Three Days of the Condor

Three Days of the Condor Three Days of the Condor (stylized on the poster art as 3 Deciding that he cannot trust anyone within the CIA, Days of the Condor) is a 1975 American political thriller Turner begins to play a cat-and-mouse game with Hig- film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Red- gins (Cliff Robertson), deputy director of the CIA’s New ford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, and Max von York division. With the help of Hale, Turner abducts Sydow.[2] The screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and Higgins, who reveals Joubert’s identity. David Rayfiel was adapted from the 1974 novel Six Days Higgins discovers that the postman who attacked Turner by James Grady.[2] Set mainly in New York of the Condor in Hale’s apartment had collaborated with Joubert on a City and Washington, D.C., the film is about a bookish previous operation. That operation’s mastermind, how- CIA researcher who comes back from lunch, discovers all ever, is revealed to be Leonard Atwood (Addison Pow- his co-workers shot dead, and tries to outwit those respon- ell), the CIA Deputy Director of Operations and Higgins’ sible until he figures out whom he can really trust. The superior. film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. Semple and Rayfiel received an Edgar Award Meanwhile, using material he found on the fake postman’s from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion body, Turner learns where Joubert is staying, then uses his Picture Screenplay.[2] skills as a former telephone lineman to trace a call Joubert makes from his hotel room. He then finds the name and address of the person Joubert called: Atwood. Turner confronts Atwood at his home late at night and questions 1 Plot him at gunpoint. Turner learns that the report he had filed had uncovered a secret plan to take over Middle Eastern oil fields, setting in motion the deaths of all of his section’s Joe Turner (Robert Redford) is a CIA analyst, code name members. “Condor”, who works in a clandestine office in New York Joubert surprises them, takes away Turner’s pistol, and City. He reads books, newspapers, and magazines from unexpectedly kills Atwood, as Atwood’s superiors have around the world, looking for hidden meanings and new hired Joubert to kill Atwood, overriding Atwood’s origi- ideas. As part of his duties, Turner files a report to CIA nal contract for Joubert to kill Turner. Joubert suggests headquarters on a low-quality thriller novel his office has that Turner leave the country, even become an assassin been reading, pointing out strange plot elements therein, himself since Turner had shown such resourcefulness in and the unusual assortment of languages into which the staying alive. Turner rejects the suggestions, but seems to book has been translated. take seriously Joubert’s warning that the CIA will still try On the day Turner expects a response to his report, while to kill him. Joubert even muses aloud on how Turner’s Turner is out to lunch, a group of armed men, led by an killing would likely be carried out. Alsatian contract killer later identified as Joubert (Max Turner goes back to New York City and meets Higgins on von Sydow), murders the many people in the office. Re- a busy street. Higgins defends the oil fields plan, claim- turning to find his coworkers’ bodies and realizing he is ing that there will be a day in which oil shortages will in danger, Turner calls the CIA’s New York headquar- cause a major economic crisis for the country, and that ters, and is given instructions to meet some agents who Americans will want the government to use any means will take care of him. The meeting, however, is a trap, necessary to obtain the oil. Turner says he has told the and Turner escapes an attempt to kill him. press “a story” (they are standing outside The New York Needing a place to hide, Turner forces a woman, Kathy Times office), but Higgins questions Turner’s assurances Hale (Faye Dunaway), whom he sees randomly in a ski that the story will be printed. After a brief dialogue, an shop, to take him to her apartment in Brooklyn Heights. anxious Turner walks away. The final shot is a freeze He holds her prisoner while he attempts to figure out what frame of Turner passing behind a Salvation Army band is going on. Over time, Hale begins to trust Turner and singing Christmas carols, while looking over his shoulder they become lovers. However, his hiding place is discov- toward the camera. ered after Joubert spots him driving her car and notes the license plate number. A hitman–disguised as a postman with a parcel that requires a signature–shows up at the apartment and a fight ensues, in which Turner kills the hitman. 