Plot: What’s it about?
Joe Turner (Robert Redford) is an agent with the CIA, but now he finds himself hunted by his own colleagues, not to mention other forces. While he was at lunch, a group of gunmen entered his office, led by a man known as Johbert (Max Von Sydow) and opened fire. The hit squad gunned down everyone inside the office and destroyed immense amounts of property, not to mention sensitive materials. When Turner returns, he discovers the gruesome scene and tries to remain one step ahead of whoever was behind the massacre. He soon learns that he cannot trust even those inside the CIA, which pushes him to the point of kidnapping a civilian, in order to have a place to hide out. Who was responsible for the attack and what were they after, and can Turner clear his name and uncover the truth?
I had never viewed 3 Days of the Condor before I did so for this review and to be honest, I didn’t miss out on much. A kind of suspense/thriller without suspense or thrills, this is a quite dull two hours. I know it is considered blasphemy, but I have never been a Robert Redford fan, so two hours of him doing next to nothing wasn’t a fun experience. The plot is decent, but tries to be more than it is, which dulls the shine. I will say that some of the issues touched upon are relevant even now, so while 3 Days of the Condor is beyond dated, some elements have weathered the storm. The writing fails to capture the tension from the source novel, with poorly developed characters and subplots. I appreciate a good thriller as much as anyone, but 3 Days of the Condor simply isn’t a good thriller, or movie, period. If for some unknown reason you want to watch or own this clunker however, this Blu-ray release is your best option, no doubt.
Video: How does it look?
3 Days of the Condor is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This looks solid, a little better than I expected, given how soft some 70s films look. This does still appear soft, especially by normal high definition standards, but rest assured, this provides good depth for the material. This won’t turn heads, but detail is good throughout, save some out of focus shots. The colors pop like mad too, which really adds to the visuals, while contrast is soft, but passable. So not a knockout visual presentation, but given the source, this is solid work.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is fine, but even a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option can only do so much here. The sound design is rather basic, which means the surrounds don’t have a lot of presence. Some scenes have a little more punch than others, but the front channels run this show. That works well however, as the audio is solid and no real errors surface. I also found the music to be fine and dialogue is clear, so no concerns there. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
