Three Days of the Condor

The Three Days of the Condor was directed by Sidney Pollack. Pollack usually makes good films (Tootsie, Out of Africa) and this stands as one of his better ones. It's really just a political thriller, but it's done in a classic tradition that leaves out explosions and leaves it to high tension and the power of the actors to churn out a decent film. Robert Redford is the hero here. He works as a bookworm for the CIA. That means that he reads everything and uses what he reads to come up with ideas for the CIA. The film opens with Redford going out to lunch through the back entrance to his workplace. However, by doing this he doesn't realize that he's evading the outside mercaneries who kill everyone in the building. Redford returns from lunch and to discover the disaster. In a frenzy, he calls up his commanding section officer and is met with terse conversations and shady meeting places. He goes to an alley to meet with his officer and is almost killed. The people from before are trying to kill him, for he's the only one who escaped the previous massacre. He ends up hiding out with a kidnapped girl (Faye Dunaway) and cultivates a relationship with her. The Three Days of the Condor succeeds because of three things. The first is that Robert Redford is a very appealing actor, and his character, who at first attempts to fix everything in the standard hollywood tough way, realizes that its his smarts that will end up saving him. The second thing this film has going for it is the direction, for Sidney Pollack has a very careful hand with the pace of the film, and all the twists and turns. The third thing that makes Three Days of the Condor more than just a standard thriller is that it came out post-Watergate, when the plot didn't really seem so extraordinary. Now, some of the dialogue in the film gets silly, and part of the end really does go off the deep end, but that doesn't keep the movie from being enjoyable and captivating.
The Three Days of the Condor: ★★★1/2