sure if true . But i was told that at the time of the books release people copied the Jackals method of second passport attainment , and were still able to get away with it . ( Don't bother trying now).
The exchange earlier between Cyril Cusack and Jamex Fox, when Fox was placing the gun's order. Cusack asking the relevent questions, Will the gentleman be sitting or standing? Head shot? Chance of a second shot? Distance? A brilliant cinematic scene and the matter of fact coldness when you think of what they are discussing.
The question always remained for me did he kill the gunsmith? Or did he spare him? In the book he doesn't kill him but I think in the movie it implies that he does
@@TheBlaert in the book there is a thorough discussion of the precautions the gunsmith has made to protect himself from this obvious threat. Details of the purchaser lodged with a 3rd party which would be released after a certain date etc
He does kill the guy who provides the false passports and other items to build his disguise, this was after he indicated he would expose the gunman and demands more money for his silence.
@@TheBlaert Because I read the book first, then saw the movie, it never even occurred to me he'd kill the gunsmith in the movie. I just took it for granted: two professionals respecting each other.
My all time favourite. I was (and still am) so impressed with this movie...costumes, lighting, acting, and every other detail... this is a milestone in movie making.👍
Frederick Forsyth’s great book along with Edward Fox’ great acting makes for a perfect movie. The other real star is Michael Lonsdale who is absolutely brilliant as the police inspector who chases the Jackal.
@@cephalotus59 Absolutely. I was routing for him all the way until he killed the 2 women (the baroness and the old lady at the end of the movie). But still I wanted him to miss hitting President DeGaulle, and then somehow for him to escape. But I also wanted the police inspector to succeed as he was so resourceful, intelligent, competent and professional. I have watched and analyzed this movie since it came out first in 1973 (when I was in my early teens) at least 15 times as I enjoyed the locales and just how stylish and believable it was that it could have actually happened. Jackal was so thorough, methodical and detail oriented. It really was a Battle between two extremely professional and smart men.
The weapon test in the remake with Bruce Willis is also the most (& perhaps the only) interesting scene in the whole movie. The difference is that it needed a guy firing at Jack Black using a remotely controlled high calibre machine gun to be interesting. This movie only needed a guy shooting at a watermelon with a rifle that looks like a crutch to be 10x more captivating.
It must go down as the worst remake in history. Turning a classic into ... well to be perfectly honest , I struggle to find words to describe the garbage that presented as the modern day remake of DOJ. Willis was crap... Die hard is a great movie, but horses for courses... DOJ is way above his acting ability.
Whole movie is a true gem! And this clip... Just how the gunsmith wipes out and straighten the cloth in the case. Or the rope knot around tree - it looks like he's really done it 1000x in his life/career. Great acting, atmosphere and attention to details.
I saw a directors cut once where the gunsmith says some part was a little more expensive and turns his back on Fox who says, "oh, how much" and makes as if to karate chop his neck and kill him, and the gunsmith says "oh, twenty dollars" and Fox decides he's for real and decides not to kill him.
There is a photo floating around on the internet of a Canadian sniper using a Pattern 14 with a Warner-Swasey scope in Italy in 1943. You’d wonder if it was Edward Fox.
@@kevbrown2532The publisher said that the ‘hero’ is the baddie. We never know his name - even at the end. We also know that De Gaul wasn’t killed. That said, he couldn’t put the manuscript down until he finished it! Brilliant book and film.
@@andrewgreenberg5068 He'd never work again, the gunsmith wasn't a fool, and was recommended from reliable underworld sources. Kill a protected asset, and you have to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder.
The Jackal does appear to operate to some sort of code of honour; he kills the forger because he realises he’s too untrustworthy to be left alive but the gunsmith, for all that he has as much information on the Jackal, did a fine job and didn’t quibble the price so he gets to live.
@@andrewgreenberg5068No, gunsmith was a professional business man in their line of work. They seemed to know each other when they first meet in the movie, as if they’d done business previously. Also, the Jackal places the one explosive round in a piece of cloth, then later retrieves it from his pocket still wrapped in the same cloth when he tests it after zeroing the rifle. Forger tried to extort more $ when the Jackal picked up his fake IDs after already agreeing to give him all the prints and negatives at their first meeting. Forger also asked some prying questions about it being some kind of “big job.” Jackal knew the forger was not a true pro like the gunsmith, who only asked relevant questions to the design of the weapon. “Over what range will you fire? Will the gentleman be moving or still? Head or chest shot?” Only technical details he needed to build the weapon for. In the lousy remake, they made the forger the pro and the gunmaker the flake. Jack Black does not belong in a thriller based on a Forsyth novel. Terrible movie all the way. The original is a classic.
