Three Days of the Condor (1975)
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A bookish CIA analyst must outrun a conspiracy after his colleagues are murdered.
The story
Joe Turner, a bookish CIA analyst working under the codename 'Condor' at a clandestine office in New York City, returns from lunch to find his coworkers murdered. Realizing he is now a target, he must navigate a web of conspiracy to stay alive. He seeks help from his superiors, but finds himself caught in a deadly game of survival. As he attempts to uncover the motives of those trying to eliminate him, he must outwit professional assassins and navigate the dangerous reality of a rogue operation within his own organization.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Joe Turner, a CIA analyst codenamed 'Condor,' discovers his colleagues have been murdered by armed men after he reports a suspicious thriller novel to headquarters. He flees and seeks help from his department head, Wicks, who attempts to betray him. Turner escapes and finds refuge with Kathy Hale, with whom he becomes involved. He eventually discovers that the massacre was orchestrated by a European named Joubert, a freelance assassin. Turner eventually tracks down the mastermind, Leonard Atwood, at a mansion near Washington, D.C. He learns that Atwood's superiors ordered the hit to cover up a rogue operation to seize Middle Eastern oil fields. After a confrontation where Joubert kills Atwood and suggests Turner become an assassin himself, Turner returns to New York. He meets with Higgins, who defends the oil project as a necessary 'game' for national security. Turner defiantly reveals he has leaked the details to The New York Times, and the film ends with him walking away as Higgins questions if the papers will actually print it.
- First release year
- 1975
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sydney Pollack
- Writers
- Lorenzo Semple Jr. · screenplay; David Rayfiel · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Robert Redford · Joe Turner; Faye Dunaway · Kathy Hale; Cliff Robertson; Max von Sydow
- Genres
- spy thriller; political thriller
- Themes
- paranoia; government conspiracy
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- espionage; whistleblowing
- Source material / true-story basis
- Six Days of the Condor by James Grady
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, noted for its tense atmosphere and strong performances. Critics praised its ability to capture the paranoid mood of the post-Watergate era.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · scale: percentage · review count: 56; Metacritic · score: 63 · scale: 100 · review count: 11
- Awards and nominations
- Golden India Catalina, Best Actor · Best Actor · 1976 · Win; Special David · Special David · 1976 · Win; Edgar · Best Motion Picture · 1976 · Win; Golden Reel Award · Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects · 1976 · Win; Oscar · Film Editing · 1976 · Nomination; Golden India Catalina · Best Film · 1976 · Nomination; Golden Globe · Best Motion Picture Actress - Drama · 1976 · Nomination; Grammy · Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special · 1977 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's most famous line was reused by director Sydney Pollack in three other films.; The character's name 'Condor' was chosen by hacker Kevin Mitnick after watching the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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