Discover

'''The Day of the Jackal''' is a 1973 film set in the early 1960s based on a novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth. Directed by Fred Zinnemann, it stars Edward Fox as the assassin known only as "the Jackal" who was hired to assassinate Charles de Gaulle.
Despite being heavily promoted, and being based on a very successful novel, the film was a box-office failure. It did, however, make Edward Fox into a star, even though many speculated that the film's lack of an established star (with Michael Caine having lobbied for the lead role) was the reason for its lack of success.

Contents

Cast and roles

Synopsis

Trivia

See also

External link

Cast and roles

★ Edward Fox - The Jackal

★ Terence Alexander - Lloyd

★ Michel Auclair - Col. Rolland

★ Alan Badel - The Minister

★ Tony Britton - Insp. Thomas

★ Denis Carey - Casson

★ Adrien Cayla-Legrand - President Gen. Charles de Gaulle

★ Cyril Cusack - The Gunsmith

★ Maurice Denham - Gen. Colbert

★ Vernon Dobtcheff - The Interrogator

★ Jacques François - Pascal

★ Olga Georges-Picot - Denise

★ Raymond Gérôme - Flavigny

★ Barrie Ingham - St. Clair

★ Derek Jacobi - Caron

★ Michael Lonsdale - Lebel

★ Jean Martin - Wolenski

★ Ronald Pickup - The Forger

★ Eric Porter - Col. Rodin

★ Anton Rodgers - Bernard

★ Delphine Seyrig - Colette de Montpelier

★ Donald Sinden - Mallinson

★ Jean Sorel - Bastien-Thiry

★ David Swift - Montclair

★ Timothy West - Berthier

★ Bernard Archard

★ Jacques Alric

★ Colette Bergé

★ Edmond Bernard

★ Gérard Buhr

★ Philippe Léotard - Gendarme

★ Maurice Teynac

★ Van Doude

★ Nicolas Vogel

★ Féodor Atkine (uncredited)

★ Jean Champion (uncredited)

★ Nicole Desailly - Yvonne de Gaulle (uncredited)

★ Max Faulkner - Special Branch Detective (uncredited)

★ Robert Favart - Minister (uncredited)

★ Andréa Ferréol (uncredited)

★ Gilberte Géniat (uncredited)

★ Edward Hardwicke - Charles Calthrop (uncredited)

★ David Kernan - Per Lundquist (uncredited)

★ Robert Le Béal (uncredited)

★ Bernard Musson (uncredited)

★ Howard Vernon - State Secretary (uncredited)

★ Nicholas Young - Passport officer (uncredited)

Synopsis

In the movie the "Jackal" seems to talk the least of all the characters. The violence also seems very subdued. As in the novel, Deputy Commissioner Lebel is given a seemingly impossible assignment. Lebel's assistant Caron asks, "But no crime has been committed yet, so where are we supposed to start looking for the criminal?", to which Lebel answers, "We start by recognizing that, after De Gaulle, we are the two most powerful people in France." At the end we are left with the question: "''Who the hell was he?''"

Trivia

The movie was rather faithful to the book, with variations:

★ In the movie, the Jackal buys his rifle from a gunsmith and kills a blackmailing forger in Genoa, Italy; in the book those locations were Belgium. Also, he meets with the gunsmith a third time in the novel after the target practice.

★ In the movie the Jackal is involved in a car accident and takes the other car, although it is not explained how he manages to keep from being mauled by a savage dog in the second car.

★ In the novel the Jackal kills a French noblewoman when she accidentally discovers he is planning to assassinate Charles De Gaulle; in the movie she doesn't discover his objective, but he kills her anyway.

★ In the novel a French cabinet minister who unknowingly gives secrets to a mistress/OAS agent resigns his post when his activities are exposed; in the movie he commits suicide.

★ In the novel the Jackal knocks unconscious the elderly caretaker of the building from where he will make his shooting post; in the movie he kills her.

★ The "cabinet" to whom Lebel answers to is supposed to be French, but in the movie the actors' English accents are notable.

★ Many of the character names are also changed. For instance, OAS courier Viktor Kowalksi becomes Wolenski; Jacqueline, the OAS agent who seduces the Interior Minister, is re-named Denise; and Madame Montpellier's name in the novel was Madame de Chalonniere. Also, the Jackal's alias in the novel is Alexander James Duggan, as opposed to Paul Oliver Duggan.

★ The OAS leaders played a much more prominent part in the novel than the film.
Also, in a minor historical accuracy, Colonel Jean Bastien-Thiry, leader of the August 22nd, 1962 attempt on De Gaulle's life, is claimed to be the head of the OAS. Though Bastien-Thiry was indeed in charge of planning the real-life plot, he was not actually involved in the organization, at least officially.

See also

★ ''The Day of the Jackal'' (novel)

★ The Jackal (fictional character)

★ Assassinations in fiction

External link

★