Absolutely. The original version was based on facts. The OAS did make an attempt on De Gaulle. It took many years for the FFL to redeem themselves for their mutiny and attempt at a violent coup.
The Danish identity is that of a pastor, not a schoolteacher, and his penultimate identity, that of an American student called Marty, is not in the film at all. He also disappears in Paris by going to a gay bar rather than a Turkish bath.
Two absolute pros in quiet admiration. Contrast the Gunsmith with the Forger in terms of bravado and professionalism - wow. Small wonder one was paid and the other "send packing".
Classic movie ...I remember going to the theatre and almost all tickets were gone just 2 in the front row which normally is a headache ...but the movie was so rivetting that this was completely forgotten ...the best thriller I ever watched
Edward fox had that cool, classy, ruthless swagger in this film, that one would want to impersonate as a young man. He really looked the part. His face cutting, eye colour, physique, walking style, the lot. Very impressive.
I love this film; no back ground music, very little action but great acting and excellent story line. The actors make the film the star, and not the other way round. You know he can't possibly succeed but it still keeps you in suspense until the end.I never saw the re-make as I never know why they try to remake successful movies. Why not remake a film that wasn't too successful?
The answer to why they remake great films is because mainstream cinema, mostly in Hollywood, is bereft good, original ideas. The hacks' in charge sole motivation is greed. Since most American movie goers are too stupid to notice or care, the studios get away with producing repetitive, moronic garbage. On a rare occasions, an original, creative and interesting idea slips through and we get a good film.
As you say the film is the star. Edward Fox was an experienced actor but a relative unknown especially to international audiences. This was deliberate because Zinnemann wanted an actor to reflect the character ie. anonymous! Robert Redford was also considered but Zinnemann was adamant that it had to be a less well known actor. The other great casting was the recently departed Michael Lonsdale who played the detective, Lebel. He came across exactly as Forsythe had written in the book. I had the great privilege of also meeting two or three years ago, the excellent actor Ronald Pickup who played the forger.
Modern directors would condense this four + minute scene into a 30 second blip, to suit today's typical ADHD viewer. This shows the assassin carefully adjusting the gun, taking a practice shot, doing another adjustment, until he gets it just right. Then inserts the explosive bullet for the final shot, to show its devastating effect. And all with no music or cheesy dialogue. Just the sounds of outdoor nature in the background. It emphasizes the truly deadly intent of what this guy is going to do.
Good point. It's also true that the character would be saddled with a female side kick who naturally knew more about guns than he did since she had served covertly with the SAS and/or MI6. Modern stuff is unwatchable propaganda
Love the gunsmith when getting a compliment. Just bending the head slightly in acknowledgment as if to say "yeah, I know its good work. But thanks for saying it anyway."
My dad didn't go to many movies but I remember him talking me to a double feature of this and one of the 'Airport' movies at a small theater near our house. I was very impressed by the melon scene!
@@alanrogs3990 "The American" COULD have been a great movie if the stories theme was not so predictable, on top of the "American" not putting two and two together the THIRD time his cover was blown. !!
It's great to see the unspoken "conversation" the guys are having. Notice how the gunsmith frowns at 0:06 (it feels like he's asking "how do you like it?") and then how the Jackal gives a sign of admiration/approval at 0:10
That’s Cyril Cusack , a legendary Irish actor now deceased and whose actress daughter ( starring in a prime time crime drama series only weeks ago ) is married to Jeremy Irons
@@stinkyham9050 happy birthday for last weekend, it’s a gripping scene ! The whole film is a masterpiece ! As quoted by World cinema critics (not me) the OAS really did exist. Oh well can’t please everyone 🤷♂️
There is a scene in 'Johnny English' where Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is called back into active service. At MI-6 he enters a large room in which 3 gentlemen are waiting, smoking, reading the paper One of them is Edward Fox. The other two are actors who at one time or another played spies in movies like this one. Unfortunately, their names escape me at the moment. Nothing is said, it's a total throw-away scene. But it is such a lovely homage to all the spy thrillers Johnny English is a parody of.
