Three Days of the Condor
| Three Days of the Condor | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster | |
| Directed by | Sydney Pollack |
| Written by | Story: James Grady Screenplay: Lorenzo Semple Jr. David Rayfiel |
| Produced by | Executive Producer: Dino De Laurentiis Producer: Stanley Schneider |
| Starring | Robert Redford Faye Dunaway |
| Cinematography | Owen Roizman |
| 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 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| 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.(Hogwash, it has nothing do with Nixon, you fool, that wrote this. It's all about oil fields, you commie clinton-ista) 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 Agency wins, as does the American people. This movie is worth watching! Find it. Watch it. Understand it.
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
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 calls an emergency telephone number.
On giving 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 in the event of 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 advises that Turner, for his own safety, settle in Europe. Turner declines, saying he was born in the United States and that he misses it when he's gone too long. Jourbert remarks that this is a pity. Turner adds, he doesn't regard it as one. When Turner asks Joubert why he kills for a living, Joubert contradicts Turner's assumption that such a life would be unbearable by inferring that it's peaceful and that there are no sides to follow but rather "...the belief is in your own precision." 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.
Cast
- Robert Redford as Joseph Turner/The Condor
- Faye Dunaway as Kathy Hale
- Cliff Robertson as J. Higgins
- Max von Sydow as G. Joubert
- John Houseman as Wabash
- Addison Powell as Leonard Atwood
- Walter McGinn as Sam Barber
- Tina Chen as Janice Chon
- Michael Kane as S.W. Wicks
- Don McHenry as Dr. Ferdinand Lappe
- Michael B. Miller as Fowler
- Jess Osuna as The Major
- Dino Narizzano as Harold
- Helen Stenborg as Mrs. Edwina Russell
- Patrick Gorman as Martin
Awards
Wins
- Cartagena Film Festival: Golden India Catalina, Best Actor, Max von Sydow; 1976.
- David di Donatello Awards: Special David, Sydney Pollack, for the direction; 1976.
- Edgar Allan Poe Awards: Edgar; Best Motion Picture, Lorenzo Semple Jr. David Rayfiel; 1976.
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards: KCFCC Award; Best Supporting Actor, Max von Sydow; 1976.
- Motion Picture Sound Editors: Golden Reel Award; Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects; 1976.
Nominations
- Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Film Editing, Fredric Steinkamp and Don Guidice; 1976.
- Cartagena Film Festival: Golden India Catalina; Best Film, Sydney Pollack; 1976.
- Golden Globes: Golden Globe; Best Motion Picture Actress - Drama, Faye Dunaway; 1976.
- Grammy Awards: Grammy; Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special, Dave Grusin; 1977.
See also
External links
