Amazon.com

With its high-intensity plot about an attempt to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle, the bestselling novel by Frederick Forsyth was a prime candidate for screen adaptation. Director Fred Zinnemann brought his veteran skills to bear on what has become a timeless classic of screen suspense. Not to be confused with the later remake The Jackal starring Bruce Willis (which shamelessly embraced all the bombast that Zinnemann so wisely avoided), this 1973 thriller opts for lethal elegance and low-key tenacity in the form of the Jackal, the suave assassin played with consummate British coolness by Edward Fox. He's a killer of the highest order, a master of disguise and international elusiveness, and this riveting film follows his path to de Gaulle with an intense, straightforward documentary style. Perhaps one of the last great films from a bygone age of pure, down-to-basics suspense (and a kind of debonair European alternative to the American grittiness of The French Connection), The Day of the Jackal is a cat-and-mouse thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until its brilliantly executed final scene (pardon the pun), by which time Fox has achieved cinematic immortality as one of the screen's most memorable killers. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (72)

Why can't they make movies like this any more?
Rarely does a movie do justice to a book, but Fred Zinneman's production of "The Day of the Jackal" is wonderful adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's novel which, I continue to believe, is one of the greatest thrillers ever written.

It's hard to put a finger on what exactly makes this film great: excellent performances by relatively unknown actors, a wonderful plot, fantastic location shooting or a complete desire to avoid the bells and whistles, special effects laden movies that are all that makes up the "suspense" genre of films these days. Like other reviewers have said, be this the first or the fiftieth time that you watch this film, you will be left on the edge of your seat with its "cat and mouse" plot of the search for a lone assassin hired to murder President De Gaulle. The young Edward Fox is brilliant in the title role and the supporting cast excellent.

If anything, this film proves that you do not need big named stars, explosions around every corner or computer generated effects to make a fantastic film. The only downside to watching this film is that you realise that the movie industry just does not make films like this any more.

Highly, highly recommended.

ONE SHOT IS NEVER ENOUGH !
Fred Zinnemann's THE DAY OF THE JACKAL is not the kind of thriller you are familiar with nowadays. For once, french actors don't look silly and have the terrible task to trace Edward "The Jackal" Fox who gives an award-deserving performance.

DAY OF THE JACKAL made me think of these cold war spy movies of the seventies. Do you remember ? We had the impression they were filmed only in green and blue, the characters didn't speak much leaving to the audience the task to understand the plot by itself. You will feel this kind of atmosphere in this film with the difference that Zinnemann worked with a solid gold screenplay.

The final scene, the day of the jackal, is about 30 minutes long and is already part of Motion picture History.

A few problems with the images ; white spots, images standing still during 1 or 2 seconds. The sound is, in my opinion, the best we can expect from a 1973 movie.

A DVD worthy of multiple viewings.

Excellent adaptation from Forsyth's novel. A winner!
Why not the jackal?
This is the answer given by the hard and cold assasin who signs the agreement to kill De Gaulle.
The story runs through a set of historical issues who are part of the story. A group of officers decides by themselves to revenge the lost honor of France due the fact about the independence of Algiers.
Edward Fox - one of the best actors of his generation - played with sublime perfection the demanding role of the Jackal.
So from the first images of the film you'll be engaged with this chess film. All the movements of this exceptional mind are guided by an amazing sense of hunter behavior. He acts like a western samurai , without blinking , he kills when the circunstances don't let him other choice. The feelings don't exist in this professional.
You are invited to presence an authentical tour de force. And since the moment an important link is arrested , your histamina and cold sweat will invade you.
The efforts of Le Surete for following any possible clue leads to an unforgettable mind game to spark the human chase since the moment the Jackal decides to go ahead with the plan and drive to France from Niza.
The rest of the story runs for you when you acquire this legendary and hair raising punch thriller. And once more you'll admire how the famous film maker Fred Zinemann could win with this story.
The locations and the sense of the drama are extraordinary made. And the words are not enough to describe the countless sequences of hard beating you'll experience.
A perfect film and believe me ; you won't feel the 140 min of the picture.
This is the first and best version!

A First Rate Spy Thriller

Not so much "spy" as "assassin," though, for Edward Fox is cast as an assassin, doing a job that will earn him his retirement. He is to kill President Charles de Gaulle, "le Grand Charles" himself, in Liberation Day, as we eventually find out--but not until much later in the film.

The killer goes through many personalities, disguises, and changes, and manages to kill a few innocents on the way to his final conquest. He is unknown to the gendarme, who are on his trail early, with the help of an informer on the inside, but eventually his appearance becomes known to them--and even then, in spite of an alert commissioner of police in Paris who is every bit his match, Inspector Lebel (Michel Lonsdale)--he almost makes his kill. Had he done so, of course history would have had to be re-written because of a movie, an unlikely event--so we knew that he would fail, but still the plot was so well played that the suspense was never lost.

