I saw Day of the Jackal in Germany back in 1974, with German subtitles. I watched it again recently & realized that it had to've been a great film, since I recalled nothing specific, except that it was exciting. Movie is a fictional account of an assassination attempt on French Pres. DeGaulle in 1963, just 3 mos. before JFK was killed. DeGaulle had been a hero of the French resistance but incurred the wrath of senior military people by ceding Algeria its independence in 1962. We follow a pro hit man (Edw. Fox) hired by a group of the disgruntled Army officers as he prepares to kill DeGaulle. We're mesmerized as The Jackal (in French, chacal, presumably an anagram of the killer's real name) jumps from one meticulous procedure to another, including altering the exhaust system on his Alfa Romeo to accommodate his custom-made rifle. The detective assigned to track down the unknown would-be assassin is just as meticulous, if less enthusiatic. Fast-paced & engaging, with no dross.
Review of The Day of the Jackal
