Retro Film Review: The Jackal (1997)

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There are few opportunities for film makers to die fighting. Few months before his death, at the age of 91, director Fred Zinnemann struggled with Universal in order to preserve the legacy of The Day of the Jackal, his 1973 film and one of the best thrillers ever made. He was concerned that modern 1997 remake would permanently damage the lofty status of his masterpiece. In the end, Universal caved in a little bit - the title of the new film, directed by Michael Caton-Jones, was changed from The Day of the Jackal into The Jackal.

The original, based on the best-selling novel by Frederick Forsythe, mixed fact and fiction while describing attempts of French extreme right-wingers to assassinate President De Gaulle in early 1960s. New version, based on the script by Chuck Pfarrer, doesn't expect from American (and, therefore, global) audience to care about obscure chapters in history of insignificant European countries. Instead, the plot is set in modern times and uses reliable Hollywood villains - Russian mobsters whose sway over former superpower is such that local police, represented by Major Valentina Kozlova (played by Diane Venora), requires assistance from FBI and its assistant director Carter Preston (played by Sydney Poitier). During one raid, local mob chieftain doesn't grasp the concept of being arrested, takes tiny gun and tries his chances against dozens of heavily armed SWAT team members. His brother is quite displeased with the outcome of that effort and wants to get even with FBI; he expresses those views by sticking an axe into the head of his henchman and quickly realises that such aim could be reached only by cold professionals - something that his organisation lacks at the moment. So, he gets in touch Jackal (played by Bruce Willis), world's best contract killer and hires him to assassinate director of FBI. Word about the contract gets to FBI, but they have little idea who Jackal is and how he would try to take out his target. The only clue could be provided by Jackal's old acquaintance Delcan Mulqueen (played by Richard Gere), Irish terrorist currently serving prison sentence for weapons smuggling. Mulqueen agrees to help FBI in exchange for temporary freedom - something he uses for visits to Isabella (played by Mathilda May), Basque terrorist and his former girlfriend.

Inevitable comparisons between 1973 and 1997 films would give plenty of textbooks examples of everything which is wrong with modern Hollywood. The original had intriguing plot and even more intriguing protagonist in the form of efficient, skilful and emotionally detached assassin who even became something of a hero for early 1970s anti-establishment audiences. In 1990s the assassin became over-the-top semi-psychotic monster; despite all of Bruce Willis' charm and talent, hardly anyone could root for that character. Scriptwriter Pfarrer also replaced Good Guys of 1973 – emotionally detached but workaholic and efficient French civil servants – with lovable Irish rogue. Reason for the use of that stereotype was partly in pre-9-11 and pre-Iraq War American audience's sympathy towards people who blow up buildings and ambush military columns. Another reason was in average American actor's inability to master any foreign accent except Irish. Diane Venora, who is wasted in the role of tough Russian female cop, is much more convincing, but her character, being played by insufficiently attractive actress, is removed in favour of the one being played by visually more appealing Mathilda May.

Forcing British, Spanish (and post-9-11 American) audiences to accept terrorists as heroes is among least of this film's problems. Pfarrer's script keeps key elements of the original plot, but its execution is different. In the original film assassin and the men who trying to stop him relied ingenuity and hard work - Zinnemann could make those scenes intriguing and exciting; Michael Caton-Jones in 1997 could not. Instead, the new film relies on displays of whiz-bang technology, loud soundtrack, pyrotechnics, "surprise" twists and the most annoying cliches borrowed from modern Hollywood. The most annoying thing of them all are the protagonists who, in order to lead director and audience towards inevitable spectacular showdown at the end, must behave like complete idiots. Any chance for suspension of disbelief is buried; and with it any chance for this film to do anything except wasting viewers' time.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on January 8th 2004)