Three Days of the Condor
Sidney Pollack’s paranoid thriller Three Days of the Condor comes to Blu-ray from Masters of Cinema
Three Days of the Condor might have been viewed as just another conspiracy thriller in 1975 if not for a fluke of timing. As the film was being made, a major leak revealed widespread illegal practices at the CIA that chimed with those explored in the film – it’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you.
This is one of the key films in the run of suspicious, authority-questioning features that defined American cinema in the mid-1970s, and while Three Days of the Condor might lack the audacious visual style of Alan J. Pakula’s similarly themed trilogy (Klute, 1971; The Parallax View, 1974; All the President's Men, 1976), it remains a wholly absorbing picture. Sidney Pollack’s few directorial flourishes actually look a little gauche today, with the framing and cutting of Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway’s sex scene being a notable weak point, but he handles the complex, slow-burning narrative with deft skill, and his work with the actors is as good as ever.
Redford is on peak form as the resourceful agent slowly getting to grips with a conspiracy that’s way beyond his pay grade, but the film is comprehensively stolen by Max von Sydow as the implacable hitman Joubert. Ready to offer his services to the highest bidder, Joubert has no interest in the rights and wrongs of the shadowy figures he’s working to protect. It’s strictly business.
The Extras
The accompanying booklet features an essay from Michael Brooke that places the film in the context of the political events that it resonated with upon release, as well as a lengthy interview with Pollack extracted from John Boorman’s superb Projections series. The disc contains a familiar but interesting one-hour programme called The Directors: Sydney Pollack, which gives us a decent overview on his career up to the start of the 21st century, and a 20-minute interview with Sheldon Hall that provides further background information on the film.
Released by Eureka Entertainment – order your copy at eurekavideo.co.uk