Written by Frederick Forsyth and directed by Fred Zinneman, perhaps this film was predestined for greatness, but in any case it is one of the great ones.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

If only it had had a happy ending
_Day of the Jackal_ is one of the best film adaptations of a book ever done, the directors managed to keep the vital elements of the plot and the pacing of the book and successfully transfer them from one medium to another. When I read the book after seeing the movie I was amazed at how much they had managed to keep. Edward Fox was perfect as the Jackal, it's a pity that he's ended up starring in so many bad films in his career as he is truly a fantastic actor. There are some wonderful moments of irony such as when the leader of the French terrorists says that no soldier of France will ever raise a weapon against him and then is shown being shot by firing squad the next day. The only thing that would have improved this movie is if the Jackal had succeeded in blowing Charles DeGaulle's head all over the pavement in Paris, I mean really, the guy goes to all of this work and fails in the end, and come on, he's trying to shoot DeGaulle, it's not as if he was attempting to shoot a decent human being or something, heck, even Eisenhower and Churchill wanted to shoot DeGaulle because he was such a useless, vainglorious prick. ... Read more

Description

One of the funniest movies from any country! (BOXOFFICE) - "Exhilarating and finally irresistible!" (LA TIMES) - Golden Globe Nominee - Victor Pivert is a very tolerant man, provided you are white, Catholic, and French.To everyone else, he is a shameless racist, who believes foreigners should go back where they came from.On his way to his daughter's wedding, Victor uncovers a group of scheming Arab revolutionaries.After Victor is discovered, he hides himself by dressing up as a rabbi, leading to one madcap scene after another.THE MAD ADVENTURES OF RABBI JACOB is an extremely entertaining film - fresh, funny, and powerfully poignant. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Add this classic to your collection
It is about time that this classic screwball slapstick comedy is available to the US. When I originally saw this film in the theatres back in 73- I laughed alot- and now this film is still one of the funniest comedies I have ever seen- According to the description of the DVD the film is in French and has english subtitles- if this is correct- Who cares!- The story and slapstick make the film- In any language Rabbi Jacob is a good time.

A Note to a Previous Reviewer
To "a viewer", who titled his review "Great movie ... poor DVD treatment", and complained: " (Also, there are no options for [...] -- I speak for others -- English dubbing.)":

You don't *want* to hear the English dubbing from the original release. They even changed the character's name from "Pivert" to "Beaver"...

(I haven't yet seen this DVD -- i intend to do so as soon as possible -- the five stars above are for the film, one of the great slapstick comedies of all time.

(I might subtract one or even two if the DVD transfer is sufficiently atrocious or the film is severely edited.)

Nice job on the dvd, Facets!!
The madcap slapstick adventure won't appeal to everyone, but there is much that is original and funny.

I must say, though, to those reviewers who have been whining about the DVD, that you're way off base. This is a 1973 film, remember, that has a lovely widescreen non-anamorphic DVD transfer with a rich, accurate color palette and excellent sharpness throughout. It is clearly NOT from a VHS original, and is one of the better looking 1970's DVD's you will see. Thirty years after the fact, with a film that will not sell a million copies, you cannot complain about the lack of special features. Thanks, Facets, for giving us a clear look at a forgotten classic!

funniest movie I have ever seen
This film is the hands-down, without a doubt, no question, absolutely funniest movie I have ever seen. You will laugh non-stop throughout the entire movie!

Great movie ... poor DVD treatment
I loved this movie when I first saw it two decades ago. Great humor and premise. The bubblegum scene is priceless, unforgettable. Like most comedies, some moments and gags don't live up to others, and some coincidences and motivations are forced. The dated score may sound -- to some people -- a little cheesy at times. Nevertheless, I'd give the movie 4.5 stars. Definitely worth seeing!

On the other hand, I'd give the DVD itself 1 star -- for the fact that the movie at least *is* available on DVD, is in its original widescreen aspect ratio, and the packaging has nice graphics. One annoyance is that you can't turn off the (English) subtitles. (Also, there are no options for French subtitles or -- I speak for others -- English dubbing.)

Another annoyance is the pitiful, solitary "extra feature": Cast and Crew. For one thing, only two people are listed. And couldn't they find someone who knows English to edit the text? Furthermore, the user interface for Cast and Crew is terrible. The default is to go back to the previous screen, rather than forward; and there is no option to go back to the main Cast and Crew screen (you have to go back to the main menu and start from scratch). Lots of unnecessary clicking to get very little information. The scene selection interface is clunky as well. In summary, almost no extra features are present, and no thought was put into the user interface.

