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Three Days of the Condor Customer Reviews (40 - 42 of 44 Reviews)

Run Condor run
In this movie a readerfor the CIA, whose job is to scan literature for possible covert plots or messages, inadvertently stumbles on one and must be removed by the plotter.

'Three days of the Condor' is based on a book 'Six days of the Condor' which is really first in a series, sort of like the James Bond series. Naturally being film media the story needed cutting down to size, hence three days instead of six. Robert Redford has to squeeze James Grady's 'Six Days of the Condor ISBN: 0446360961' into the Redford mold. The book plot of drugs and Viet Nam are out. Redford's substitute plot oil and Arabs is in. Bad guys differ. Great acting, great actors and a few faux pas, such as if they knew there was a back door to the location, don't you think it would be watched?

Tina Chen (Janice) can be seen again in 'Paper Man (1971)' there is a distributor out there, where you can purchase a copy of this film.

4 Stars For "Condor"--One for the DVD!
Wire-rimmed glasses and a slight stubble of beard isn't enough to make Robert Redford completely convincing as a bookish CIA researcher, though he gives a terrific "movie star" performance (partially the result of co screenwriter David Rayfiel being brought in to customize some of Redford's dialouge).

Also, Director Sydney Pollack ("Tootsie") doesn't seem to have the feel for suspense-thriller pulp (the way someone like Peckinpah had), so "Three Days of the Condor" is a little too monotone and flat at times to be a completely successful representative of the genre.

No matter.

"Three Days of The Condor" had all the timing in the world going for it.

Released in 1975, just on the heels of Watergate and in the midst of the Church Committee hearings on CIA excesses, "Condor" became the only box office success of Paramount Pictures "Conspiracy Trilogy" (the others being "The Conversation" and Parallax View").

It's also worth noting the cinematography (done by the great Owen Roizman) is spectacular...the rainy Manhattan streets never looked so beautifully moody....and the score by Dave Grusin avoids all the usual thriller movie stabs and sting.

The transfer quality of the DVD is superb, but the special features are non existent (all that's included is the original theatrical trailer--hardly a "special feature" in today's DVD world).

"Three Days of the Condor" remains essentially a stylish artifact of mid-70's paranoia, and viewed today, in light of recent events, contains some really bizarre echoes.

Why? More to the point, why me?
Since September 11th two years ago, most of us are probably more willing to believe that there can be evil (albeit unseen) forces active within our society which can suddenly result in death and destruction. What sets this film apart from most others in its genre is the introduction of a guileless central character (Joe Turner played by Robert Redford) who seems to pose no threat to anyone and yet he becomes involved in a deadly situation which neither he nor we understand. Director Sydney Pollack was perhaps influenced by Alfred Hitchcock who, in so many of his own films, subjects an innocent person to undefined but nonetheless nerve-chilling terror. After obtaining take-out lunches for himself and his associates, Turner returns to their small office in Manhattan and finds all of them dead. What happened? Who did it? Why? The situation is complicated by the fact that he and they are employed by the C.I.A. There is no indication that their research has any special significance. Security precautions for their office seem perfunctory. Turner flees the scene, later meeting with his supervisor Higgins (Cliff Robertson). After someone attempts to kill Turner, he again calls Higgins who urges him to "come in." By now, Turner correctly senses that he is in great danger but from whom? Why? What to do? He also realizes that he can no longer trust anyone, including Higgins. Still in flight, he (his code name "Condor") enlists the reluctant assistance of a stranger named Kathy (Faye Dunaway) who becomes his only ally. Enough about the plot.

Based on James Grady's novel Six Days of the Condor, this is one of several films from the 1970s which portray distrust of institutional authority because of various assassinations, the Viet Nam War, and Watergate. However, it is important to keep in mind that Joe Turner is not a major political or religious leader; rather, he is a relatively insignificant research analyst in a relatively insignificant C.I.A. field office. For me, the key point is that literally anyone anywhere can be selected for elimination at any time. Worse yet, we won't know who's involved, much less why. Redford delivers a solid performance as Turner, the focal point throughout the film. As for Dunaway, she does what she can with Kathy, not much of a part. Of special note is the work of Max von Sydow (as Joubert) and John Houseman (as Wabash). Theirs is a cold-blooded professionalism which views people merely as "assets" to accumulate or liquidate per orders from unidentified authorities. This is not the best of the political thrillers but it does portray some thought-provoking situations which still seem relevant 28 years later.

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