← Back to results
The Day of the Jackal
1973 143 min France, United Kingdom PG 18+
★8.2
Action, Thriller
Director: Fred Zinnemann
🎭 Based on
«The Day of the Jackal»
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
Description
An international assassin known as ‘The Jackal’ is employed by disgruntled French generals to kill President Charles de Gaulle, with a dedicated gendarme on the assassin’s trail.
US Gross:
$16.06M
Worldwide:
$16.06M
Starring
Edward Fox
Actor
Terence Alexander
Actor
Michel Auclair
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 1974
— Best Film Editing
BAFTA 1974
— Best Original Score
Academy Awards 1974
— Best Film Editing
Golden Globe 1974
— Best Picture (Drama)
BAFTA 1974
— Best Picture
Golden Globe 1974
— Best Screenplay
BAFTA 1974
— Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA 1974
— Best Screenplay
Golden Globe 1974
— Best Director
BAFTA 1974
— Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA 1974
— Best Director
Key opinion
The Day of the Jackal is widely regarded as a benchmark of the political thriller genre, celebrated for its meticulous procedural detail and Edward Fox's chilling, calculated performance. While its documentary-style commitment to realism and steady pacing earns praise from many, some viewers find the film overly clinical and dry compared to the source material.
| Acting | Edward Fox delivers an icily effective and compelling performance as the cold, methodical assassin. | |
| Direction | Fred Zinnemann maintains a rigorous, documentary-style focus that successfully captures the tension of the meticulous procedural. | |
| Production | The film excels in period recreation, utilizing authentic costumes and atmosphere to immerse the viewer in 1960s France. | |
| Adaptation | Viewers are divided on the film's faithfulness; many consider it a rare, exemplary adaptation, while others argue the script lacks the depth and nuance of Forsyth’s novel. | |
| Pacing | The deliberate, detail-oriented pacing rewards patient viewers with a smart, intellectual chase, but others find the slow, dry narrative exhausting. | |
| Ending | Opinions on the climax are split between those who appreciate its understated, realistic resolution and those who find the ending banal or disappointing. |