The forger was a dead man the moment he showed an interest in the Jackal's mission. A mistake the gunsmith never made. If you feel compelled to tell him to keep his mouth shut you've already realized he won't.
The Jackal assumed the gunsmith had been around long enough to take precautions against such a thing. He thought better of making threats and trusted a fellow professional. The forger was a skilled man but a trivial one, he virtually committed suicide the moment he opened his big mouth.
I love this movie so I’m forgiving of a few unlikely scenarios and character inconsistencies that weaken the script, such as this photographer deciding it’s a good idea to gouge Jackal for more money, threatening to withhold his documents, after they already agreed upon a price. The photographer surely had enough street smarts to discern that the Jackal wasn’t someone to double cross, especially after the latter warned him during their first meeting he wasn’t someone to f*** with.
I think he thought he found the Jackal's weakness and didn't realize the kind of man he was dealing with. The forger probably had shaken down other customers in a similar manner with few, if any repercussions. He called a bluff and found out it wasn't bluff. Greed has done in many people.
Speaking as a lover and admirer of this film, I note here the cliché of the genre, namely that this clever, slimey little fellow does not seem to have the street smarts to understand that our man here is not the sort of fellow that one crosses or renegotiates with. It's suicide. That was made clear enough in this scene. He has been warned. So what does he do? Next time he sees Jackal he tries to cheat him and in effect threatens him. Sooner toy with a mountain lion. But a man like our photographer is just the sort not to underestimate a client, especially one so cruelly dressed and quaffed and with so steady a gaze.
Well, going by the novel, this little rat was under the impression that the Jackal was a drug dealer rather than an assassin. His plan wasn’t terrible in principle, but the way he should have played it was bullshitting that he’s got a friend who would deliver the negatives and the original license to the police if he didn’t hear from him by a certain time. Letting the Jackal know that he was working alone, that the negatives were locked away securely, and that nobody came to his shop was what killed him.
The movie is very good with one exception. In the book the author emphasizes several time that Jackal never reveals any emotions. And his eyes are absolutely expressionless. In the movie they use all typical for Western movies dramatics, with exclamations, anger, etc.
@@RideAcrossTheRiverRodin was put off by the fact that he couldn’t see the person behind those grey eyes. A military man is about rules and order and the Jackal could change his plans on a dime.
I have got both of the movie DVDS of Edward Fox is his code name is The Jacket in The Day Of The Jackal and I have got Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan in The Fourth Protical as I am dedicating both of my movie DVDS to my old school friends who are both sisters and I hope to see them both again very soon to Chris Marie and Hester Brand from Billyxxxxx
lames always make a weak play , i guess just being a professional and doing the job that you were paid for is out of the question so as usual the lame ends up dead
