CARLOS THE JACKAL (Original And Theatrical Versions) Review

Diverse filmmaker Olivier Assayas' ambitious and fascinating biopic about Ilich Ramirez Sanchez (widely known as 'Carlos the Jackal') has such an astonishing scope that the word 'epic' fails to fully describe it. Saturated with rich details and boasting production values comparable to big-budget movies, CARLOS THE JACKAL is an absolute triumph. This review will cover two of its versions, including the original television mini-series and the subsequently released 150-minute theatrical feature.

Carlos the Jackal was without a doubt a very dangerous man, and one with a very big ego. He used his ideology simply as an excuse to satisfy his desire for power and domination over other people. The character is stunningly played by actor Edgar Ramirez in a mesmerizing performance. He convincingly portrays Carlos over the course of two decades, as he rises and falls from a young soldier to a well-known revolutionary leader to a helpless fugitive. Particularly impressive are his abilities to deliver dialogues in many different languages and change his physique as his character progresses from a fit young man to an overweight middle-age person. Ramirez's performance is certainly worthy of top acting awards. The rest of the cast is generally superb, and notable performances are given by Nora von Waldstatten, who plays Carlos' long-suffering wife Magdalena; Christoph Bach, who plays his sidekick Hans-Joachim Klein and Gabriele Krocher-Tiedemann, who plays Nada, one of his many mistresses.

CARLOS THE JACKAL features some brilliant action scenes. The early action mainly concerns some poorly planned and executed yet deadly missions, which highlight the unpredictable and dangerous nature of terrorism. What follows is a detailed account of the 1975 raid on the OPEC Conference in Vienna that is both terrifying and electrifying. In between all the action, CARLOS THE JACKAL offers intimate insights into the private life and inner world of the notorious criminal, including his relationships with various women. Those scenes allow the audience to see Carlos as a person rather than a legend, and to me are the most interesting and best parts of the drama.

Thanks to the intriguing nature of the story and its central character, solid performances from a strong cast, and clever direction and storytelling by director Assayas, the 5 and a half hour running time of the original mini-series passes easily and enjoyably. In comparison, the shorter 150-minute theatrical version comes across as coherent and thrilling, but it does miss out on a lot of the fine details and much of the complexity that make the original version so rewarding. My opinion is therefore that while the theatrical version is satisfying, it is the longer original version that offers the truly amazing viewing experience.

CARLOS THE JACKAL is distributed in Oz on DVD and Blu-ray by Madman Entertainment.