When he goes to the makeshift test range - I missed those details when i saw the film as a kid - how he moves with resolution, how precisely and decisively he performs any action. Even as he wraps rope around tree, makes knot, check the tension ...
One of the best movies. First saw it when I was 9 or 10. Always a huge fan of Edward Fox and this is one of his finest. A million miles away from the crass, noisy and brash remake with Bruce Willis. A film with the one saving grace of offing Jack Black with some degree of style.
@@sharpgage6512 He doesn't kill him in the book, and it's never proven in the film if he kills him or not. There are people who claim to have seen a deleted scene where he kills the gunsmith, but there never was such a scene. I personally think he does kill him in the movie with the bullet like you said, but it can't be proven either way
Kind of hope the gunsmith wasn't killed. A professional. Highly skilled, discrete, "honest" (in that he didn't try to extort extra money from the jackal). And that he was able to retire to some Caribbean isle.
My favorite spy thriller. So much better than Robert Ludlum. Ive read every one of Forsythe's books including his autobiography. He has been rumored to have been more than just a journalist as he seem to have deep contacts in the SAS who gave him so much technical detail. I had read them in high school and two things stuck in my mind. I must have a Browning High Power pistol and a Remington 870 pump 12 gauge shotgun as they were issued to thr SAS and prominently desecibed in Forsythe's books. Years later I got my Browning and the 870. I'm 61 pushing 62 and still have both.
Fred Zinnemann is an overlooked film director. HIGH NOON, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, OKLAHOMA, THE NUN'S STORY and my favorite, JULIA with Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave.
Imagine this scene in a modern day remake - Jackal: I asked for aluminium. Gunmaker: Naah! Steel shud do yer shit just fine. Jackal: Where can I try a few shots? Gunmaker: There's the forest, buddy. All my customers go there. [Produces the bullets, says] Gunmaker: Explosive tips. Blow away the fucker's head, yeah? Jackal: (Smirking) You bet your ass! [In the forest] [First practice shot] Jackal: Got to sight this baby right. [Second shot, melon explodes to the sound of dramatic music] Jackal: Adios, motherfucker! [Grins widely] ------------------------------------------------------ Too much of attitude, swagger and one-liners these days. Makes the business-like acting of the older movies look like absolute classics, which they anyway are.
Jackal was the perfect professional he knew what he needed to get the job done and he would have been successful except for a one in a million move by DeGaulle it was a brilliant ending.
A sublime movie, no explosion, no car chase, no mannerism, yet tense and thrilling.
Читай книгу, намного интереснее.
Cause It is about committing a crime how it is in real life. Not in Hollywood.
And the soundtrack is spot on.
(There basically isn’t one).
Props folk even balanced the rifle!
@@alastairbeaumont9578 The piano rips are scary. I figured out how they did that.
.... and no annoying "music" or idiotic fake sound effects!!!! I love it.
Can't beat Edward Fox as the "Jackal". Fantastic movie.
Yeah, but his nephew’s a bellend
Fox was perfectly cast as the cold, calculating assassin. The entire film is brilliantly paced and directed.
I would have cut an overlong section at the end around the parades but otherwise a top class film.
Suspense maintained brilliantly and a hard hitting ending
That's how you make a thrilling scene. One gun and one melon. No explosions, no car chases. That's a MOVIE.
Gnarly looking round. NOT!!
All the great movie scenes contain melons.
Imagination is the greatest effect.
@@Adrian-jk4kx Absolutely. These days, sadly, it's rarely utilized.
It is anticipation that makes for story telling. The frantic action sets only work when they take a movie to a resolution of some kind.
Even Fox's gestures and slight movements, like slinging the securing rope around the tree, are so balletic, intentional and well executed that this masterpiece becomes a visual treat that feasts each of the senses. "Day of the Jackal" is pure cinema.
You absolutely get the sense of a man who has done these exact motions a thousand times before
One of the best book to movie adaptations ever!
Edward Fox played the rutherless killer to perfection. Brilliant actor.
The scariest movie villain ever…
This is an example how a thrilling movie must be made... underneath tension without bombing or explosions!
I watch this more than two decades ago, at the time I was to immature of taste to appreciated its pacing but I did like the movie quite a bit. Many years later I watched the remake of this film, and found it to be quite garish.
