The Assignment (1997 film) | Full Movie Watch in English | Featuring Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland & Ben Kingsley

The Assignment (1997) – Full Movie Details & Story

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The Assignment is a 1997 English-language spy action thriller film directed by Christian Duguay. The movie stars Aidan Quinn in a challenging dual role, alongside Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley. Set mainly during the late 1980s, the film explores a dangerous CIA mission built on deception, identity, and psychological transformation.

📖 Story & Plot Summary

The story begins in 1974 with the notorious international terrorist Carlos the Jackal carrying out a brutal attack on a CIA agent in a crowded café. His ability to disguise himself makes him nearly impossible to capture.

Years later, after another major terrorist strike at an OPEC meeting, the CIA struggles to identify Carlos. Agent Henry Fields secretly plans to assassinate him, but the operation fails due to political pressure and public exposure.

In 1986, a man named Annibal Ramirez is captured and interrogated by Mossad, only to be released when it is confirmed he is not Carlos, despite looking exactly like him. This resemblance attracts CIA agent Jack Shaw, who recruits Ramirez for a risky mission — to impersonate Carlos himself.

Ramirez undergoes intense physical and psychological training, learning Carlos’s behavior, movements, personal history, and even intimate habits. The goal is to convince the KGB that Carlos has betrayed them and is now working with the CIA.

The mission slowly begins to destroy Ramirez’s sense of identity. His actions lead to violence, strained family relationships, and emotional breakdown. When the operation collapses, Ramirez confronts the real Carlos in Berlin, resulting in a deadly struggle.

Though Ramirez appears to die in a car bombing, the truth is later revealed — his death was staged to protect his family and give him a new life. Carlos the Jackal is finally arrested years later, proving the mission’s ultimate success.

🎭 Cast

• Aidan Quinn as Lt. Cmdr. Annibal Ramirez / Carlos
• Donald Sutherland as Jack Shaw (Henry Fields)
• Ben Kingsley as Amos
• Claudia Ferri as Maura Ramirez
• Vlasta Vrána as KGB Head Officer
• Liliana Komorowska as Agnieska
• Von Flores as Koj
• Daniel Pilon as Admiral Crawford
• Claude Genest as Baseball Dad
• Céline Bonnier as Carla

📊 Movie Information

Directed by	Christian Duguay
Written by	Dan Gordon, Sabi H. Shabtai
Produced by	Franco Battista, Tom Berry
Starring	Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland, Ben Kingsley
Cinematography	Christian Duguay, David Franco
Edited by	Yves Langlois
Music by	Normand Corbeil
Production Company	Triumph Films
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date	26 September 1997
Running Time	119 minutes
Countries	Canada, United States
Language	English
Box Office	$332,597

⭐ Final Thoughts

The Assignment stands out as a psychological spy thriller that focuses more on identity and moral conflict than pure action. Aidan Quinn’s dual performance adds depth, while Ben Kingsley and Donald Sutherland deliver powerful supporting roles.