50 Years Later: How Three Days of the Condor Made Robert Redford the Face of the ’70s Spy Thriller
Three Days of the Condor is a 1975 spy thriller directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, and Max von Sydow. The film adapts the novel titled Six Days of the Condor, shortens its timeline, and was nominated for an Academy Award for editing. More than that, it remains a touchstone for later paranoid thrillers, and it’s currently streaming on MGM+.
Overview
Released in 1975, Three Days of the Condor was directed by Sydney Pollack. The film stars Robert Redford as Joe Turner, a CIA analyst whose office is a clandestine front called the American Literary Historical Society. In addition, Faye Dunaway plays Kathy Hale and Max von Sydow appears as the assassin Joubert. The story shortens the novel’s timeline and focuses on paranoia and survival rather than broad political indictment.
Plot basics
The movie opens with the office where Joe works framed as a cozy, bookish place. Consequently, that cover helps the agency’s work go unnoticed. Then, early on, most people in the office are killed by a team of assassins, and Joe — using an unauthorized back exit — survives by chance. He finds the massacre, follows procedure, and yet the CIA doesn’t immediately bring him in. So he begins to suspect he might be under investigation, framed, or targeted because of his recent reports. The screenplay compresses the timeline from the novel and builds the story through Joe’s on-camera thinking and reactions.
Performances and tone
Robert Redford’s performance leans on a calm, measured presence. Thus he makes Joe feel like someone who chooses words carefully, even when he’s out of his depth. Meanwhile, Faye Dunaway’s character is kidnapped and then becomes involved in the plot. The film asks the audience to accept their developing bond, and some viewers find that relationship improbable; nevertheless, the performances aim for tenderness amid tension.
Notable supporting role
Max von Sydow’s Joubert is a quiet, precise threat. Late in the film, Joubert explains his outlook: “The belief is in your own precision.” That line underscores the character’s professionalism and the movie’s focus on methodical, almost clinical danger.
Themes and influence
The film doesn’t explicitly indict the CIA, but it does show how conspiracies can run through an agency’s ranks. It favors daylight menace — men in plain clothes or in disguise — over constant noir shadows. The holiday setting adds contrast: Christmas decor and jingles appear, while the city itself stays realistic and often unsentimental.
Additionally, the movie influenced later works. For example, Robert Redford’s casting in the Marvel film Captain America: The Winter Soldier is frequently cited as a nod to paranoid ’70s thrillers. Likewise, filmmakers sometimes point to earlier films when naming influences; for instance, some interview-based coverage noted filmmakers referring to What’s Up, Doc? as an influence on Ant-Man and the Wasp, often because both films are set in San Francisco.
Where to watch
Three Days of the Condor is currently streaming on MGM+. Therefore, you can view it there if you have access to that service.
