I have a new hero, you guys. His name is The Jackal and he's a professional killer. We're totally going to get married.Sadly, he's not real and bears no relationship to actual assassin Carlos the Jackal.
In 1962, French President Charles DeGaulle (Adrien Cayla-Legrand) agreed to independence for Algeria. This infuriated members of the armed forces who had been fighting against Algerian resistance so they formed their own group, the OAS. They attempted to assassinate DeGaulle themselves, but when the attempt failed they decided they needed an outside player. OAS leadership reviewed their options and finally decided on an Englishman codenamed The Jackal (Edward Fox). He was to kill DeGaulle by any means necessary. The French police learned of the planning from a captured OAS bodyguard and assigned Inspector Lebel (Michael Lonsdale) to head a special commission to locate the Jackal.
The story isn't real but you will be amazed at how tense and how real it feels. The Jackal is meticulous in planning, yet flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances as the police net closes in tighter and tighter. He is a total boss. I was super-impressed with this movie, even though it does take a little while to get started. It's considered a classic of suspense and totally deserves your attention. The only issue I had, and it's so minor I hesitate even bringing it up, is that the movie is set primarily in France but the whole film is spoken in English. I know that was a trend back in the day but I don't approve of it.
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