ROBERT REDFORD AND 'THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR' - A RETROSPECTIVE

Max von Sydow (left) and Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor

The recent passing of Robert Redford was reminiscent of the death of Gene Hackman, who also passed away this year. Both men came to prominence in the 1970s and left behind a voluminous body of work. Their passings felt more like the end of an era than simply the end of individual lives. As with Hackman, it would be difficult to summarize Redford's film career in an article of short to medium length. Therefore, to commemorate the occasion of Redford's passing, I thought I would write a few words about one of his films that is a particular favorite of mine - Three Days of the Condor.

Released in 1975, in Condor Redford portrays CIA analyst/researcher Joe Turner. He goes out for lunch one day and when he returns he finds all six of his colleagues shot and murdered. Turner would have been among the victims if his would be assassins had seen him exiting for lunch through a back door of his New York City work place.. Turner both literally and figuratively spends the rest of the film running to keep a few steps ahead of his would be assassins.

Turner realizes it would be too dangerous to return home so he randomly abducts a person, Kathy Hale, off the streets of Manhattan and hides out in her apartment. Initially understandably terrified, Hale decides to help Turner untangle the byzantine and dangerous situation over. the next two days.

Sydney Pollack directing Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor

Redford is very convincing as an intelligent, resourceful CIA analyst and and there is definite chemistry between he and Faye Dunaway who plays Hale. Dunaway navigates her complicated role expertly.

The film also has a very strong supporting cast. Cliff Robertson is a high level CIA official who initially is as confused by the situation as Redford. John Houseman also has a memorable appearance as a very senior CIA éminence grise. Max von Sydow is especially remarkable as an eerily calm, cultured and philosophical assassin.

Three Days of the Condor was representative of and ripe for its time. After over a decade of prominent assassinations, the Vietnam War, the "credibility gap," the release of the Pentagon Papers, and Watergate, there was definite a sense of distrust in the air. Much of this distrust was directed against the U.S. government, and often there was a a sense that things weren't quite what they seemed to be. The year of Condor's release also saw a number of significant Congressional investigations into various U.S. intelligence agencies.

Directed by Sydney Pollack, Three Days of the Condor is one o the most chilling films I have seen, all the more remarkable as Pollack seven years later also directed Tootsie, one of the most relentlessly light-hearted and comic movies I have viewed. Pollack was clearly a versatile director.

After Three Days of the Condor, Redford acted in All The President's Men, a film about Watergate. As with Three Days of the Condor, All the Presidents Men was also reflective of its time and was an example of Redford's interest in socially relevant films.

-Paul Hansen