If you’re weary of watching the US Congress have at it like a bunch of amateurs, get ready for some REAL political thrills when “The Day of the Jackal” (1973) hits the big screen on Wednesday, October 25. Woah! From start to finish, this is one stylish espionage thriller that rightfully ranks up there with the very best of the genre. The film was directed by Fred Zinnemann and is based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth about a professional assassin known only as “The Jackal” who is hired to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle in the summer of 1962.
Presented by Coronado Island Film Festival as part of its monthly Classic Film Series, the Jackal is portrayed by super-elegant, ascot-wearing English actor Edward Fox, who is so cool he almost has us rooting for the bad guy. Also appearing are Michael Lonsdale, Derek Jacobi, Terence Alexander, Michael Auclair, Alan Badel, Tony Britton, Cyril Cusak, Maurice Denham, and Delphine Seyrig.
A co-production of the United Kingdom and France, it was filmed on location in France, Britain, Italy and Austria. It received the BAFTA Award for Best Editing and was nominated for the Academy Award for the same category. It also received five additional BAFTA Award nominations (including Best Film and Best Director), and two Golden Globe nominations.
The plot has all the twists and turns of any good crime masterpiece, and leaves us wondering if it’s a true story we’re watching. That’s for you to discover on October 25. Also, you might want to wear an ascot if you know what that is and still have one.
Next month: An all-time favorite, “The Lion in Winter” starring Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole is set for Wednesday, Nov. 29.
