Other mistake: Interior Minister Roger Frey advises Commissioner Lebel that all members of the police, military and other security forces attending the ceremonies on the day the Jackal is expected to strike will be issued with lapel badges at the last moment, in case he is going to try to masquerade as one of them. We see hundreds of such people in the next part of the film, including Lebel himself and the CRS private who allows the heavily disguised Jackal through the barricades around the site of the ceremony DeGaulle is due to attend. Only the CRS private wears a lapel badge. Not one of the other police or military officers in attendance is wearing a lapel badge of any kind. (01:58:15)
Plot hole: When the French conclude - incorrectly - that Charles Calthrop is the Jackal, they contact the British authorities and obtain his file photograph from the passport office. The photograph is of Edward Fox in character as the Jackal - but it shouldn't be! The Jackal and Calthrop have no connection. The Jackal never used his identity and did not apply for a false passport in his name. The photo should have been of Edward Hardwicke in character as Charles Calthrop, who appears in the closing minutes of the film. The two actors do not look anything like each other.
Other mistake: Towards the end of the film the Jackal, in disguise as the fictional one-legged, grey haired Frenchman Andre Martin, finishes setting up his sniper's nest and removes his beret, revealing that he has only dyed his hair grey where it protruded. He has a circular mop of his normal chestnut brown hair under his hat! This is an incredibly stupid thing to do - it is a perfectly normal thing for a policeman (or any other security operative) to ask that someone showing identity papers remove his hat if he is wearing one. The Jackal is a professional assassin who meticulously prepares for all contingencies - he isn't going to throw away his whole plan for the sake of a bit of extra hair dye. (02:10:05)
Visible crew/equipment: The stunt man driving the car as the Jackal enters France looks nothing like Edward Fox. His hair isn't even the same colour.
Factual error: Many shots, especially the early ones, include the iconic Renault 16 in the background. This car was first produced in c1965, three years after the events happened. Probably unavoidable, as the car was a huge success.
Visible crew/equipment: Denise arrives at her flat and finds the OAS Member there, with his back to the camera. To his right in the mirror the right half of director Fred Zinnemann's body and forearm is visible for a split second. (00:20:40)
Character mistake: When the false passport application is found, they say that the passport was mailed on Jul 14. When Lebel tell the Minister about the passport, he says that it was issued on Jul 30.
Continuity mistake: The first time we see the beautiful Alfa Romeo Spider, the registration plate at the end of the car says GE1761, without a space between GE and 17. The next time we see the car, when he practices shooting in the the woods, the plate says GE 1761 with a huge space between GE and 17.
Continuity mistake: When the Jackal boards the train to go to the gun maker, the clock outside the station shows 11 o'clock. When he comes through the door, the overhead clock shows 9 o'clock. When he boards the train, an overhead clock shows 11 o'clock.
Other mistake: The Jackal goes out into a field to test his gun and adjust the sights. But the gun is then dismantled again, so the adjustments are irrelevant.
Answer: He would have just slipped away into the crowd, probably with some minor alteration to his appearance. He was a master of disguise and no one knew his real identity or what he looked like.
raywest ★