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The Day of the Jackal (1973)

| Crime, Drama, Thriller | 14 June 1973 (UK)
The Day of the Jackal Poster
A professional assassin codenamed "Jackal" plots to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France.

Director:

Writers:

(book), (screenplay)

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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4,582 ( 49)
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 10 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Terence Alexander ...
...
...
Tony Britton ...
Denis Carey ...
Adrien Cayla-Legrand ...
The President
...
Maurice Denham ...
...
...
Pascal (as Jacques Francois)
Olga Georges-Picot ...
Raymond Gérôme ...
Flavigny (as Raymond Gerome)
...
...
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Storyline

It is the early 60s in France. The remaining survivors of the aborted French Foreign Legion have made repeated attempts to kill DeGaulle. The result is that he is the most closely guarded man in the world. As a desperate act, they hire The Jackal, the code name for a hired killer who agrees to kill French President De Gaulle for half a million dollars. We watch his preparations which are so thorough we wonder how he could possibly fail even as we watch the French police attempt to pick up his trail. The situation is historically accurate. There were many such attempts and the film closely follows the plot of the book. Written by John Vogel <[email protected]>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

assassin | french president | englishman abroad | one man army | race against time | See All (220) »

Taglines:

Fred Zinnemann's film of... See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Certificate:

See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

|

Language:

| |

Release Date:

14 June 1973 (UK)  »

Also Known As:

Chacal  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Gross USA:

$16,056,255
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
Show more on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

(at around 8 mins) Casson mentions the Jackal having done "that fellow in the Congo". He probably refers to Patrice Lumumba, the first Congolese president, who was rumored to have been assassinated by a European; this also alludes to Frederick Forsyth's third novel, 'The Dogs of War', which focused on European soldiers (mostly mercenaries) getting involved with African affairs (conflicts commonly) back in the 1960s-70s. See more »

Goofs

All of the clothing & hair styles reflect the early 1970's (when the film was made) and not 1963 (when the film was set). See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Commentator: August 1962 was a stormy time for France. Many people felt that President Charles de Gaulle had betrayed the country by giving independence to Algeria. Extremists, mostly from the Army, swore to kill him in revenge. They banded together in an underground movement, and called themselves the OAS.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The Cross of Lorraine, a symbol General Charles de Gaulle used during his lifetime, appears at the beginning of the film. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) See more »

Soundtracks

Colonel Bogey March
(1914) (uncredited)
Music by Kenneth Alford
Played by an accordionist
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why does the OAS want to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle?
Q: What is 'The Day of the Jackal' about?
Q: How does the movie end?
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User Reviews

Stylish espionage thriller...neat location photography...
10 February 2004 | by – See all my reviews

From start to finish, this is one stylish espionage thriller that qualifies among the best of its genre. Handsomely photographed in some colorful European locations and impressively acted by the entire cast, it showcases EDWARD FOX as "The Jackal" in a performance of smooth villainy that is convincing all the way.

The film's final thirty minutes are worth waiting for--as is The Jackal's final disguise that convinces the French authorities to let him pass. Fred Zinnemann keeps it all moving at a steady pace and there's never any letdown in suspense since the film has the power to draw you in from the start.

Based on Frederick Forsyth's best-seller about the painful preparations an assassin makes in an attempt to take the life of Charles DeGaulle, it belongs in the same class with a film like THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, almost documentary in approach.

The British cast is excellent with Michael Lonsdale doing an outstanding job as the relentless detective. Highly recommended.
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