It is always a shame when an excellent movie gets a poor DVD treatment. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Following the blockbuster success of The Exorcist, director William Friedkin had the clout to make any film he wanted, and he nearly ruined his career making Sorcerer, an ill-fated remake of the classic French thriller The Wages of Fear. Given the big-budget treatment that Friedkin could command, the original plot remains unchanged: In an unnamed Latin American country, Roy Scheider leads a group of four fugitives who will earn their freedom if they can successfully transport truckloads of volatile nitroglycerine over treacherous terrain to extinguish a raging oil fire. The unstable explosives could prove deadly at any point of the journey, and numerous obstacles threaten the completion of the mission. Produced under rugged conditions in the jungles of the Dominican Republic, the film is visually impressive and contains intense moments of astonishing suspense, but the specter of the superior French version hangs over every scene. This version remains a folly of directorial ambition run amuck, but for the very same reason Sorcerer is a film that's hauntingly unforgettable, fueled by an atmosphere of dread and the forceful powers of nature. Presented in full-screen format on DVD, the film is aided immeasurably by Tangerine Dream's eerie electronic score. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (62)

The most underrated suspence thriller!!!!
Not only was the film deep, and insightfull to the inner soul of a human being in the situation of, in a desperate attempt to be free of the self made prison of these four criminals. To drive accross trecherous terrain of primevel forests of South America in trucks loaded with dynamite so unstable with the nitro leaking from the sticks of death. one wrong move and BOOM! The music was absolutely incredible. Tangerine Dream did a soundtrack that scared the **** out of me!! Don't forget, all this was brought to us in 1977! I was very young and left an impression in my brain! This movie is the prime spark for me getting into Digital Synth Music. All actors were intense and suffered much for the shooting of this film! A MUST GET for armrest gripping viewing!

An overlooked gem
Forget "Wages of Fear" for a moment and look at the merits of the DVD release of William Friedkin's "Sorcerer."

I would have overlooked this film had Siskold and Ebert not flagged it as an under-rated film and under-rated it is. I caught it on HBO and later purchased the Laserdisc.

But the DVD is a step up from there. The color is excellent and the DVD sound is spectacular with the score by Tangerine Dream. Vivid is the word.

Friedkin, who cut his teeth in commercial television, doggedly sticks to his 1:1.33 aspect ratio for this release, but one sees his way of looking at the scenes in this way.

And, oh the cargo! Cases of sensitive dynamite leaking nitroglycerine carried in two trucks driving 15 minutes apart over "pre-Columbian" roads for 200 miles through a South American jungle past, over, or through every danger one can imagine. Dynamite truckers are sometimes called "suicide jockies" even on regular roads. This is downright kamakazi.

Once the journey starts and Tangerine Dream plays the score, it becomes a white knuckle journey not only for the drivers, but for the audience as well. Not good men (after all their are on the lam) but I wound up caring for all of them -- and that says something for the way Friedkin draws the viewer in.

Perhaps the "superior characterization" of the earlier film appeals to those who like the personal stories and certainly there is a place for that, but for the raw imagery of the journey, "Wages" does not touch Sorcerer. If anything, both films should be seen and enjoyed, each for their different focus.

I especially liked the opened ended ending of Sorcerer -- open to debate -- does the theme music mean the end, or yet another spin of the wheel?

Is this a never-ending story? Is it the story of "everyman?"

THERE IS NO WIDESCREEN DEBATE ON THIS FILM.
THIS IS NOT THE INTENDED VERSION!!The Spotlite review by ZENCIRCUS is WRONG!! Yes, William Friedkin was a television director. And yes, he has been quoted as saying he hates widescreen formatting. But this version HAS BEEN MODIFIED to fit a standard TV screen at 1.33:1. When you play this DVD version; IT STATES THIS at the beginning of the film. This underrated masterpiece was SHOT in a ratio aspect of 1.66:1. What that means for those of you who don't understand: if your screen was 1 foot high it would be 1.66 feet wide. This version is only 1.33 feet wide as it is 1 foot high. So, this version is NOT as wide as it was originally shot. Some of the image on the sides HAS been lost. Although, when you look at the ratio, not much is being lost. But to a real film purist, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

YOUR WRONG ZENCIRCUS!! Another version of this classic DOES EXIST. Get your facts straight. And don't hold strong opinions about things you don't understand. Anyone who really loves film, should go to GOOGLE, type in "UNDERSTANDING ASPECT RATIOS," and learn about it. I did. Apparently ZENCIRCUS didn't do his homework. Unless William Friedkin chimes in here to correct me, his review is WRONG and should be removed from the Spotlite.

