This is hardly a statement that’s made often but this has definitely been a great year for films about terrorism. First we had the subversive Four Lions from the warped mind of Chris Morris. And now this. French director Olivier Assayas takes an epic look at the South American born terrorist IIich Sánchez, otherwise known as Carlos the Jackal.

During the seventies Carlos (Édgar Ramírez) found himself with a growing reputation and well-earned notoriety for being a terrorist. He considered himself a revolutionary whose sole purpose was to serve the cause and bring down capitalism at any cost.

With considerable funding and backing from the Middle East, Carlos and his band of brothers were able to strike fear into the hearts of many with their reign of terror throughout Europe.

However, the political landscape isn’t one to stay stagnant for too long; as it shifted so did opinions and Carlos soon found himself in a position where he couldn’t tell his friends from his enemies.

It's such a joy to act with a screen icon: I loved you in Herbie Goes Bananas.

Straight from the off Assayas declares this feature as a work of fiction. It’s clearly well researched, and it’s littered with obviously accurate historical events, but authorities have only been able to find the real Carlos (who is still alive and currently incarcerated) guilty of a handful of actual crimes. It’s more than likely that he was responsible for a far greater number of terrorist acts, which this film’s narrative more than alludes to.

Although available in a trimmed down two hours and forty minutes version, this 3-disc Blu-ray version aired as a three-part mini-series in France and weighs in at a hefty five hours and forty five minutes in total. Although it invariably suffers from pacing issues in places, it’s still the definitive version to see.

One of the most striking aspects about the film is the detail with which Assayas has recreated the period, particularly the seventies; it is a remarkable homage to polyester, as it evokes the decade with uncanny accuracy.

However it’s not just the detail in the look and feel of the film that is captured, but also what now looks such an archaic political period in history. Considering today’s zero tolerance policy towards terrorism, it’s alarming to think that there was a time, not even that long ago, where terrorists could literally get away with murder. It was a period in history where hijacking a plane almost seemed as easy as hailing a cab. The sense of power that Carlos and his followers had is conveyed here with chilling conviction.

The main plaudits for this epic should really go to Ramírez; Not only does he have a remarkable amount of screen time, but he uses it to great effect. Over the two decades captured here, Ramírez changes his appearance with fluid regularity. Not only does his facial hair jump through more acting hoops than most leading men, but he isn’t afraid to pile on the pounds for the cause. And although he exudes charm, he plays Carlos in such a way that never makes him look heroic. In short, a brave and bold performance.

Considering its length, it’s a slight shame that Assayas didn’t dip into his protagonist’s childhood at all; it would have been interesting to see his take on what was in his formative years that made him the man that he became.

Overall though, Assayas provides a fascinating and remarkable account of an infamous historical figure. Carlos truly is epic in every way.