One of the most suspenseful thrillers of the 1970s is this gem, a British-French co-production directed by Fred Zinnemann.  The Day of the Jackal (1973) is an exciting adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s best-seller concerning an conspiracy plot to kill French general Charles de Gaulle.

Zinnemann keeps his intricate story as close to reality as possible, moving between the hired assassin’s preparations (the “Jackal” of the title) and the international police force’s methodical sifting of minutiae to uncover important clues concerning the slowly-revealing plot.  As with the best suspense films, the tension gradually builds through exhaustive preparations, suspicion and clues fueling fear, close calls, an increased pace, identification and progress and, finally, an explosive climax.  Zinnemann’s film is a virtual blueprint for this framework.

The director smartly sidestepped pressure to cast “big” names, reasoning that widely-known personas would over-whelm the story.  Thus, familiar faces — but not overly famous faces — populate the cast.  Zinnemann was also wise (and lucky) to receive permission to film in locations and on occasions normally prohibited to filmmakers.  The result is a film that drips with authenticity.

Its greatest power, of course, is how it persuades its audience that history might change — for anyone familiar with de Gaulle already knows the outcome of this story.  It also generates feelings of understanding and perhaps admiration for the hired killer, for he is nothing less than a trained professional.  As the Jackal undergoes his final, very painful and quite convincing, disguise, we believe that he’s going to get away with his immoral task.

Besides being a terrific thriller, The Day of the Jackal is a great example of how movies were made in the early 1970s before studios insisted on including elements that might not fit their stories but which promised to put people in seats watching their movies.  My rating:  ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2.  (9:3).