Because Frederick Forsyth does so much research for his books, The Day of the Jackal doesn't dip into fantasy; it gives us an accurate look at a part of French history that many people know nothing about. The movie is quite faithful to the novel, the acting is excellent, if a little low-key in places, and the tension builds nicely as the police close in on the would-be assassin via some solid and sometimes brilliant detective work. A movie worth seeing, one of my favourites but, unfortunately, not very well-known to most people.