Joseph Turner works as an analyst for an obscure CIA unit in a clandestine office, where he reads international literature in search of hidden meanings, codes and other clues. One day, when he goes out to get lunch, he returns to find all his co-workers shot dead. As a CIA agent, one might expect him to be prepared for this kind of situation, but he cannot even remember his code name "Condor" when he puts in the emergency call. Finally, support arrives from the headquarter but he realizes that they want to kill him, too. Turner manages to escape by forcing his way into the apartment of a photographer named Kathy, whom he holds hostage while he works out what to do next. With Kathy's help, Turner uncovers a conspiracy that reaches up to the highest echelons of the CIA.
Three Days of the Condor is one of a series of American paranoia thrillers made in the 1970s. As in
The Parallax View, (
Zeuge einer Verschwörung, 1974) or
Marathon Man, (
Der Marathon-Mann, 1976) the focus of the film is on the alienation of a single person from an opaque and seemingly hostile world. The ubiquitous and invisible dangers of a conspiracy are expressed by means of
telephoto shots, which isolate the protagonist in the picture and give the impression of surveillance. The unsettling feeling of being caught up in a massive conspiracy is amplified Sydney Pollack's film by the fact that certain dialogues take place off camera. We hear them like a constant echo behind
wide-angle aerial views of Manhattan. The director uses
music , on the other hand, in an antithetical manner: in contrast to the normal conventions of the
thriller, the murderous attacks and frenetic chases are barely accompanied by suspense music, which creates the sense of almost mechanical procedures. The soundtrack, with its groovy funk music and feel-good rock, fills the
gaps between these events and provides the atmospheric setting for the charismatic central character, played by Robert Redford, who is clearly conflicted: depending on the
scene, he oscillates from bookworm to lover or perturbed victim to confident agent. This ironic basic tone, coupled with his portrayal as both a doubting and a dubious hero, who must resort to violence to capture his sole ally, is a departure from the conventional hero of a thriller story. This is another similarity between
The Three Days of Condor, and other movies from the
New Hollywood movement, which challenged the viewing habits of American cinema-goers in the 1960s and 1970s.
In an educational context the film may be regarded as a starting point from which to address conspiratorial structures in 1970s American politics, which came to light as a result of events such as the Watergate scandal or the "Family Jewels" affair. The mysterious backgrounds to the assassinations of John F. and Robert Kennedy and the human rights activists Malcolm X and Martin Luther King in the 1960s also exacerbated public perceptions of political insecurity which allowed paranoia thrillers to establish themselves. In the subjects of politics and ethics, the film can be used to analyze how conspiracy narratives gain traction and to address modern phenomena such as the QAnon movement. In German and English classes, a critical treatment of the female protagonist's character would be worthy of consideration, in that she seldom acts outside her role as object of romantic interest or as a simple plot vehicle. Last, but not least, the music of the 1970s plays a major role in Pollack's film, so that a music class could discuss the connections between musical patterns and the portrayal of a film character.
Exercise: Introduction to the Film The Three Days of Condor (US 1975, Directed by Sydney Pollack)
Subjects: German, English, History, Politics from 11th Grade /16 years
Before viewing the film:
a) Watch the
starting sequence (Timecode: 00:00:00-00:10.30) of the film
The Three Days of Condor.
In class, articulate your expectations on the film: what
genre does the film belong to and when is the plot set? Refer in your reasoning to the plot,
locations, settings and
costumes.
b) The film is regarded as a "New Hollywood" movie. Discuss in class what you already know about the movement. Expand your knowledge using the
kinofenster.de glossaryand the information on the Website
filmlexikon.uni-kiel.de.. Describe the criteria that characterize "New Hollywood" movies in terms of form and content by using your own words,
While viewing the film:
c) Divide into groups and analyse the portrayal of the main character, Joseph Turner, the central conflict in the film, and which cinematic and narrative elements of the movie allow it to be categorized as "New Hollywood". Write down bullet points immediately after viewing the film.
After viewing the film:
d) Discuss your impressions in class: what especially surprised and/or moved you? Were your expectations from exercise a) confirmed?
e) Along with a partner, characterize the protagonist Joseph Turner. In doing so, refer back to your notes from exercise c). Present the results of your work to the whole class.
f) In class, collect and compare the criteria that define this movie as belonging to New Hollywood.
g) In the 1970s, numerous political and espionage scandals shook the confidence of the American public in state institutions. Divide into groups and carry out research on the "Watergate" scandal (Group A) and the "Family-Jewels" investigations (Group B:).
Use the following articles as starting points for your research:
Group A:
•
zeit.de: Richard Nixon und die Watergate-Affäre
Group B:
•
spiegel.de: CIA-Geheimakten bestätigen US-Mordplan gegen Castro
•
sueddeutsche.de: Die CIA verfasst Handbücher für gezielte Tötungen
h) Present the results of your work. Discuss the circumstances surrounding the events and the Cinema of Paranoia as a new sub-genre of the Thriller.
i) Working alone, compose a film review of
The Three Days of Condor. Include references to the New Hollywood movement and the Cinema of Paranoia.
Author: Author: Hannes Wesselkämper (Film Review), Hanna Falkenstein (Exercise Sheet), Don Mac Coitir (Translation), 17.12.2020
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