Director: Fred Zinnemann
Starring: Edward Fox, Terrence Alexander, Derek Jacobi
‘Spectacular Suspense Thriller’
“The Day of the Jackal” is directed by Fred Zinnemann. Its script is written by Kenneth Ross and adapted off a book of the same name by Frederick Forsyth. It stars Edward Fox, Terence Alexander, Michael Lonsdale, Delphine Seyrig, and Derek Jacobi.The plot is set in 1960’s France and follows a professional assassin codenamed “Jackal” (Edward Fox), who plots to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France.
It’s hard for a film to follow a book accurately and at the same time provide non-stop suspense, however Fred Zinnemann and screenwriter Kenneth Ross infuse this film with both, resulting in near flawless work. The script written by Ross is undeniably engaging and thorough. Each line of dialogue is crisp with great performances to back it up. Zinnemann’s direction is brilliant. Scenes are handled with a focused approach and the makeup used for transformations is impressive for its times. The cinematography, editing, and pacing of this film are pitch-perfect.
Edward Fox delivers a fantastic performance as a ruthless assassin. His confidence and overall impression as the central character is realistic. Fox, who is a highly underrated actor, deserved missing recognition for this film when it came out. The supporting cast including Michael Lonsdale, Delphine Seyrig, and Derek Jacobi provide charismatic and highly committed performances.
“The Day of the Jackal” is an excellent suspense thriller. It can be complicated to follow, but the writing, acting, and directing is brilliant. The film, which is intense from start to finish, is recommended for fans of the suspense genre, or maybe even your average movie-goer.
4.5/5 stars
The Film Buff 
You must be logged in to post a comment.