raywest

13th Feb 2022

The Jackal (1997)

Question: After being shot we see Valentina wrapping her arms around her abdomen. When Jackal approaches her she slowly raises her arms and reveals her wound. Why did she do that?

Answer: Agree with the other answer, but would add this was likely also a directorial decision to show the audience how seriously wounded she is, foreshadowing her eventual demise.

raywest ★

Answer: I believe she knew she was dying and was making a last ditch effort to stop him. It may have been a futile try, but how many dying criminals have done the same thing, getting that last shot at the Hero.

28th Dec 2021

The Jackal (1997)

Question: When Declan was in prison, and the FBI director asked him what his deal with the Jackal was, he replied, "That's between me and him." What was that conflict between the two? Did they really know each other from something in the past? Or was he simply just trying to convince the director that he had seen him when he hadn't, just to get out of prison?

Answer: Declan Mulqueen's former lover, Isabella Zancona, is a former militant member of the ETA, a Basque separatist group. While in Libya, the Jackal wounded Isabella, causing her to miscarry her and Mulqueen's unborn child. Mulqueen wanted revenge.

raywest ★

21st Mar 2012

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Why does Major Koslova seem relaxed after the jackal presses her hand in the wound?

Answer: By putting pressure on the wound, blood flow was decreased and it can give some pain relief. It also increases her chance of survival, till someone can get to her.

She's also feeling the increased effects of blood loss and going into shock at this point.

raywest ★

18th Mar 2012

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Why did the Jackal shoot only one bullet through the sofa?

Answer: The Jackal is a precise killer, as seen when he takes his sweet time lining up his shot on The First Lady near the end of the film. He only needed one shot for Koslova.

Answer: He didn't want to immediately kill Valentina. He wanted her alive long enough to deliver his message to Declan about him being unable to protect his women.

raywest ★

22nd Nov 2021

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Through the movie we always see The Jackal interacting with his victims in a detached and efficient manner. But during his interaction with Valentina he's more impassioned and provocative. He even lifts off the mask he used during his assault, so she can see his face. Why did Valentina cause such a reaction in him?

Answer: He wanted her to see the expression on his face, smiling and gloating that he won. Using all her vast resources and knowledge, but she became the hunted.

Answer: I agree with the other answers but would add that the Jackal interacts with Valentina the same way he was shown to treat other women differently from men, acting softer, gentler, and even sexual. He also wants to keep her calm so she understands the message he wants her to convey to Mulqueen.

raywest ★

I agree, and Valentina seems unable to resist him. She appears equally terrified and smitten by him.

Answer: I think he thought of her as a kindred spirit. Tough, ruthless and fearless. She didn't get those scars sitting behind a desk.

1st Aug 2018

The Jackal (1997)

Question: After meeting Douglas at the gay bar, The Jackal heads out and walks up to a car while putting gloves on. He fakes a cough and presses something to the driver window and it shatters with a bang. What exactly did he use and how did he break the window so easily with whatever that was? It appeared he simple just pressed a knife lightly to the window. What did he do? (00:43:20)

Quantom X ★

Answer: He probably used a window punch. It's a small device used for breaking a car window in the event of an emergency. A recessed metal pin is within a plastic housing. When pressed against the window, the pin's pointed end pushes into the window, shattering it. I carry such a device on my key chain.

raywest ★

30th Jul 2018

The Jackal (1997)

Question: When Major Koslova confronts Ghazzi in the club, he speaks first with a joke or line of some sort. "What, no kick back this week?" What is that supposed to mean? A google search revealed nothing to me. (00:05:55)

Quantom X ★

Answer: Kick back means bribe. He's insinuating that he can bribe anyone to look the other way whilst he continues his dealings.

Alan Keddie

Answer: A "kickback" (one word) could be considered a type of bribe, but more commonly it is an arranged pay-off for some type of business transaction. Someone does something to make money, either legally or illegally, and someone who aids or is in someway useful to them is paid a percentage of the profits.

raywest ★

25th Jul 2012

The Jackal (1997)

Question: The Jackal shot Koslova just one time. Why do we see two bullet wounds on her shirt?

Answer: It's not known if it's a bullet wound or just blood that somehow was transferred to that part of her shirt. She was bleeding heavily and moving around quite a bit when she is first shot.

raywest ★

18th Mar 2012

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Why has Koslova got two bullet wounds on her abdomen? The Jackal only shot her once.

Answer: There are two blood spots close together on the front of her shirt. When she was shot, she was rolling and moving around on the floor and her shirt could have gotten twisted in such a way that blood was transferred to the other side.

raywest ★

25th Jul 2012

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Why did the Jackal tell Koslova how she is going to die?

Answer: He's sadistic, and it's a way to torment her during her final moments.

raywest ★

18th Mar 2012

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Why didn't Koslova try to fight while the Jackal is talking to her?

Answer: Because she's dying, in shock, losing blood, and in pain.

raywest ★

Answer: She's in too much pain to fight. He also just helped her to slow her bleeding, after that she seems to weirdly trust him.

18th Mar 2012

The Jackal (1997)

Question: When The Jackal ambushes Whiterspoon and Koslova, why he doesn't kill her first?

Answer: He shoots her last so she will live long enough to deliver his message to Declan.

raywest ★

18th Mar 2012

The Jackal (1997)

Answer: Probably. He is sadistic and seems to enjoy watching her suffer.

raywest ★

9th Oct 2011

The Jackal (1997)

Answer: Either this is just an illusion or it is possible that parts of this scene were shot at different intervals, allowing time for her hair to grow somewhat.

raywest ★

11th Nov 2011

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Why does The Jackal looks sorry when he's telling Koslova that she will die in 20 minutes?

Answer: There's no way of knowing if he was sorry or not. He obviously is treating her differently than he does his other victims. It seems it has something to do with her being a woman, though just why he acts this way is never known.

raywest ★

27th Nov 2011

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Why didn't Koslova look behind the sofa when entering the living room? And why did she shoot like a crazy person?

Answer: Basically she was somewhat sloppy. She was caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events.

raywest ★

Answer: She was aiming to silence the blaring music. Guess she didn't like the song.

11th Nov 2011

The Jackal (1997)

Answer: The Jackal knows detailed information about the FBI agents that are after him and the members of the MVB from the Russian mole in the ranks that was revealed. This woman's name is Valentina, like Valentine. The fact he drew a heart on her face was a sadistic joke about her name, as well as sending a message to Declan.

Quantom X ★

Answer: He was "gift wrapping" his message to the hero.

Answer: It seems to be his way of noting her gender and also belittling her.

raywest ★

11th Nov 2011

The Jackal (1997)

Answer: For one, she refuses to show fear or any other emotion that makes her look weak in the face of death. Also, she knows Mulqueen will be more determined to kill him, and she wants the Jackal to be thinking about that.

raywest ★

11th Nov 2011

The Jackal (1997)

Answer: To torture her, to make her scream in pain.

Answer: To see how far the bullet penetrated.

raywest ★

9th Oct 2011

The Jackal (1997)

Question: Why does Major Koslova always wear a shirt and a jacket throughout the movie?

Answer: She is a Russian agent and wears clothes that are professional, gender-neutral, and also functional while she's on a dangerous assignment. She may also not have brought many clothes with her, and she is not trying to impress anyone--she is only focused on having a serious job to do.

raywest ★

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