Last night by sheer accident, while I was channel surfing on the TV, I came across a channel that was playing the movie "The Day of the Jackal". It felt nice watching an old classic. This is not the one that starred Bruce Willis, Sidney Poitier and Richard Gere. That one was horrible. This was the original that was shot in 1973. I had read the novel several times earlier on but never got a chance to see the movie. The book is one of my personal favorites and I always wondered how the movie would be like. Usually, as you all know, when you watch a movie thats based on a book, it won't be half as good. Case in point, "Da Vinci Code". I slept off by the time Tom Hanks got out of the Louvre with the pretty Ms. Tatou. Most of you who have read "Da Vinci Code" and also seen the movie will agree with me on this.
But surprise, surprise! I really liked "The Day of the Jackal". Though I wouldn't say that it was as great as the book, it certainly came close to it. The Director stuck to the details given in the book and never once took a diversion from the novel. The screenplay was excellent. What caught my eye was the editing. How one shot moved seamlessly into another so that sequence of events were being depicted from perspectives of both the protagonist as well as the assassin. Later when I checked the details of the movie in IMDB, I found out that the film had won the BAFTA award for Best Editing that year. Gave myself a pat on the back for my technical observation ;-) I won't go into the plot details as it is a thriller and if you want to see it, it would only ruin the fun. There was this whiff of class in each of the character. And the actors played the drama with understated panache. Uber cool. Those movies of the sixties and early seventies had their own charm and elegance. And before I forget, the cool Alfa Romeo the Jackal drives is nothing less than beautiful. I think the new Alfa 8C Competizione takes its design cues from this car. Pity they don't make cars like that anymore.
If you get a chance, do watch the film. That's my reco. A must watch, in my opinion.
But surprise, surprise! I really liked "The Day of the Jackal". Though I wouldn't say that it was as great as the book, it certainly came close to it. The Director stuck to the details given in the book and never once took a diversion from the novel. The screenplay was excellent. What caught my eye was the editing. How one shot moved seamlessly into another so that sequence of events were being depicted from perspectives of both the protagonist as well as the assassin. Later when I checked the details of the movie in IMDB, I found out that the film had won the BAFTA award for Best Editing that year. Gave myself a pat on the back for my technical observation ;-) I won't go into the plot details as it is a thriller and if you want to see it, it would only ruin the fun. There was this whiff of class in each of the character. And the actors played the drama with understated panache. Uber cool. Those movies of the sixties and early seventies had their own charm and elegance. And before I forget, the cool Alfa Romeo the Jackal drives is nothing less than beautiful. I think the new Alfa 8C Competizione takes its design cues from this car. Pity they don't make cars like that anymore.
If you get a chance, do watch the film. That's my reco. A must watch, in my opinion.
.JPG)
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