Yes. There are no big chases or wild shootouts along the way. This assassin is more cunning and subtle than that - hide the gun inside the car so nothing to find in the bags, car IDed, no carjacking just a some stolen plates and paint job (What planning this guy shows), need a safe place, chat up a duchess (I think), need another, find a male friend this time right in the enemy's camp. And finally, switch again to completely unknown persona of an old crippled soldier. But always, the police detective is on your tail....such tension between the two unseen foes.
With bombs? But The bank robberies?
It's a rare occasion where the movie come up to the book.
Talented Mr. Ripley.
This has to be the best scene from my all time favourite film. Edward Fox as the Jackal exudes sheer class!
I did like it when the forger got it coming.
I preferred him as the gangster in Performance and the dissolute property owner in The Servant. But he's great in everything.
One of those very rare movies that wears like a diamond. Each time it's taken out and viewed the luster is still there. Perfect cut.
From an age where movies were made to feel like a good book: an evening before the tele with a cup of strong tea and a nice sponge cake, sitting on the couch wrapped in warm blankets long after the kids have gone to bed.
@@TheAngelOfDeath01 Well said.
Couldn't agree more.
I must agree.. so far I have refused to watch the remake. 👍
@@kennethrouse7942 I am seeing a video of an interview with Edward Fox.
This movie has almost documentary feel to it, that's how authentic it looked.
Well, the real Jackal wasn't a white man, for starters
@@adamschaeffer4057 who tf cares
@@northpaul3276 I find it ironic you spent as much time as you did posting that comment.
@@adamschaeffer4057 and i don't find it ironic
@@northpaul3276 Maybe because... you're a bromidic, platitudinal wanker!
Modern movies would most likely skip a scene like this, but it builds tension and is very educational!
Or else they'd keep it but 'jazz it up' and have Bruce Willis use Jack Black as target practice.
Brilliant writing, acting and filmmaking. Everyone at the top of their game here.
I didn't know Wilson had played in anything other than Castaway. His work in this is brilliant. It appears he did his own stunt work at the start of his career.
How does this not have more likes
@@archerarcher8181 Because Wilson was a soccer ball, not a melon!
@@michaelkelly3221 Just shows how good an actor Wilson is.
@@michaelkelly3221 excuse me Wilson is a method actor
Wilson was also the “man-“ I mean “ball in rubber suit” as the alien in Dark Star 1974.
That rifle is a beautiful bit of kit. The whole scene is just class.
The rifle is feasible, not fantastic, so the whole idea works beautifully.
@@philoshaughnessy906 Its just a rimfire rifle without a stock.
Looks a lot like a Welrod used by the SOE in occupied France during WW2.
@@TheBrakpan It's a vintage .25 Long Stevens R.F. (movie prop), using the basic components of a single-shot bolt action (without the bolt handle), either an Eatonia or a Cooey Model Canuck was used. The .25 Long Stevens Rim Fire is an obsolete chambering and practically untraceable since 1945, when the last batch of this ammo was manufactured and sold to the public, never to be seen again in quantity or quality.
If he didn't have dry fired it it would've been even more classy. ;°)
It stays pretty true to Frederick Forsyth’s meticulously researched book and keeps all the feel and suspense. Excellent film, one of my top ten.
it is my favorite book and film
It was truly meticulously researched. The British passport loophole was in fact a real loophole which Forsyth learned about when researching credible ways in which the Jackal might obtain a false identity that would be good enough for international travel. He even tried to warn the authorities before publishing but they would not listen. It became a subject of controversy after the book became a best seller and the loophole was finally closed... in 2007.
Also loved the cars in this movie. Also the places he stayed. Very old world Europe feel. Just love this movie.
This is the rare case where I absolutely loved a book and also absolutely loved the movie version of it. What a classic.
I read Forsyth obtained his knowledge when he was reporting on Biafra
Not sure if true . But i was told that at the time of the books release people copied the Jackals method of second passport attainment , and were still able to get away with it . ( Don't bother trying now).
Edward Fox was perfect for the role!
For decades, I cannot look at a watermelon without being reminded of this scene in the movie.
😅😅😅
And jfk hit😢
I love this movie. Watched it with my Dad about 40 years ago...a great memory
Perfect casting of Edward Fox in this role.
Helluva film. Not a lot of unnecessary music, cut scenes or sensationalism, but even watching it as a child, I found it riveting.
The exchange earlier between Cyril Cusack and Jamex Fox, when Fox was placing the gun's order.
