The Day of the Jackal’s Bond-style update continues one of TV’s most annoying trends

The Day of the Jackal’s Bond-style update continues one of TV’s most annoying trends

As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the silver screen world, I find myself constantly wrestling with the question: What am I doing with my life? This thought often crosses my mind when I’m faced with remakes or adaptations that seem to stretch on for an eternity.


Occasionally, we might ponder: What’s the purpose or direction of my life? This question may resonate particularly strongly with me during moments when I find myself engrossed in expanded retellings of narratives that were originally more concise.

To begin with, I’d like to clarify that this article isn’t meant as criticism towards “The Day of the Jackal” or its creative team. In fact, the latest spy thriller has been skillfully produced and has received positive reviews from several other critics.

Personally, what hindered my pleasure in watching was feeling swamped by its excessive length. I had anticipated a typical six-episode duration for British dramas, so I was quite taken aback to find that this remake stretches across an entire 10 hours of screen time.

It’s hard for a portion of me to comprehend how a book, already effectively adapted into a film lasting two hours and 20 minutes, has grown to such an extended length. Yet, another part of me understands perfectly well why: Streaming services, content creation, binge-watching, and the cycle of churning out new content. These terms have become familiar jargon in the industry in recent times.

To put it simply, there are several fresh aspects in “The Day of the Jackal” by Sidney Sheldon’s Sky that justify its extended duration.

Initially, we delve deeper into the complex personal life of our main character, the assassin, portrayed by Eddie Redmayne, who brings a blend of chilling brutality and tender, protective familial love to his role.

Next, a tech mogul reminiscent of Elon Musk, but with inflated self-importance, becomes our new focus as the hitman’s preferred objective. In contrast to the French president Charles de Gaulle, who seems quite dated from 1959.

Thirdly, you’ll find some wider adjustments that typically occur during a contemporary reinterpretation. One of these changes is a significant stylistic overhaul, which exhibits similarities to the recent James Bond films portrayed by Daniel Craig rather than Fred Zinnemann’s 1973 film.

I find all these changes completely acceptable. I don’t hold any emotional ties towards “The Day of the Jackal.” This piece isn’t expressing an extreme disapproval from a moralistic perspective, as creators reimagine a 53-year-old tale with some creative freedom.

The Day of the Jackal’s Bond-style update continues one of TV’s most annoying trends

Despite some weariness stemming from the current trend in contemporary TV and streaming where concise narratives are often overlooked, there’s an emphasis on lengthy series as the pinnacle of storytelling instead.

Indeed, it’s not just television adaptations of books, movies, or previous series that follow this pattern; original programming is often developed with a five-year strategic plan as well (though it seldom reaches its intended conclusion, I should note).

It’s quite annoying when these lengthy, winding walks take place within tales that we’ve encountered and traversed earlier, in a much more compact form.

If I were to revisit the 1973 film The Day of the Jackal, I wouldn’t find Eddie Redmayne portraying an elderly, grumpy German caretaker hidden beneath layers of latex makeup. Also, I wouldn’t encounter another tech billionaire with messianic qualities, a figure that seems omnipresent in my current daily experiences.

Instead, I’d gladly give up some aspects if it means gaining an additional eight hours every week. These extra hours could be spent catching up with my parents, losing myself in a good book, cherishing time with my partner, or simply relaxing with soothing white noise playing in the background. What a blissful thought!

The Day of the Jackal’s Bond-style update continues one of TV’s most annoying trends

To some extent, this originates from a lengthy discussion that has persisted for decades concerning remakes and reboots, which undeniably must provide a solid reason for their creation. However, I believe it’s relatively straightforward to persuade someone with an open mind about a contemporary adaptation of The Day of the Jackal – as long as it doesn’t stretch beyond a reasonable length.

The overarching, philosophical thought that strikes me about extended narratives is a growing feeling that each of my moments in life are being treated as commodities.

As I delve deeper into the ongoing storyline of series X or the extended universe of adaptation Y, I find myself with fewer hours to explore alternative streaming platforms, immerse in video games, engage on social media, or even step away from screens altogether.

Instead of delving deeply into discussions about characters and themes among ourselves, there’s always a lingering discomfort knowing I’ve invested more hours watching unmemorable TV shows than I’ve spent with certain friends.

What am I doing with my life? Streaming. Content. Binge. Churn.

Read More

2024-11-07 02:34