1 2 4 RECEPTION 2 Cast 4 Reception • Robert Redford as Joseph Turner 4.1 Box Office • Faye Dunaway as Kathy Hale The film earned $8,925,000 in theatrical rentals in North [5] • Cliff Robertson as J. Higgins America. • Max von Sydow as G. Joubert 4.2 Critical response • John Houseman as Wabash Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 86% • Addison Powell as Leonard Atwood of 37 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review, • Walter McGinn as Sam Barber and the average rating was 7.1/10; the site’s consensus is: “This post-Watergate thriller captures the paranoid tenor • Tina Chen as Janice Chon (One of the six CIA ana- of the times, thanks to Sydney Pollack’s taut direction and lysts that were killed) excellent performances from Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.”[6] • Michael Kane as S.W. Wicks When first released, the film was reviewed positively by • Don McHenry as Dr. Ferdinand Lappe (One of the critic Vincent Canby, who wrote that the film “is no six CIA analysts that were killed) match for stories in your local newspaper”, but it bene- fits from good acting and directing.[7] Variety called it a • Jess Osuna as The Major B movie that was given a big budget despite its lack of [8] • Dino Narizzano as Harold (One of the six CIA ana- substance. Roger Ebert wrote, "Three Days of the Con- lysts that were killed) dor is a well-made thriller, tense and involving, and the scary thing, in these months after Watergate, is that it’s • Helen Stenborg as Mrs. Edwina Russell (One of the all too believable.”[9] six CIA analysts that were killed) French philosopher Jean Baudrillard makes mention of • Patrick Gorman as Martin (One of the six CIA an- the film as an example of a new genre of “retro cinema” in alysts that were killed) his essay on history in the now influential book, Simulacra and Simulation (1981): • Hansford Rowe as Jennings (One of the six CIA analysts that were killed) In the 'real' as in cinema, there was history but there isn't any anymore. Today, the • Lee Steele as Ralph Heidegger (Was the 7th CIA an- history that is 'given back' to us (precisely be- alyst who called in sick, and was killed in his home) cause it was taken from us) has no more of • Carlin Glynn as Mae Barber a relation to a 'historical real' than neofigura- tion [sic] in painting does to the classical fig- • Hank Garrett as The Mailman uration of the real...All, but not only, those historical films whose very perfection is dis- • Arthur French as Messenger quieting: Chinatown, Three Days of the Con- • Robert Phalen as Newberry dor, Barry Lyndon, 1900, All the President’s Men, etc. One has the impression of it be- • Ed Setrakian as Customer ing a question of perfect remakes, of extraordi- nary montages that emerge more from a com- • Russell Johnson as Intelligence Officer binatory [sic] culture (or McLuhanesque mo- saic), of large photo-, kino-, historicosynthesis • Sal Schillizzi as Locksmith [sic] machines, etc., rather than one of verita- ble films.”[10] 3 Production Some critics also described the film as a piece of political propaganda, as it was released soon after the "Family 3.1 Filming locations Jewels" scandal came to light in December 1974 which exposed a variety of CIA misconduct. However, in an Three Days of the Condor was filmed in various locations interview with Jump Cut, Pollack explained that the film in New York City, New Jersey, and Washington DC, in- was written solely to be a spy thriller and that production cluding the World Trade Center, The Ansonia, Central on the film was nearly over by the time the Family Jewels Park, and the National Mall.[3][4] revelations were made, so even if they had wanted to take 3 advantage of them, it was far too late in the filmmaking 6 Panning and scanning process to do so. Despite both Pollack and Redford being well-known political liberals, they were only interested in In 1997, The Association of Danish Film Directors, on making the film because an espionage thriller was a genre behalf of Pollack, sued Danmarks Radio, claiming that [11] neither of them had previously explored. their broadcasting the film in a panned and scanned ver- sion violated his copyright. The case was unsuccessful, I didn't want this picture to be judged; it’s as the rights were not owned by Pollack personally in the a movie. I intended it always as a movie. I first place. The case is believed to have been the first le- never had any pretensions about the picture gal challenge to the practice of panning and scanning for and it’s making me very angry that I'm get- broadcast on the grounds that it compromises the artistic ting pretensions stuck on me like tails on a don- integrity of an original film.[13] key.

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