Three Days of the Condor

I saw the listing for this movie on TCM awhile ago and with the combination of Robert Redford and direction by Sydney Pollack I decided it would be worth a viewing. This movie surprised me.

Most of the old movies that I watch are movies I have known about and heard references to often, this one, was different. I cannot recall any references to it. Still the movie was very good. Strong and certainly one I would reccomend.

Redford plays Joe Turner a CIA research anyalyst working out of a clandestine New York office. No cloak and dagger spy, Turner reads books. All kinds of books with the purpose of perhaps recognizing plots and ideas that could be coded messages or perhaps be later modified to real CIA plans.

All is well at Joe's office. He receives a communication advising that Joe's report from the night before on a specific book is considered not something to pursue. Not shaken by this Joe goes to get lunch for the office staff. Upon his return he finds that all of his fellow employees have been murdered.

Fleeing the scene and sensing the danger Joe calls into the CIA and an arrangment is made for them to bring him in and assumingly protect him. At the meeting he is fired on and realizes that there is a plot inside the CIA.

How he finds out what is beyond the plan and how he deals with it is a strong story. The geo-political events of the mid seventies play a huge part in the why of the plot and with Watergate fresh in the minds of citizens at that time a movie about the failures and unjust actions of the CIA was well placed.

The acting is first rate. Redford shines, Max Von Sydow as paid assassin Joubert is stellar, while Faye Dunnaway shows why she was considered an intelligent man's sex symbol in the seventies and Cliff Robertson playing Agent Higgins is compelling as the man in between all the sides .

A strong, clearly underrated movie.