The Trades - DVD Review: 3 Days of the Condor [Blu-ray]

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ARTICLE

DVD Review: 3 Days of the Condor [Blu-ray]
by Robert Bell
Published: May 15, 2009

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Rating:

Country: USA
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Distributor: Paramount
Director:
· Sydney Pollack
Cast:
· Robert Redford
· Faye Dunaway
· Max Von Sydow
· Cliff Robertson
Related Sites:
· IMDb: 3 Days of the Condor

Grade: B+

Holding up surprisingly well on the political thriller front, if not the romance and gender role front, “3 Days of the Condor” marks an interesting historical turn in American ideology, following Watergate and the subsequent death of an idealistic John Wayne mythology. It’s hard to imagine that there was a time where the notion of government corruption and conspiracy was ludicrous, rather than implicit. A marquee presence of big name actors and studio backing, however, demonstrates the ubiquity of a nation of distrust, and if interpreted as cultural examination of the times, acts as an obvious beacon of things to come—like the alarming recent trend of willful ignorance.

Based on the novel “Six Days of the Condor” by James Grady, Sydney Pollack’s noir-conscious thriller starts with CIA agent Joe Turner (Robert Redford), a rule defying, bookish smart alec, working as a reader for a secret government division that examines global literature for espionage tips. Carefree and amused by excess security precautions on the workplace premises, Joe is understandably shocked when he returns from lunch to discover all of his colleagues murdered.

Calling the murders into headquarters, Joe winds up hunted by a serene assassin (Max Von Sydow) and wondering whether to trust the dispassionate bureaucrat (Cliff Robertson) assigned to his case, or not. Seeking refuge, he kidnaps the comely Kathy (Faye Dunaway), hiding out in her home and occasionally tying her up in the bathroom.

This latter plot development is perhaps the most problematic, as there is certainly effort to toss some idiosyncrasies by way of Ms. Dunaway’s character, through depressing photography and a tendency to blurt out crudities, but her need to protect a man that holds her at gunpoint, offering up her nethers, is never entirely believable. The conspiracy, while tame and humdrum by today’s standards, works to a greater degree overall, having a cool, dispassionate and almost nihilistic explanation and resolution.

Despite a genuinely amusing seventies porn-infused soundtrack, “Condor” holds up quite well, care of Pollack’s timeless and non-confrontational vision, and a perspective not unfamiliar to modern audiences.

While the 5.1 Dolby sound is merely fair, having a soundtrack that occasionally covers up dialogue, the picture is nearly flawless from a clarity perspective, suffering mainly from some color issues, as blood looks orange, and Redford consistently looks as though he’s wearing lipstick.

No supplements are included with the release aside from the requisite theatrical trailer.