The Day of the Jackal (1973)

Written by CinemaSerf on March 28, 2022

A sophisticated adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's thriller about an Englishman codenamed "the Jackal" (Edward Fox) who is hired to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, the President of France. His meticulous planning remains almost undiscovered until the redoubtable "Inspecteur Lebel" - played by the always under-rated Michael Lonsdale manages to piece together enough information to get on his tail. A workmanlike ensemble cast give extra weight to the lead performances in this intriguing and well put together Fred Zinnemann film. It's huge advantage as a story is it's simplicity - and here we get a drawn into the cat and mouse game unsure who will win right til the very end.