The Jackal (1997) is a suspenseful action-thriller film directed by Michael Caton-Jones, loosely based on the 1973 film The Day of the Jackal. The story revolves around an international manhunt for an elusive, professional assassin known only as “The Jackal,” played by Bruce Willis. The Jackal has been hired for a high-profile assassination, but his target is unknown, leading to a tense chase to stop him before he completes his mission.

To stop The Jackal, the FBI teams up with Russian intelligence and enlists the help of a former IRA sniper, Declan Mulqueen (played by Richard Gere). Mulqueen has a personal vendetta against The Jackal, as they share a violent past. The FBI’s Deputy Director Carter Preston (played by Sidney Poitier) leads the mission to capture The Jackal before he strikes.

The film is known for its intense pacing, cat-and-mouse dynamics, and the transformation of Bruce Willis’s character, who uses multiple disguises and elaborate methods to remain undetected.

Richard Gere’s character, on the other hand, serves as the main protagonist, trying to anticipate and outsmart the deadly assassin.

The Jackal features action-packed sequences and showcases the contrasting performances of Bruce Willis as the cold, calculating assassin and Richard Gere as the determined ex-convict working with the authorities. Though it received mixed reviews from critics, the film has maintained a following for its high-stakes plot and the performances of its lead actors.