Keen On America Why This Might Be Robert Redford's Most Prescient Movie
Jan 15, 2026
James Grady, novelist and screenwriter famous for Six Days of the Condor, joins to dive into Robert Redford's cinematic legacy. They explore the eerie relevance of Three Days of the Condor to today's paranoia and isolation. Grady shares insights from his adaptation journey and contrasts the collaborative nature of filmmaking with solitary novel writing. They discuss the film's Kafkaesque themes, Faye Dunaway's compelling character, and its haunting ending that echoes current societal anxieties, proving Redford's artistry remains strikingly contemporary.
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Redford's Quiet Modesty
- James Grady recounts meeting Robert Redford on the Three Days of the Condor set and being struck by his modesty.
- Redford greeted him warmly and kept conversing despite fans approaching, showing self-control and humility.
Everyman Over Bond
- Grady and Sidney Pollack intentionally rejected a James Bond archetype for an everyman hero.
- They reshaped Condor into a believable ordinary-man thriller to make the character relatable and credible.
Banality Of Institutional Evil
- Three Days of the Condor expresses a deeper political paranoia than other Cold War thrillers.
- It portrays institutional normalcy masking moral wrongdoing, making the story feel eerily contemporary.
