Three Days of the Condor Essay
“Three Days of Condor” is a political thriller of 1975. This is an adaptation of the novel by American writer James Grady “Six Days of Condor”, directed by Sydney Pollack. The film had great success and was nominated for Special Prize of David di Donatello for Best Director (Sydney Pollack); Edgar Allan Poe Award for best feature film award nomination for a Golden Globe best drama actress (Faye Dunaway); nominated for an Academy Award for Best Editing (Frederic Steinkamp, Don Gvidis) and a for the prize “Grammy” for best original soundtrack album, (Dave Grusin)
Three Days of the Condor is a classic spy thriller, but the main hero is a common man who struggles for his life in difficult situation. One day Joe Turner goes for lunch, and when he returns, he finds that all his colleagues were killed, even the girl whom he loved. Thus, in the strange and unknown circumstances Condor remains the only alive. The hero does not know what was going on, and calls the authorities to clarify the situation. Then he is appointed a meeting with an agent Vics, but cautious and circumspect Joe at the meeting suddenly realizes that Vic was planning to kill him as an unnecessary witness. Turner then realizes that he can not trust his colleagues from the CIA and anyone else.
Condor then hides in the apartment of a stranger by the name of Kathy Hale (Faye Dunaway), where he begins an independent investigation of the murders of colleagues and all the strange events. Turner manages to learn that he is persecuted by a secret organization created within the CIA, about which he accidentally found information while working in the office. The next unexpected event is the murder of the head of the conspirators by Joubert (Max von Sydow), who now sided with the legitimate CIA. Joubert warned Turner that the conspirators may sooner or later kill Turner. Later Turner meets his boss Higgins, who is trying to take him into his car. Turner immediately realizes his true purpose, and tells him that if he is killed, the event of his death will hit the New York Times. Turner manages to run away from the killer, but nobody knows what dangers are waiting for him ahead.
“Three days of Condor” had a great success due to the fact that it provides action and excitement, and has a strong plot and bright characters. The main hero is not a typical CRI agent, not a typical brave hero, but a “common man” who was put into life-threatening situation without any reason. The film draws attention to the CRI and its actions. Many liberal critics see the film it as a “pertinent message to CIA-weary United States”. (McGilligan 1976)
The film is interesting from the point of view the question of life and safety of citizens, in the context of political activities of secret services in the U.S., such as CRI which has great power and autonomy. It touches the ideas of suspicion, trust, community, a political conspiracy , morality and government bureaucracies and many other. Such themes are also covered in the book “we are the people” by Thomas e. Patterson. In this book he studies and explains all the possible issues and problems of political life of the society, including problems of bureaucracy, trust and suspicion and other, which were raised in the movie.
