(Olivier
Assayas/2010/France & Germany)
This
series of made for TV films recount the career in terrorism of Carlos
the Jackal, or Ilich Ramirez Sanchez to give him his full and proper
name, starting in Paris in 1973 when the young Venezuelan proposes
himself as a replacement for the recently assassinated Mohamed Boudia
in the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). It
paints the man as a committed revolutionary with the theoretical and
political invective to motivate and justify his actions, often
killing innocent civilians. It shows how he was a catalyst for
several different revolutionary groups across Europe to work together during a period of great unrest and violence. Played by Edgar
Ramirez, the charm and wilfulness of Carlos in his younger days is
captured really well and as the trilogy moves through his life we see
this charm subside into ego along with a progressive loosening of
ideals. By the end he is seen to be nothing more than a mercenary
sidling up to anyone who will fund his revolution, and lifestyle,
with the crimes committed conveniently suiting both sides involved.
It’s a great set of films but not
without flaws. There's an excessive interest in his love affairs
with no other reason than to make the films “sexy”. Also the
soundtrack uses a bizarre amount of indie tunes for sequences which
would ordinarily be orchestrated. The result is the impression that
the protagonists onscreen are really cool, with reoccurring themes of
jangly upbeat indie music. You’d almost think Olivier Assayas was
trying to make Carlos into a sort of anti-hero with a noble cause no
matter how horrific. Aside from these quibbles though, they are an
engaging and revealing sequence of films.
(3/5)