Cusack asking the relevent questions, Will the gentleman be sitting or standing? Head shot? Chance of a second shot? Distance?
A brilliant cinematic scene and the matter of fact coldness when you think of what they are discussing.
The question always remained for me did he kill the gunsmith? Or did he spare him? In the book he doesn't kill him but I think in the movie it implies that he does
@@TheBlaert in the book there is a thorough discussion of the precautions the gunsmith has made to protect himself from this obvious threat. Details of the purchaser lodged with a 3rd party which would be released after a certain date etc
He does kill the guy who provides the false passports and other items to build his disguise, this was after he indicated he would expose the gunman and demands more money for his silence.
@@TheBlaert Because I read the book first, then saw the movie, it never even occurred to me he'd kill the gunsmith in the movie. I just took it for granted: two professionals respecting each other.
I can see a parody being made in re. to OCD or is it CDO?
My all time favourite. I was (and still am) so impressed with this movie...costumes, lighting, acting, and every other detail... this is a milestone in movie making.👍
@user-ek2ng7qb6c yes.... great locations too
When movies were an art form.
The book was a great read.
@JstBB the book is usually a better experience as it unfolds....but it takes real skill to capture it in a movie...in say 90 mins?
Frederick Forsyth’s great book along with Edward Fox’ great acting makes for a perfect movie. The other real star is Michael Lonsdale who is absolutely brilliant as the police inspector who chases the Jackal.
Surely you are like me and want the Jackal to succeed?
@@cephalotus59 Absolutely. I was routing for him all the way until he killed the 2 women (the baroness and the old lady at the end of the movie). But still I wanted him to miss hitting President DeGaulle, and then somehow for him to escape. But I also wanted the police inspector to succeed as he was so resourceful, intelligent, competent and professional. I have watched and analyzed this movie since it came out first in 1973 (when I was in my early teens) at least 15 times as I enjoyed the locales and just how stylish and believable it was that it could have actually happened. Jackal was so thorough, methodical and detail oriented. It really was a Battle between two extremely professional and smart men.
@@cephalotus59 Everytime I watch the movie I think the Jackal will get him this time.
@@ericbond5276 I think you meant to say "I HOPE the Jackal will get him this time" , 'cause I do ;-)
@@cephalotus59 I'll give you a thumbs up but I don't want to offend anyone. Actually, there was an assassination attempt on de Gaulle.
The weapon test in the remake with Bruce Willis is also the most (& perhaps the only) interesting scene in the whole movie. The difference is that it needed a guy firing at Jack Black using a remotely controlled high calibre machine gun to be interesting. This movie only needed a guy shooting at a watermelon with a rifle that looks like a crutch to be 10x more captivating.
Seeing jack black get destroyed was the most satisfying moment in the whole movie.
It must go down as the worst remake in history. Turning a classic into ... well to be perfectly honest , I struggle to find words to describe the garbage that presented as the modern day remake of DOJ. Willis was crap... Die hard is a great movie, but horses for courses... DOJ is way above his acting ability.
@@Wimpymind I AGREE 100%
@@alanjball5702 I disagree. The Flight of the Phoenix was the worst remake, Day of the jackle was just 2nd
@@alanjball5702 You mean not counting the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still?
Whole movie is a true gem! And this clip... Just how the gunsmith wipes out and straighten the cloth in the case. Or the rope knot around tree - it looks like he's really done it 1000x in his life/career. Great acting, atmosphere and attention to details.
Exactly
I saw a directors cut once where the gunsmith says some part was a little more expensive and turns his back on Fox who says, "oh, how much" and makes as if to karate chop his neck and kill him, and the gunsmith says "oh, twenty dollars" and Fox decides he's for real and decides not to kill him.
There is a photo floating around on the internet of a Canadian sniper using a Pattern 14 with a Warner-Swasey scope in Italy in 1943. You’d wonder if it was Edward Fox.
Terrific movie. It's one of those movies you can watch and re-watch. It's that good. Love the movie!
The genius of this film is that you alternate between cheering for him to succeed and being desperate for him to be caught.
That was the genius of the book the film was based on.
@@kevbrown2532The publisher said that the ‘hero’ is the baddie. We never know his name - even at the end. We also know that De Gaul wasn’t killed. That said, he couldn’t put the manuscript down until he finished it! Brilliant book and film.
You've hit the nail on the head!
