To the Ends of the Earth -- The Hunt for the Jackal
SBS Television
Sunday, July 17, 9.30pm (9 Adelaide)
Reviewed by Barry Healy

Since the development of small-sized weapons of mass destruction, there have been many “terrorism” spates. Individuals or small groups set out to change the world and punish the unjust by committing acts of outrage -- slaughter of civilians and assassination of individuals.

The avenging individuals and groups become famous in their own time but quickly fade from memory as history moves on. Today, how many people could name the assassin of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria?

The Venezuelan Illich Ramirez Sanchez, better known as Carlos (or sometimes the Jackal), is the undoubted terrorism “star” of the late 20th century. This documentary (over-long at 1« hours) retraces the research of author David Yallop during the 10 years he took on his biography of Carlos. It is fascinating at times and frustratingly boring at others.

The most interesting moments are the face-to-face interviews with Peter Boock (one of the few survivors of the German Red Army Faction and a colleague of Carlos) and the extended sections dealing with the intifada and Israeli crimes in Lebanon. These give some tantalising insights into the psychology of terrorists and the historical events that breed their frustrations.

But other interesting insights behind the scenes of history get swamped in the film maker's heavy-handed attempts to dramatically re-enact Yallop's research. Less Yallop and more Carlos would have made a more satisfying film.

This article was posted on the Green Left Weekly Home Page.
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