Review of Three Days of the Condor (1975) by Luke B — 14 Sep 2008

Released with the tagline "His name is Condor. In the next 24 hours, everyone he trusts will try to kill him." Three Days of the Condor (dir, Sidney Pollack) is a political suspense thriller first released in 1975. It is a fine example of the genre and a prominent precursor for the many similar films that have littered cinema for the past 30 years. Additionally it inspired Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel The Bourne Identity, the film is also an eerie harbinger for the world in which we now live as the final few reels reveal. The film centres on Joseph Turner (Robert Redford) code name Condor. The sign on the side of the building in which he works reads American Literary Historical Society. This is not strictly true as he is an employee of the CIA for whom looks for codes and foreign intelligence by reading books. One day Joseph leaves the building to get some lunch, upon his return he finds that every one of his work colleagues has been gunned down. He leaves the office and contacts his superiors asking to be brought in. Joseph arranges to meet his boss Higgins (Cliff Robertson) only to be shot at, he flees and kidnaps Kathy Hale (Faye Dunaway) who becomes his only ally on his quest to discover the truth.

At its heart Three Days of The Condor explores the possibilities of the moral and ethical motives of an American government post Vietnam and Watergate. It attempts to show that one man can take on the might of the government and discover and expose the truth. It is an extremely familiar premise and one that has been employed a great deal throughout this genre. Various political films of the 1970's employ similar narratives including The Parallax View (1974), The Conversation (1974), All the Presidents Men (1976) and Marathon Man (1976). As mentioned Three Days of the Condor is directed by Oscar winner Sidney Pollack (They Shoot Horses Don't they, 1969; Jeremiah Johnson, 1972; Tootsie, 1982; Out of Africa, 1985; The Firm, 1993 etc), it is for this reason and the timely nature of Three Days of the Condor that I believe it to be the best political thriller of the 1970's.

The manner in which the film is directed conveys a sense of suspense that surpasses that of its contemporary offerings. Intriguingly the film is shot mostly during the day and for the vast majority of its running time is very well lit, when trying to illicit suspense I find this a bold move by the director as daytime and well lit scenes can be very unforgiving i.e. there are no dark passages, rooms or alleyways for the protagonist to hide. This choice of film-making leaves Joseph vulnerable and perceptible and whilst many directors would probably fail at employing this method , Pollack utilizes an array of tightly framed shots, moving pans and intelligently edited action sequences to create the tension that superbly complements the films narrative. The techniques utlised by Pollack established a benchmark for the many similar films that followed over the next three decades.

The narrative is both intelligent and well structured as it never resorts to cheap tricks or conventions to further its story and because it plays out in a few days the pace is perfectly apt. The acting on show is brilliant, which should be unsurprising given that Redford is at the peak of his career. His portrayal of the isolated everyman is captivating - aiding the films ability at tapping into audiences. Faye Dunaway incorporates a sense of anguish and hesitancy that doesn't detract from her impetus as a character, but rather helps the viewer to empathise and understand her motives. Max von Sydow as Joubert, the sly and devious assassin is also brilliant. If this film was made today, this type of character would seem very old-hat, but during the 1970s it was very much in vogue, as it had me thinking of Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man and Gregory peck in The Boys from Brazil (1978). It would be unsurprising to me if other actors have drawn on Sydow's assassin for their inspiration when playing similar roles.

Finally, I would recommend Three Days of the Condor to all those that enjoy a good political thriller. If you are expecting an earlier Bourne Identity, you will be disappointed. This film is not an all out explosion action fest and nor does it depict its lead as a man of unseemly abilities; it is far better and cleverer than that. In fact, if you liked last year's Oscar nominated Michael Clayton, which interestingly stars Sydney Pollack, then you should revisit Three Days of Condor and watch the film that inspired it.