1973 was one of the greatest years for great movies.
Seen this movie a dozen times, brilliant movie in every respect.
Gunsmith and The Jackal, perfect business transaction, no blackmail, etc, unlike the forger..
But he kills the gunsmith anyway, right?
@@andrewgreenberg5068…no not the gunsmith. The forger got it!
@@andrewgreenberg5068 He'd never work again, the gunsmith wasn't a fool, and was recommended from reliable underworld sources. Kill a protected asset, and you have to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder.
The Jackal does appear to operate to some sort of code of honour; he kills the forger because he realises he’s too untrustworthy to be left alive but the gunsmith, for all that he has as much information on the Jackal, did a fine job and didn’t quibble the price so he gets to live.
@@andrewgreenberg5068No, gunsmith was a professional business man in their line of work. They seemed to know each other when they first meet in the movie, as if they’d done business previously. Also, the Jackal places the one explosive round in a piece of cloth, then later retrieves it from his pocket still wrapped in the same cloth when he tests it after zeroing the rifle. Forger tried to extort more $ when the Jackal picked up his fake IDs after already agreeing to give him all the prints and negatives at their first meeting. Forger also asked some prying questions about it being some kind of “big job.” Jackal knew the forger was not a true pro like the gunsmith, who only asked relevant questions to the design of the weapon. “Over what range will you fire? Will the gentleman be moving or still? Head or chest shot?” Only technical details he needed to build the weapon for. In the lousy remake, they made the forger the pro and the gunmaker the flake. Jack Black does not belong in a thriller based on a Forsyth novel. Terrible movie all the way. The original is a classic.
Stands heads and shoulders above the remake. Sorry Bruce.
They casted actors wrong. Gere should be Jackal
Absolutely. The original version was based on facts. The OAS did make an attempt on De Gaulle. It took many years for the FFL to redeem themselves for their mutiny and attempt at a violent coup.
No need to apologize to Bruce. He's only been in 1 great movie.
The “remake” was terrible on multiple levels. A total waste ...
@@MR.B00_ Bruce is the one who apologize!
What especially I love about this film is that it follows the book to the letter.
The Danish identity is that of a pastor, not a schoolteacher, and his penultimate identity, that of an American student called Marty, is not in the film at all.
He also disappears in Paris by going to a gay bar rather than a Turkish bath.
Great scene indeed. Great acting. Love the dialogue between the Jackal and the gunsmith.
Two absolute pros in quiet admiration. Contrast the Gunsmith with the Forger in terms of bravado and professionalism - wow. Small wonder one was paid and the other "send packing".
fabulous movie extraordinary, very rarely seen and Edward Fox excelled and others too. What a direction, splendid work.
Classic movie ...I remember going to the theatre and almost all tickets were gone just 2 in the front row which normally is a headache ...but the movie was so rivetting that this was completely forgotten ...the best thriller I ever watched
The very definition of film-art. My absolute favorite film
Whenever this was on TV, even if I caught it half way through, I had to watch it to the end, just in case the ending was different!
Edward fox had that cool, classy, ruthless swagger in this film, that one would want to impersonate as a young man. He really looked the part. His face cutting, eye colour, physique, walking style, the lot. Very impressive.
In cable for months and everytime I watch this 3-hour movie. Absorbing riveting engaging and fascinating. There's never a dull moment!
Iconic film. Not a single wasted scene. One of the best!❤❤
I love this film; no back ground music, very little action but great acting and excellent story line. The actors make the film the star, and not the other way round. You know he can't possibly succeed but it still keeps you in suspense until the end.I never saw the re-make as I never know why they try to remake successful movies. Why not remake a film that wasn't too successful?
100 per cent correct
The answer to why they remake great films is because mainstream cinema, mostly in Hollywood, is bereft good, original ideas. The hacks' in charge sole motivation is greed. Since most American movie goers are too stupid to notice or care, the studios get away with producing repetitive, moronic garbage. On a rare occasions, an original, creative and interesting idea slips through and we get a good film.
@@frankmiller95 Good points very well made!
I agree, too much lousy loud music in film today, especially Hollywood stuff.
As you say the film is the star. Edward Fox was an experienced actor but a relative unknown especially to international audiences. This was deliberate because Zinnemann wanted an actor to reflect the character ie. anonymous! Robert Redford was also considered but Zinnemann was adamant that it had to be a less well known actor. The other great casting was the recently departed Michael Lonsdale who played the detective, Lebel. He came across exactly as Forsythe had written in the book. I had the great privilege of also meeting two or three years ago, the excellent actor Ronald Pickup who played the forger.
