4 Personal Recommendations for Assassination-Themed Films

The recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump has undoubtedly become the biggest news story. We live in turbulent times, where assassinations driven by hatred and dissent seem to be on the rise.

By reflecting on history, we can find suitable references to this topic from the past. Here are four assassination-themed films that left a profound impression on me, analyzing this contemporary yet timeless topic from technical, psychological, sociological, and conspiracy theory perspectives.

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The Day of the Jackal (1973)

Based on Frederick Forsyth’s bestselling thriller novel, The Day of the Jackal draws from the real-life failed assassination attempt on French President Charles de Gaulle in the summer of 1963. This attempt was orchestrated by the French radical right-wing organization OAS (Secret Army Organisation in English), disgruntled by the loss of Algeria, and executed by a mysterious assassin named Jackal. French Deputy Commissioner Lebel is tasked with capturing Jackal at all costs.

Directed by Hollywood veteran filmmaker Fred Zinnemann, the film showcases his masterful skills. Zinnemann’s understated narrative style and cold, precise audiovisual techniques make a story with a known outcome incredibly gripping. It’s a cat-and-mouse game between the police and the assassin, almost a contest of calmness and cruelty. Edward Fox’s portrayal of the ruthless Jackal is a textbook example of an antisocial personality, while Michael Lonsdale’s Lebel is sharp, calm, and ruthless. The film’s stark style is reminiscent of Jean-Pierre Melville’s crime movies, and the cat-and-mouse dynamics are like a European-styled 1970s version of Heat.

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Ultimately, the story’s ending hinges on chance. The vigilant Lebel identifies the assassin’s location, but Jackal still manages to fire the shot intended for de Gaulle, who miraculously dodges it by leaning forward. People always try to control their fate through planning, but in the end, fate often seems like a joke.

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Taxi Driver (1976)

Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver has become a pop culture totem, so much so that people might forget the controversy it stirred upon its release and how it partly inspired the mentally ill John Hinckley Jr. to attempt the assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Hinckley’s bullet pierced Reagan’s liver, fractured his rib, and wounded three others, leaving one permanently disabled.

Hinckley claimed that his delusional fantasies were partly inspired by his obsession with Taxi Driver and its star, Jodie Foster. He saw the assassination as a way to get Foster’s attention. In the film, Travis, the protagonist, eventually rescues Foster’s character, the child prostitute Iris, in a gunfight. However, his first target wasn’t Iris’s pimp or her clients, but presidential candidate Charles Palantine. His immature assassination plan was thwarted by a Secret Service agent.

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Taxi Driver is a case study of a deranged mind, depicting how loneliness and isolation can drive a person to the brink. It’s a dangerous film (many disturbed individuals count it as their favorite) but also an undisputed work of art. As screenwriter Paul Schrader stated, “Art shouldn’t be censored. Because if you do, the world loses Crime and Punishment, but Raskolnikov still exists.”

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JFK (1991)

Oliver Stone’s three-hour-plus examination of the Kennedy assassination is undoubtedly his directorial peak in terms of technical prowess, but it also sparked much controversy due to its blending of fact and fiction. Stone’s intent to blur the lines between reality and fiction drew criticism.

Nevertheless, JFK is a cinematic feast. Stone uses different film stocks and interwoven voiceovers to create a thrilling detective story, leading us through a maze of evidence towards the truth, ultimately transforming the core message into an anti-war anthem. Kevin Costner, playing District Attorney Jim Garrison, is the embodiment of American spirit at his best. Gary Oldman, who was not so well known at the time, vividly portrays Lee Harvey Oswald, the pitiful pawn in this game. The recently deceased Donald Sutherland also delivers a standout performance.

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I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)

I Shot Andy Warhol is the debut film of Canadian director Mary Harron (American Psycho, Alias Grace), telling the life story of radical feminist Valerie Solanas and her path to attempting to assassinate famed artist Andy Warhol.

Valerie Solanas was considered insane by most during her lifetime, but her legacy is being reevaluated today. Her SCUM Manifesto (SCUM stands for "Society for Cutting Up Men") is an essential text in feminist history, and her tragic childhood of exploitation and abuse shaped her extreme, radical personality. This is the aspect the film focuses on.

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Lili Taylor portrays Solanas with a blend of madness and humor, showcasing her vitality, persistence, and courage to create on her own terms, even if those traits are seen as insanity by many. Ultimately, the relationship between Solanas and Warhol is a sad tale of a person seeking love and recognition and an emotionally detached individual, their tragedy seemingly predestined from birth.

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