Three Days of the Condor (1975)

Robert Redford and Sydney Pollack continued their longtime collaboration (the actor and director have worked together on Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Electric Horseman, and Out of Africa, among other films) with this taut spy drama. Redford plays a reader for U.S. intelligence who becomes a hunted man after he is not among the victims of a mass murder of his colleagues. Faye Dunaway does solid work as the frightened and mystified woman whom he forces to conceal him, and Max von Sydow is appropriately cool as a professional assassin. That same, sustained tone of danger and expectation that made Pollack's The Firm so much fun can be found in this 1975 thriller, albeit with an appropriate dose of post-Watergate paranoia. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com essential video

 Just as timely as ever
I first saw this movie back in college. Thought it was entertaining but
no real social relevence. I was wrong. This movie speaks of the Now. Would the U.S. actually invade another country to aquire Oil? Would we use another excuse like WMD, Terrorists, Liberating a middle eastern country? Send 4000 members and counting to thier death becaus of Oil
I think the answer is YES March 26, 2008

 ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE
A movie that violates my cardinal rule as an amateur rewiewer: one should only have to see a film once for it to be comprehensible. I viewed Condor for the third time tonight, and I'm not sure that I've gotten it right yet. There is absolutely no need of acting talent like Redford, Dunaway, Robertson,and Houseman playing second fiddle to an inferior, confusing script. For the modern set, just imagine Kate Winslet, George Clooney, and Matt Damon suddenly showing up as operators 12, 14, and 15 in a remake of The Three Stooges'"Uncivil Warriors". The photography is vintage 1970's New York, and the lack of a musical score actually heightens the reality and suspense of the production. This is definitely not "My Fair Lady". Another point: Where are the police? 7 people dead and only one reported so by one cop? A prolonged sexual exchange between 2 people who seconds before were afraid of murdering each other? This is reality? Anyway, I'm really sorry to go against the grain here. I just can't read the green! March 11, 2008

 Don't hear it
Ten minutes into this film I was wondering what was missing, it seemed to be empty for some reason. Finally realized that there was no, or little, musical score. The movie itself is just okay. They could have picked someone better than Faye Dunaway to play opposite the young and sexy Redford. March 1, 2008

 A Little Scary...
...when you look at what's happened in this country and the world since this film was made. Not much I can add to the reviews here. This is an excellent film that I watch over and over. Max Von Seidow's portrayal of the professional hit-man is fabulous. But what Cliff Robertson's character says to Redford's character at the very end gives me the chills.... February 4, 2008

 A cracking good spy story
Spy stories have come a long way.

In the 1950s and 1960s, it was all about the Soviets. (Oh, for the days when we knew our enemy so well!) In the 1960s, we also started seeing Bond movies, which were heavily about the Russians, but also about different (if often ridiculous) enemies.

However, I've always felt that the 1970s was a truly great time for spy films. The decade is filled with fantastic spy stories: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Marathon Man, All the President's Men (Two-Disc Special Edition) and this one: Three Days of the Condor.

In "Three Days", a young man (played by Robert Redford) works for the CIA as a book reader. Essentially, he and his co-workers are paid to read books and write reports on possible leaks, tactics and other things. (I would love to have that job!) One day, he goes out for lunch and comes back to find everyone in his office murdered. Thus begins a three-day run, wherein Redford's character tries to keep himself alive to find out who's behind the murders.

Interestingly, in "Three Days", we started to see a different breed of spy story: one in which our own government is a suspect almost immediately.

The film is taut, exciting and has great performances by both Redford and Faye Dunaway. October 15, 2007

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