The French aristocrat he meets. Great actress and a beautiful lady. This film is a classic. The casting was spot on.
Michel Lonsdale as the detective was perfect too.
Why did he have to kill her.
@@plasticbucket She figured him for a criminal. Also, he's a psychopath.
Modern directors would condense this four + minute scene into a 30 second blip, to suit today's typical ADHD viewer. This shows the assassin carefully adjusting the gun, taking a practice shot, doing another adjustment, until he gets it just right. Then inserts the explosive bullet for the final shot, to show its devastating effect. And all with no music or cheesy dialogue. Just the sounds of outdoor nature in the background. It emphasizes the truly deadly intent of what this guy is going to do.
Good point. It's also true that the character would be saddled with a female side kick who naturally knew more about guns than he did since she had served covertly with the SAS and/or MI6. Modern stuff is unwatchable propaganda
Proper film, proper actors, proper job!
Timeless CLASSIC movie.. BRAVO
This film has great editing. So underrated.
Loved that scene when I was a kid.
This once in a lifetime role was made for Mr Fox 👍👍
At the time this was quite an incredible movie
And it still is!
Love the gunsmith when getting a compliment.
Just bending the head slightly in acknowledgment as if to say "yeah, I know its good work. But thanks for saying it anyway."
More than that, a compliment from a professional like him!
A true craftsman. He knows he's good but don't mind a compliment every now and then.
It's a "European" thing. All subtly and no flash.
Imagine having a determined and adequately-funded assassin like that coming after you.
I'd make out my will and go to confession.
I'd rather not..lol
@@jec1ny I'd buy a plane ticket or hide under the bed and say "Bring it on".
It wouldn't be that bad. You'd never know about it until you were suddenly dead.
Call Claude Lebel and his trusty assistant, Caron!
this is a great classic movie! must watch my dvd again. Edward Fox is brilliant!
Fantastic book and movie. In my top 3 movies of all time
Some movies are immaculate. You can't find any clue to make any objection. This is really that type of movie. Worth watching.
One of my favorite movies
Great film making. It shows the story more than tells the story.
Indeed a classic movie.
My dad didn't go to many movies but I remember him talking me to a double feature of this and one of the 'Airport' movies at a small theater near our house.
I was very impressed by the melon scene!
This move is definitely worth checking out. It's hella underrated.
I think you meant "definitely." Unless you were recommending this with "defiance."
@@kengruz669 noted and addressed.
Such a excellent film. This is one of my favorite scenes.
That trick with the rope around the tree to stabilise the gun is so interesting. It shows this is a serious, experienced, and knowledgeable assassin
i don't know anymore where I read this:
a film like a swiss watch, at the end all elements come together and make perfect sense.
very underrated movie
Underrated?! Do you live in a cave??
Brilliance. The perfect movie.
The George Clooney film, "The American", has scenes and a pacing that feel totally inspired by Fred Zinnemann's "The Day of The Jackal" . . .
The American has some ridiculous stuff in it but it does have the feel that you're talking about.
@@alanrogs3990 "The American" COULD have been a great movie if the stories theme was not so predictable, on top of the "American" not putting two and two together the THIRD time his cover was blown. !!
Kudos to the prop maker who built the gun.
It's great to see the unspoken "conversation" the guys are having. Notice how the gunsmith frowns at 0:06 (it feels like he's asking "how do you like it?") and then how the Jackal gives a sign of admiration/approval at 0:10
That’s Cyril Cusack , a legendary Irish actor now deceased and whose actress daughter ( starring in a prime time crime drama series only weeks ago ) is married to Jeremy Irons
Movies like this are just not made today.
Thank God this was just boring
@@stinkyham9050 how old are you 19 ? Go and watch superman 3 this is a (world acclaimed) British suspense thriller !
@@mmm091000 I turned 42 last weekend. I appreciate many old movies but this scene is just boring.
@@stinkyham9050 happy birthday for last weekend, it’s a gripping scene ! The whole film is a masterpiece ! As quoted by
World cinema critics (not me) the OAS really did exist. Oh well can’t please everyone 🤷♂️
@@mmm091000 Thank you. I do also like Superman.
