Three Days of the Condor
| Three Days of the Condor | |
|---|---|
 Film poster for Three Days of the Condor | |
| Directed by | Sydney Pollack |
| Written by | James Grady (novel Six Days of the Condor) Lorenzo Semple Jr. David Rayfiel |
| Produced by | Stanley Schneider |
| Starring | Robert Redford Faye Dunaway |
| Edited by | Don Guidice |
| Music by | Dave Grusin |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures (USA) DeLaurentiis Productions (International) |
Release dates | September 24, 1975 (USA) |
Running time | 117 min. |
| Languages | English French |
Three Days of the Condor is a United States motion picture made in 1975. It was produced by Stanley Schneider and directed by Sydney Pollack. The screenplay, by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel, was adapted from the novel Six Days of the Condor by James Grady.
The movie is a suspense drama set in contemporary New York City, and is considered an exposition of the moral ambiguity of the actions of the United States government following the Vietnam War and Watergate. It stars Robert Redford as an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency who inadvertently becomes involved in a deadly power struggle within the agency.
The film was nominated for the 1976 Academy Award for Film Editing. Semple and Rayfiel received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.
Plot
Template:Spoiler Joe Turner (Robert Redford) is a CIA employee who works in a clandestine office in New York City. He is not a field agent, and indeed is disdainful of Agency discipline; his job is to read books, newspapers, and magazines from around the world looking for hidden meanings. As part of his duties, Turner files a report (to CIA headquarters) on a low-quality thriller novel his office has been reading, pointing out strange plot elements therein, and the unusual assortment of languages in which the book has been translated (Arabic, but not French, for example).
The movie begins on the day in which Turner expects a response to his report. While he is out getting lunch, a group of armed men, led by an Alsatian assassin later identified as Joubert (Max von Sydow), executes everyone in the office. Turner returns, realizes he is in grave danger, and telephones an emergency phone number.
When he phones in (and remembers to give his code name "Condor"), he is put in contact with Higgins (Cliff Robertson), a top level agent. Higgins (who is at this point not involved in the conspiracy and is legitimately concerned) directs Turner to keep quiet and they will send an agent named Wicks to "bring him in."
Wicks brings an old friend of Turner's (Sam) along to help put him at ease. But Wicks is part of the conspiracy and tries to kill Turner. Turner shoots Wicks, who just before collapsing shoots Sam; Turner escapes with his life. Realizing that he cannot trust anyone within the CIA, Turner calls in again and begins to play a cat-and-mouse game with Higgins.
Turner now sets off to solve the mystery of the killings on his own. Needing a place to hide, he forces a random woman, Kathy Hale (Faye Dunaway), to take him to her apartment. He holds her prisoner while he attempts to figure out what's going on.
Eventually, Hale is convinced to trust him; the gun is put away, and they make love (the scene was controversial for its sexually explicit content at the time). She helps him briefly kidnap Higgins to get information.
Using his previous experience as a telephone technician, Turner is able to track down Joubert and begins to discern that a rogue presence inside CIA ("a CIA within the CIA") is conducting top secret, illicit operations. At one point, he comes face-to-face with Joubert again, but escapes another attempt on his life. In fact, it is often Turner's inexperience in the field that makes him unpredictable and allows him to continue to elude his pursuers.
Turner eventually discovers that Joubert was hired by the secret cabal to eliminate all the people in the New York office because Turner's report indicated they had stumbled onto one of their contingency plans to invade the Middle East if there was an oil crisis. He tracks down the mastermind to his home and takes him captive. However, Joubert arrives soon afterwards. Surprisingly, he kills his former employer, because the contract has changed; he now works for the CIA. He befriends Turner, to the extent this is possible, and tries to convince Turner to become like him: a man who works for whomever pays him. Turner declines, saying he likes living in the United States too much. Before they part, Joubert warns him that he is still a target and tells him how he will likely be set up.
Turner goes back to New York and encounters Higgins on a busy street. When Higgins offers him a ride, Turner recognizes Joubert's scenario and turns him down. Higgins tells Turner that eventually they will catch up to him. Turner says he has told the press "a story" (they are standing outside the New York Times office), but Higgins says, "How do you know they'll print it?" Turner answers, "They'll print it," and starts to walk away into the crowd. "You can take a walk, but how far if they don't print it?" Higgins says. Turner pauses and glances back.
Credits
Production
- Producer - Stanley Schneider
- Executive Producer - Dino De Laurentiis
- Director - Sydney Pollack
- Screenplay - James Grady (based on his novel Six Days of the Condor), Lorenzo Semple Jr, and David Rayfiel.
- Music - Dave Grusin
Cast (partial)
- Joseph Turner/Condor - Robert Redford
- Kathy Hale - Faye Dunaway
- Higgins - Cliff Robertson
- Joubert - Max von Sydow
- Mr. Wabash - John Houseman
- Leonard Atwood - Addison Powell
- Sam Barber - Walter McGinn
- Janice - Tina Chen
- S.W. Wicks - Michael Kane
- Dr. Lappe - Don McHenry ....
- Fowler - Michael B. Miller
Trivia
- In the Seinfeld episode, "The Junk Mail", Newman tells Kramer not to challenge the post office with dialogue taken from Joubert's warning to Turner.
- Joubert: "It will happen this way. You may be walking. Maybe the first sunny day of the spring. And a car will slow beside you, and a door will open, and someone you know, maybe even trust, will get out of the car. And he will smile, a becoming smile. But he will leave open the door of the car and offer to give you a lift."
- Newman: "You're in trouble, Kramer. I shouldn't even be talking to you, but I'm telling you as a friend. Here's how it's going to happen: you may be walking. Maybe on a crisp, autumn day just like today. When a mail truck will slow beside you, and a door will open, and a mailman you know, maybe even trust, will offer to give you a lift."
- A sample of dialogue from Three Days of the Condor was used in the Radiohead song "Fitter Happier".
- The wristwatch that Robert Redford wears in this film is a Doxa Sub600t Sharkhunter.
- The Duck Tales episode Three Ducks of the Condor derives its name from the film. The FOX network's animated sitcoms King of the Hill and The Simpsons both have an episode with a title that spoofs the name of this movie - "Three Days of the Kahn-do" and "Three Gays of the Condo," respectively.
- Joubert is seen painting miniature warriors in his hotel room and later speaks about the independence of life as a freelance spy. In Ronin, Sam's friend Jean-Pierre also paints miniatures, and speaks about life as a freelance spy operating without a master.
- The film was listed as one of "The 25 Most Stylish Films of All Time" in the November 2006 issue of GQ Magazine.
- Three Gays of the Condo, an Emmy winning episode of The Simpsons television series, takes its name from the movie.
- The look of the character Mr. Bennet from the NBC drama series Heroes was directly inspired by Max von Sydow's character in the film.
See also
External links
