1 / 6
ERA
Did you know
29 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Assignment
1997 1h 59m EN
😐
6.3
MID
🍅
62%
FRESH
⭐
6.8
IMDB
★6.3TMDB · 167🍅62%Rotten Tomatoes★6.8IMDB · 10,363
ThrillerActionCrime
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Jack Shaw has experienced the terror first-hand. He's a top CIA agent who's tracked international killer-for-hire Carlos "The Jackal" Sanchez for over twenty years and barely survived Carlos' devastating bombing of a Parisian cafe. Now, he finally gets a break when he discovers Carlos' dead ringer: American naval officer and dedicated family man Annibal Ramirez.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Cast
Aidan Quinn
Annibal Ramirez / Carlos
Donald Sutherland
Jack Shaw / Henry Fields
Ben Kingsley
Amos
Claudia Ferri
Maura Ramirez
Céline Bonnier
Carla
Vlasta Vrana
KGB Head Officer
Liliana Komorowska
Agnieska
Von Flores
Koj
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Christian Duguay
- Writers
- Dan Gordon, Sabi H. Shabtai
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- Canada
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 6
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Christian Duguay, shot by Christian Duguay. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 6
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Normand Corbeil. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 6
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Yves Langlois shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 6
CAST
Did you know
Aidan Quinn and Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 6
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0118647 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Christian Duguay directs. Christian Duguay behind the camera. Normand Corbeil scores. Yves Langlois cuts. Produced in Canada. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 129 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 2Directed by Christian Duguay, shot by Christian Duguay. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 3Original score by Normand Corbeil. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 4Editor Yves Langlois shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 5Aidan Quinn and Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley carry the top of the cast.
- 6IMDB entry: tt0118647 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 7Classified under 12 themes, including "hitman", "espionage", "spy", "embassy".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Christian Duguay
- Original score
- Normand Corbeil
- Editing
- Yves Langlois
- Production design
- Michael Joy
- Costume design
- Ada Levin
- Makeup / hair
- Melina Di Cristo
- Sound
- Raymond Legault
- Runtime
- 119 min · 1h 59m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- R
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 62% 🍅 Fresh
- IMDB rating
- 6.8/10 · 10,363 votes
- MPAA
- R
- US box office
- $332,597
Also by
Christian Duguay
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Triumph Films
US
- PR
Program de Credits of Impuc
Super Écran
CA
- SA
Satch-Mo
- GO
Gouvernement du Québec
- AL
Allegro Films
CA
The Movie Network
CA
Key crew
- Camera OperatorChristian Duguay
- Music EditorNormand Corbeil
- ProducerFranco Battista
- CastingKaren Margiotta
- EditorYves Langlois
- CastingMary Margiotta
- CastingLucie Robitaille
- Production DesignMichael Joy
- Art DirectionJames Fox
- Costume DesignAda Levin
- Production ManagerRenaud Mathieu
- Property MasterDaniel Huysmans
- Scenic ArtistTristan Tondino
- Supervising Sound EditorMichel B. Bordeleau
- Dialogue EditorEric Lambi
- Sound DesignerRaymond Legault
- Sound Effects EditorNatalie Fleurant
- Sound Re-Recording MixerTim Archer
- Special Effects CoordinatorRyal Cosgrove
- Stunts CoordinatorMichael Scherer
- Still PhotographerPhilippe Bossé
- Additional CameraGeorges Archambault
- Additional CameraBruno Philip
- GafferNimi Getter
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- hitman
- espionage
- spy
- embassy
- kgb
- mistaken identity
- training
- naval officer
- murder
- terrorism
- bombing
- top secret
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1997-09-28R
Also known as
International titles
- JackalUS
- Le mandatCA
- 豺狼陷阱CN
- Assignment – Der AuftragDE