Don't Overlook This One
Everything that has been previously written about SORCERER touches on all the points I myself would make, save one: I was fortunate enough to see this in 1977 when it was first released in theatres. I was interested in Friedkin's work, and anxious to see what this new movie was. It was a Saturday evening show, but the theatre was populated by myself, a friend, and maybe a dozen other people, several of whom walked out. They should have stayed--they missed a truly great film! We were riveted to our seats for the full two hours, gripping the seat arms and each other, praying that at least one man would make it out of this Hell alive. And a few months later, when our local revival house played a double bill of SORCERER and THE WAGES OF FEAR, you bet we were there to compare and contrast and enjoy! Two very fine films which deserve more wide attention. Most people didn't know what kind of a movie SORCERER was: the poster showed a still from the unbelievably treacherous river crossing over that now-iconic rope and wood bridge, with the words "A William Friedkin Film" and "SORCERER" prominent. If they hadn't seen a trailer beforehand, many thought they were going to see a fantasy film. The film ran only a few weeks, and did poorly at the boxoffice. (I've always felt that every film released during the summer 0f 1977 -- except two -- suffered greatly because of the monstrous success of STAR WARS; that film eclipsed everything else except SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and the latest James Bond film, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. Go figure.) Universal hasn't booked it a lot on cable over the years, so it has remained a bit of an enigma, except to the privileged few who have been able to see it. I can't recommend this film any higher. Please see it: as long as you have an open mind and do not fall victim to preconceptions, it will enthrall you. And see the original Clouzot film as well: they each have their great strengths.
One bone of contention: the score by Tangerine Dream is perfect! An orchestral score was not neccessary. Friedkin has made it known that after discovering the Dream when finishing off THE EXORCIST, he wanted to have them score an entire feature for him. This is a genuine marriage of film and score, each complimenting and enhancing the other.
One last thing: While true that SORCERER wasn't a widescreen (2:35 to 1) release, I believe that it was 1:85 to 1, so maybe Universal will see fit to repackage the DVD with the original artwork in this ratio. It would be cool.

Alternately painful and enthralling
Sorcerer showed up in the mail via NetFlix and for the life of me I couldn't remember why I ordered it. One theory is that I thought it was a fantasy flick. The title has little to do with the movie itself and it's certainly not about fantasy sorcerers casting spells. Another possibility, and more likely, is that I was writing a review of Vertical Limit and someone mentioned that Sorcerer did it first.

It doesn't matter, I watched the movie anyway. And what I saw was alternately painful and enthralling.

Sorcerer is about four men down on their luck. Actually, that's an understatement. They're not just down on their luck; they're at the very rock bottom of their lives. They are each one step away from complete oblivion, be it at an assassin's hand or their own.

The movie starts out with little apology tracking these four independent threads. The first half hour of the film makes no sense because we don't know what we're seeing: one Frenchman businessman is ruined and flees the country; a New York wheelman crosses the wrong gang; a Middle Eastern terrorist bombs a dwelling; one is an assassin. They are all on the run from their respective countries.

They all end up in Vera Cruz, in South America, a stinking fissure in the earth. Naked children and dogs wander the streets. Everything is encrusted in dirt and the slime of sweat, rain, mud, and oil. The only place a man can find work is at the oil company upon which Vera Cruz depends for its survival.

An explosion sabotages the well. The oil burns and will burn forever unless it is covered - and that requires explosives. Of course, in the South American jungles the nearest cache of nitroglycerine has been festering for years and become highly unstable. It can't be lifted by helicopter, so trucks must carry it. One strong bump and the nitroglycerine explodes.

Finally, the movie gets interesting. We have four unlikable characters forced to work together. They must battle the elements, bandits, and human stupidity to ensure their cargo and their lives make it to the oil well intact.

If you recall Vertical Limit, the concepts were the same: different groups armed with nitroglycerine must brave nature and the elements for some noble cause. While not as gut wrenching as Vertical Limit, Sorcerer manages to inject pathos into the characters. They weep, they take desperate measures, and they become more noble as they rise to each crushing challenge.

Ultimately, all of them came to Vera Cruz to flee something else. Now that they have come to Hell, like Orpheus and Dante they must descend to its bowels to escape it. The journey with the nitroglycerine is their purgatory.

It's no surprise that few of the characters survive, but the movie goes one step further. The sole survivor finds solace in the dirt and horror of the town itself. In short, his journey to get enough money to escape was about selfish ends until he realizes that his struggles had purpose - he saved the town's fate, at least for a little while. His own life is precious. And so, he uses his last moments before leaving to dance with a haggard woman rather than make his escape. His redemption will not be satisfied with anything but his death.

And the name of the movie? Sorcerer is the name of the truck. ... Read more