Must watch this classic again soon!
There is a scene in 'Johnny English' where Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is called back into active service. At MI-6 he enters a large room in which 3 gentlemen are waiting, smoking, reading the paper
One of them is Edward Fox. The other two are actors who at one time or another played spies in movies like this one. Unfortunately, their names escape me at the moment. Nothing is said, it's a total throw-away scene. But it is such a lovely homage to all the spy thrillers Johnny English is a parody of.
Excellent movie. The book was also awsome 😁😂😊🤗🤗
This is a cliff hanger movie & one of my favorites... Just brilliant!
When he goes to the makeshift test range - I missed those details when i saw the film as a kid - how he moves with resolution, how precisely and decisively he performs any action. Even as he wraps rope around tree, makes knot, check the tension ...
He did everything with precision and purpose; the library, working with the disguise hair tint, selecting clothes at the flea market....everything.
Great movie . Even Bruce couldn't make it better .
What an amazing film.
There have been many good scenes from the cinema over the years and this certainly ranks as one of the best - and disturbing.
One of the best movies. First saw it when I was 9 or 10. Always a huge fan of Edward Fox and this is one of his finest. A million miles away from the crass, noisy and brash remake with Bruce Willis. A film with the one saving grace of offing Jack Black with some degree of style.
This is the third time l am watching this movie and l have read the classy book too
did he kill the gun maker too ? i know we dont see it happen but i wounder why he asked for a bullet in nthe last moment of the scene.
@@sharpgage6512 He doesn't kill him in the book, and it's never proven in the film if he kills him or not. There are people who claim to have seen a deleted scene where he kills the gunsmith, but there never was such a scene. I personally think he does kill him in the movie with the bullet like you said, but it can't be proven either way
Kind of hope the gunsmith wasn't killed. A professional. Highly skilled, discrete, "honest" (in that he didn't try to extort extra money from the jackal). And that he was able to retire to some Caribbean isle.
@@sharpgage6512 The one bullet was for the test shot.
That improvised rope mount is clever.
Great movie and greater book!! The Holy Forsyth Trilogy, along with Odessa file and the dogs of war!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
My favorite spy thriller. So much better than Robert Ludlum. Ive read every one of Forsythe's books including his autobiography. He has been rumored to have been more than just a journalist as he seem to have deep contacts in the SAS who gave him so much technical detail.
I had read them in high school and two things stuck in my mind. I must have a Browning High Power pistol and a Remington 870 pump 12 gauge shotgun as they were issued to thr SAS and prominently desecibed in Forsythe's books. Years later I got my Browning and the 870. I'm 61 pushing 62 and still have both.
@@ms.annthrope415 😉👍👍
Fred Zinnemann is an overlooked film director. HIGH NOON, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, OKLAHOMA, THE NUN'S STORY and my favorite, JULIA with Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave.
They made great movies back then...🌞☘️🌞
Imagine this scene in a modern day remake -
Jackal: I asked for aluminium.
Gunmaker: Naah! Steel shud do yer shit just fine.
Jackal: Where can I try a few shots?
Gunmaker: There's the forest, buddy. All my customers go there.
[Produces the bullets, says]
Gunmaker: Explosive tips. Blow away the fucker's head, yeah?
Jackal: (Smirking) You bet your ass!
[In the forest]
[First practice shot]
Jackal: Got to sight this baby right.
[Second shot, melon explodes to the sound of dramatic music]
Jackal: Adios, motherfucker! [Grins widely]
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Too much of attitude, swagger and one-liners these days. Makes the business-like acting of the older movies look like absolute classics, which they anyway are.
There is no musical soundtrack in this flick. That's why it has the documentary feel. Great movie.
Little details count. Pacing the range. Roping the tree. Actually adjusting some sights. Brilliant film.
Jackal was the perfect professional he knew what he needed to get the job done and he would have been successful except for a one in a million move by DeGaulle it was a brilliant ending.
Not only a classic but the best editing ever.
Imagine being the guy receiving a medal on Liberation Day and then 4:02 happens to De Gaulle's head...
one of the best sniper scenes - tricky weapon hold, scope adjustments and play
The gunsmith doesn’t ask any questions.
Truely professional relationship.
This film is as gripping as ever.
This one of favs, the style of directing, the historical context . Edward fox , rest of cast
Took a day off to finish reading the book. It is thrilling and suspenseful.