3 Days of the Condor – 1975 – Thriller, Crime, Spy
Directed by: Sydney Lumet
Written by: Lorenzo Semple Jr.; David Rayfiel
Main Players: Robert Redford; Faye Dunaway; Max von Sydow; Cliff Robertson
The setting: A quiet morning on a regular city street of New York. The Story: The American Literary Historical Society building appears to hold a few secrets, as it covertly operates as a CIA office. The twist: As scholarly CIA analyst Joe Turner (Redford) slips out of the workplace for lunch via his back alleyway exit, he doesn’t know how his life will be changed forever. Gunmen enter, and kill all in the building. But why?
Turner returns to the carnage that he blindly avoided. The morning’s event sets off a game of cat and mouse between himself and the U.S. spy agency as he looks to figure out what happened. As it is in the world of spies, there are precious few whom one can trust, and Turner finds himself both on the run and with little choice on how to proceed or stay alive.
Based on a novel, the story is quick to get going, and the distrust starts flying fast. The plot is interesting as it combines the mystery elements of the violent event with chase and survival themes for Turner based on being an ongoing target. The script is smart and the execution is solid, with some great actors turning in some classic performances.
It’s easy to get caught up in the story and put yourself in the characters’ shoes, which helps propel the film through to its end credits. There isn’t a whole lot to say about this one other than it’s a good spy story and a great thriller, so give it a shot and enjoy the ride of paranoia.
See This If You Liked:
North by Northwest; The Manchurian Candidate (1962; 2004); The Conversation; Blow Out; Conspiracy Theory; Enemy of the State; The Parallax View; The Day of the Jackal; Marathon Man; Tinker Tailor Solider Spy; Spy Game; Sneakers
Score:
8.0