Continuity mistake: In the opening scene as Ghazzi's car is about to pull up to the club, they round a corner at an intersection where the camera cuts to a different angle. There is a white van to the right of Ghazzi's car as they turn with nothing behind it, but in the next shot there is suddenly a smaller white vehicle of some sorts visible behind the van. Additionally, a third car appears on the left side, as a red vehicle next to the crowd of people at the club's steps. Thirdly, though it is very difficult to tell due to the shadows of the buildings, it might be that the three people walking past the red car suddenly appear between shots as well. (00:04:00)
Continuity mistake: When Ghazzi's car pulls up to the steps of the club in Moscow, you can see the bald bouncer at the door with nobody directly in front of him. The the camera cuts to the door with the bald bouncer there and suddenly the guy smoking a cigarette who greets Ghazzi with a hug just appears. (00:04:05)
Continuity mistake: After Ghazzi is embraced and greeted at the door, Valentina is watching from a side alleyway. She glances over at the red van where the FBI agents are watching and you see Witherspoon in the passenger seat. It then cuts to a close up and suddenly Witherspoon has his arm up with his hand in front of his face in a thinking pose. (00:04:30)
Continuity mistake: The guy who greeted Ghazzi at the door escorts him and a group of men inside the club and to a table. As he is showing them their seats, he places his hand on the guy's shoulder to his left and nudges him to the table. It then cuts to a closer angle and suddenly he's facing the guy to his right again before he then rubs his nose and then places his hand on the guy's shoulder to his left again to nudge him forward. (00:05:05)
Continuity mistake: When Ghazzi says "Do you think I'm afraid of the M.V.D?" in the club, you can see various plates and glasses on the table in front of him. To his left, there is a tall beer glass between him and his henchman with a smaller shot glass in front of it. Preston points his finger at him and says that's enough, at which Ghazzi then flips the table. When the camera cuts to an angle behind Ghazzi as he's flipping the table, the tall glass and the shot glass have switched places. (00:06:55)
Continuity mistake: After the Major shoots Ghazzi, a wide show shows Preston bent over as he's trying to get up. He's got his right knee forward with his right hand on his knee. It then cuts to a closer shot of him, and suddenly his left knee is now forward and he's picking his hand up off the floor. Also, the soldier behind his extended left arm suddenly vanishes. (00:07:30)
Continuity mistake: Terek comes into the room where the Jackal is staying and pours himself a drink from a bottle. He turns to the Jackal as he is putting the cork back into the bottle and holds it up, asking if he would like a drink. The camera cuts to the Jackal, who speaks in Russian for them to just get to the point. When the camera cuts back to Terek, he's still holding the bottle out in the same position he was, but now the cork is suddenly gone from it. It jump cuts to him turning to set the bottle down, and then suddenly the cork is back in it once more. (00:10:30)
Continuity mistake: When the Jackal and Terek are discussing the terms of his target and payment, the Jackal begins saying how much he wants. His glass on the table next to him is about half full. He continues talking and the camera cuts to a close up, at which point he reaches for and pulls the glass up into view to take a sip. There is now noticeably less liquid in the glass. (00:11:35)
Continuity mistake: The Jackal takes a drink from his glass and as he looks at it, it's almost completely empty with just a little bit at the bottom. He then tells Terek he wants $70 million to take this job. After Terek agrees, the camera cuts back to Jackal and his glass on the table beside him. His glass is now half full. (00:11:55)
Continuity mistake: When the Russian officer tells Preston that they need to conduct the interrogation efficiently and then walks away, you can see Preston contemplating what he means looking awkwardly. He's looking almost straight ahead with his head slightly turned to his left. The camera then cuts to by his shoulder before he turns to Witherspoon and suddenly he's now got his head turned fully to the left watching the Russians leave the room. (00:13:25)
Continuity mistake: When the agents make their move on Politovsky, they fire a rubber ball at his chest to knock him down and stun him. As he hits the ground, his brown bag falls from his hand and slides a few inches away from him. You can see the straps and latches of the cover sticking up in the air from the side of the bag facing up, indicating the bag is facing upwards. When the two men go over to him to grab Politovsky and throw him into the van, you can see the bag is a little closer to him now, and lying face down. (00:14:10)
Continuity mistake: As the MVD and FBI are together watching the footage of the torture and interrogation of Politovsky, Witherspoon has his hand up on his face. The camera cuts to an angle from behind everybody showing the screen and now his arm is down. It then cuts to a closer shot of him sitting beside Preston and his hand is back up again on his mouth. (00:18:20)
Continuity mistake: As the FBI and Koslova are walking away from Declan at the prison grounds, they are walking almost in line with each other with Preston in the front, Witherspoon in the back, and then Koslova and the other guy between them. But when it cuts to them stopping to turn around in response to what Declan says, they are suddenly almost standing shoulder to shoulder with each other. (00:27:30)
Continuity mistake: After Witherspoon suggests to Preston that they could use Isabella as insurance if Declan decides to try and escape, Preston walks beside him saying that her involvement is to remain classified, and nothing in the report. Between shots as he is saying this, Witerspoon's head goes from looking straight ahead to suddenly looking down at his clipboard. His hand also goes from stationary to suddenly writing. (00:34:15)
Continuity mistake: When Isabella is telling Koslova about the Jackal, the wide shot shows Koslova looking at Isabella with her hand on her face as she's thinking, contemplating the information. But then it cuts to a close up and suddenly her hand is lowered, and she is looking down writing notes. (00:34:35)
Continuity mistake: When Declan visits Isabella, the tide changes from high to low. (00:35:05 - 00:37:20)
Continuity mistake: Isabella slips Declan a key to a locker as they walk towards the dock where her husband and daughter are. They stop and have a conversation and during the entire scene, Isabella's hair swaps from blowing in the wind up wildly to lying down barely moving calm every time the camera changes from a shot of her to a shot of Declan and back. (00:35:50 - 00:37:20)
Continuity mistake: As the FBI is meeting about the Jackal and Declan is there with them, between the initial shot of the group and then the close up of him scooting closer to Koslova, the background extras change and are in different positions between shots. Most notably the man with a green folder under his arm suddenly walking by. (00:39:05)
Continuity mistake: When the Jackal meets Douglas, once they are sitting down there are 4 glasses on the table in front of them. As the Jackal reaches for his, closes to him, the one on the far end of the table has two olives in it and a red straw/toothpick sticking out of them. The straw is pointed out and away from the Jackal. In the shot where Douglas says that the Jackal is never going to call him, the straw is now pointed towards the Jackal. (00:42:00 - 00:42:35)
Continuity mistake: Koslova is asleep on a couch just before Declan is going for his razor and finds the gun in the drawer. The close up shot shows her in one position with her hands on a book, but then it jump cuts to further away to show Declan walking up. Now suddenly her hands are not on top of each other, the book is sticking out less, her hair is further down over her face, her jacket is covering more of her arm and legs, and her position on the pillow is slightly different. (00:43:25)
Answer: Because she's dying, in shock, losing blood, and in pain.
raywest ★